Ranchero VIN code

Yes the Ranchero emblems were the 1s I was reffering to, your Vin# is a low # and the build date would be Aug of 1968, so maybe they were put there incorrectly, and by all means look for the VIN to make sure that it is a true 69GT and not a rebadged car.

 

The truck is a mystery, but I'm having fun with my detective work. The VIN in the windshield says it's a GT (49) and does start with a 9, so 1969. But the driver's door and/or door plate is not correct to color, according to the "scratch test" I did last night. So date of manufacture and all that info is suspect right now.

I scratched off the black paint in different places, down to the metal. The hood, left fender and tailgate scratch off black to white to primer to metal. The rest of the truck, including the driver's door, scratches off black to metallic red to red oxide primer to metal.

It would take a full Marti to figure this out, probably. I am not sure it would be worth the almost $300 fee, given condition. I haven't found anything like Jade Black in the scratch test so far. I need to check the underside of the door for it. I want to investigate further on the interior for factory overspray to see if I can determine original color, but I'm betting it was metallic red. Eventually the right fender has to come off due to rust issues if I redo it anyway. Then I can match VINs.

On the Ranchero badge on the back, it is there on the left side but not on the other. I can see no holes on the other side, either, but that doesn't mean anything. Lots of times on these old vehicles, if the badge is missing they will just fill in the holes on repaint. The holes in the left side look factory punched, not drilled. I'll have to explore sometime from the access panel whether there are holes on the right side with filler in them.

My current theory is that the 390 blew in it, it was banged up on the fender, hood and maybe driver's door by then, and it was sold to someone who put in the 302, replaced the sheet metal parts, did up the interior and shot it all red. It was later reshot black. Judging by the vintage M/T valve covers and apparent mid- to late 70s date of the engine, that was probably sometime in the early to mid-'80s. That would fit the styling to the proper time period, too.

 

Here's a question for ya!

Weekend update. Man, I scratched off a lot of places on the truck now. It indeed WAS as the door plate says, which means only the left fender and hood were replaced at some time. Truck was shot metallic red sometime, then the fender and hood later were replaced and it was shot the current black. The door jambs and other places have the Jade green underneath. I am HAPPY about that, it will make it worth redoing.

There's one Ranchero badge on the rear that appears to have factory-stamped holes. The other side has none, and I haven't pulled the access panel to see if the holes are just filled. But I bet they are. It might have been missing or damaged, and they just filled when painting.

My deal for two parts 68s fell apart. I was left with me and a buddy with our trailers hooked up, and noplace to go Saturday. I still don't understand why, but the guy who had called ME to offer them suddenly just didn't seem to want to hold up his end of it. I am bummed because I prefer a Ranchero for parts. So anyway, I'm looking at some 68 Fairlanes later this week.

QUESTION: Will the lower quarter (below the bottom break line) from a 2-door Fairlane be pretty much a weld-in replacement for the ones on my Ranchero? I know a wagon would be better, but that would be hard to find. Thanks!

 

Thanks. What I was planning was to cut out the section that is bad and replace it and the inner well where it is also perforated, as a piece. I did this on a 68 Torino once, but am less sure about the Ranchero. Other than length, would it work?

 

Thanks again. I am just trying to figure out how to do this with readily available 68-69 parts cars instead of hard-to-find in my area Rancheros. I am thinking if I just do the rusted out area, and just the bent area, I can get away with it. Fabbing is a possibility, but that back part where it's rusted out in the weep hole area would be a hard place to fab and get right. I'd rather cut and weld.

LOL. I posted about my parts 68 deal going wrong earlier? I told the whole story to a friend of mine, how I had been talking to this guy for a week, and asked him, "So what gives with this guy? Why didn't he close the deal?"

His reply: "That's easy. The Rancheros were stolen, or were going to be stolen, and his window of opportunity to do that wasn't right at the time you wanted to get them." A big light bulb went off in my head, and a lot of stuff suddenly fit together. I am glad I didn't get them, now. I had never considered that.

 

Jim, you must be spoiled on being lucky finding rust-free Fairlane cars in the past. The 'major issues' with your floorboards are common. Don't forget, these cars are related to Mustangs. Unless there's a lot of rust-THROUGH, not just surface rust, covered by the dirt, that bed is exceptional! The floors, lower quarters, and rockers are available new from several sources;why chop up 2 '68s? '66-'69s are hard to find in my neighborhood. Only 1,658 Ranchero GTs were built in '69; I'd run a Marti report on that one. Ford made 81,822 Torino GTs in '69; shouldn't be too hard to find a numbers-matching drivetrain. I'd pull that carpet up in the middle, might be floor shift clues. I've never even heard of a column-shift 4-speed, but who knows. Check the sales brochure. With as much changing that you've already noticed, the trans tunnel could have been butchered up, too. If I'm not mistaken, the dash trim panels around the a/c vents bolt on, and are interchangeable. Before you cannibalize those '68s,could I possibly buy one? How far are you from Winston-Salem NC? JD

 

rancheromeister, the 68 route is the cheaper way to do it. The cost of just those new replacement panels easily exceeds a parts car, and there is other sheetmetal and other parts that I need.

I am already deep into a 69 Fairlane project, and my first car was a 68 Torino, so I am familiar with all the rust issues. What is considered severe rust in the South (yes, we are spoiled) would be considered minor rust up North. The floorpans will have to be completed replaced. That is severe in the South, but I had to do minor floorpan replacement in the Fairlane and patchwork on my 68 Torino (way back in 1976 in Illinois), so I am familiar with it.

Somewhere in this thread is what I found out as I got all the info together -- that it is an S code 390 C6 originally. The floor has been chopped for a correct shifter, but there is no hump. That will be repaired, and I can go back to column shift with a parts car.

We've discussed already that it possibly is a very early production model still using the 68 quarters, because the emblems are on the quarters instead of the front fenders. Yes, the bed is nice and unbattered, with only one ding in it and no rust. I attribute that to the car spending part of its life in the West before somehow coming back to Missouri. I power washed the bed and the sump before taking it off the trailer.

Haven't got to look at the 68s yet; I have called and left a message.

 

Jim, I used to work at a parts store next to Carolina Mustang back in the '80s, when they still did restorations. Back then, most early Mustang convertibles needed $5,000 worth of floor pans and associated repairs to get them right. So I'm probably more likely to expect floor pan replacement as 'normal'. During the past 8 years since I bought my '68, I have seen only 3 '68-69 Rancheros at the Charlotte Autofair. The last time I saw one there was 3 years ago. If I had some property to store them, I'd start hoarding them. I used to live in Raleigh, so I know they're getting hard to find. (In one piece) As I looked in my Dearborn catalog, I see that I was incorrect on the panel availability. I've seen them discontinue a lot of parts in the past few years. That said, you probably don't have any choice but to go the parts car route; especially for a daily driver. I've got a card somewhere for a guy that has a few '68 parts cars; I'll pass along the info when I find it. I may have a chance to buy back my '68; can I interest you in a running 79 1/2 Special Edition Ranchero 500, all power, with a 302/FMX ? JD

 

Only 68-69 rings my bell, JD.

I get my repair panels from Sherman Associates, the supplier to all the resellers. They have plenty of floor panels on hand...

http://store.shermanparts.com/cgi-bin/sherman/product_list.html?img_num=362

Still, if you add up the panels I need, you get about $750, and I'd still have other parts to buy to replace broken/missing stuff. Parts car is the way to go on this one, if it works out. I have the time to find one that is right for my use.

They use a lot more salt in NC than they do here on the southern border of TN and south of here.

I hope I can get back with the guy with the 68 Fairlanes. I just didn't have time to go look when he called me last week. If not, something else will come up.

 

OK, between you guys' comments and what I found on the truck online, I just had to go ahead and get Marti to do a report. Too curious, now! Ordered it today. I had emailed them about whether they could help with the '68 quarters on a '69 truck, but they said their records are not deep enough to do that. Still, if it turns out to be Aug. 28, 1968 date of manufacture, it would not be a stretch to think it was early enough to maybe have old stock quarters.

I'll let you know what I get back.

 

72, what we were discussing was that the Ranchero emblems are on the 68 positions on the quarters on my 69 and not on the fenders, as they "ought to be" for a 69. There has been speculation that it may have been an early-run 69 that used the 68 version of the quarters. The markers on the quarters on mine are reflectors, not lights. Looks to me like punched Ranchero emblem holes, not something someone did afterward. The Marti will help with determine when it was actually produced, although logically no one can say with absolute certainty about the rest. Scratch tests show Jade Black under the two repaints on both sides, so the chances are good the panels are originals. Truck shows no signs of ever being damaged in the rear. I'm just trying to figure out which way to go with it, resto or rod. Be harder to go the resto route, but if it is something special, it would be worth it.

 

I still have a few 68-69 parts Jiiiiimmmmmm but sold my parts cars to Scotty. He should be able to help you out with the Ranchero & Torino stuff. He has piles of cars/goodies.

 

Hi Denny, Would like to know what color is your Ranchero? I pick ua 68 a few months back and it's not the original color, but looks like yours. thank you.

 

Might want to go frequent the Cobra/Torino page. There were a few station wagons over there. Some of those Torino parts, particularly forward of the back seat that are compatible.

Ford Torino Cobra Entrance Page

 

Holy Thread CPR, Batman!

 

I did not know that this post was so old....hahahaha!!!