Thanks to Rollright and to Jerry for the video links.
The Dearborn Mustang assembly plant video was neat, on several fronts.
Judging by the sight of the GT emblems and matching individual 'Mustang'
lettering, filming was well into production of the 1965 model. I was
amused a little by the singers permitted to dart into and out of cars as
they moved down the assembly line. I recently toured the MINI plant in
Oxford, and there, you'd be lucky if you got within 20 feet of the cars
on the line,workers were so concerned with visitors scratching paint or
glass. Any yes, Jerry, Ford used an engine hoist we would kill for. I
was knocked out by the sight of downpipes already installed before
installation.
The film about the Mustang I and Troutman-Barnes' role in its assembly
was neat. I think two versions were built, one the fully functional,
drivable one we saw in the film, and a second rolling chassis example
displayed at some auto shows. I've followed Troutman-Barnes since about
1967, and they have a rich history fabricating special cars. They worked
originally with Kurtis in the early 1950's, they built several examples
of Lance Reventlow's Scarab race cars while his racing concern was still
financially solvent, they had a hand in Peter Brock's BRE Samurai racer,
they built a limousine version of a 1969 VW Type 1 (beetle)(for
Volkswagen Pacific - the California distributor at the time), they built
a four door Porsche 911(with suicide rear doors and Sportomatic)for a
Texas dealer as a birthday present for his wife, and this is just the
highlights.
If you Google 'image' Volkswagen Limousine, you may come up with images
for both the black limo and the green with stock steel chrome wheels 911
The brown 911 with Fuchs alloy wheels in 'images' is the same car that
was resprayed in that color by a later owner.
If you need to read more about the 911 four-door, it's the cover
article in the March 1968 Road & Track, which may be available on eBay.
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