Please Read

[Sandy]

Okay, I believe that I am in error on something that I have been saying for years! I got the FoMoCo listing of the Special Equipment Listing, installed by FoMoCo, FOR asc/McLaren. Looking and comparing parts numbers, it certainly appears that asc/McLaren did NOT bend rearward rthe "A" Posts, nor lay back the windshield !

It definately looks like this was in fact, done by FORD - prior to arriving at Autry Avenue! On my parts listing are 2 "A" Pillars and a windshield,
WITH part numbers, to boot.
I also found 2 (left & right) parts numbers for the DOOR GLASS. So, FoMoCo also installed the door glass, or at least packed them in the trunk, for installation over at asc/McLaren.

Who Knew

[03Mach1]

Sandy, How could this have been done at Ford? In order to bend the a pillar back wouldn't the roof need to be removed first. Otherwise, I would think Ford would have had to redesign the notchbacks that were going to ASC. if that made sense at all...

[Sandy]

YES, what you wrote does make sence.... But.....

The 2 "A"-Pillars, 2 door windows & the windshield are right there....
on the Special Equipment installed listing.....

[03Mach1]

I would think the windows would be included and like you said packaged in the trunk as they would not fit in the LX at all as the stock hardtop ones are framed. Maybe the pillars were also packed and welded at asc? However with a unibody that wouldn't make much sense either. Unless I am way off base here? Did the early capri verts have this on their list of parts?

[03Mach1]

I also do not see a windshield on my list unless it's in code i dont understand?

[negusm]

YES, what you wrote does make sence.... But.....

The 2 "A"-Pillars, 2 door windows & the windshield are right there....
on the Special Equipment installed listing.....

Sandy, I think those are just the a-pillar plastic parts. Once the windshield is bent back, the original a-pillar parts would not fit, and would have to be replaced.

I'm guessing Ford included the A-Pillar plastic mouldings with the car. asc would then bend the windshield back and install the a-pillar mouldings.

-Mike

[Sandy]

Could be.....

What is on the 1989 Spec Eq. List looks like this;

2-"A" Pillars
2-Door Glass
1 W'shield

No further explanation......

U might be correct, Mike

[negusm]

Sandy, I looked up that part number.

"2500" parts are the METAL A-Pillars. They can be seen in the exploded body parts view in the books.

E7ZZ-6102500-A = Normal Metal A-Pillar for a hatch.
F1ZZ-7602500-A = Normal Metal A-Pillar for a vert

E8ZB-6102500-BA = 1988 asc A-Pillar

In the part numbers above "610" is the code for Hatchback. Ford vert parts should all have "760". No idea if Ford considered these cars as verts or hatches in their system when they assigned part numbers.

The other thing is that the 1993 part book I have list an older part "E7" which is for 1987+ cars. The asc part has "E8" which says the part was for 1988+ cars. My conclusion is that this part is definitely a CUSTOM asc part...since the similar part was not revised in the Ford books.

Looking at the 1986 vert parts list we have, this part is not there. Maybe asc bent A-Pillars up to 1987. Then they went to Ford and had them build the bodies with the new A-pillar? This would necessitate a custom top, wouldn't it to be placed on the car before shipping to asc for the actual convertible roof?

-Mike

[Sandy]

NOW I AM REALLY CONFUSED....

Not really, I understand very well what you wrote. But, we still do not know who did what to whom.....

IF the cars recieved the hardtop's "A" pillers, it's probably a safety violation if/when a McLaren flips over on its "head" ~ showing that the
hard roofed coupe got different A-pillars (most likely weaker) than the convertible Mustangs. Cutting off the roof of the COUPE and using the Coupe's A pillar - is a weaker support system, than a norman Mustang Convertible.
Was Ford Smart? Did they totally cut off the entire Coupe A-pillar, and weld in the Mustang Convertible's "A" Pillars to the D32 coded cars ???

Who knows? My guess is YES, Why? Because the painted to match the car's color, Plastic Cover applique that covers the A pillar would be, by asc McLaren AND Ford's standard be called a "Trim Piece" and NOT a "Pillar".

We need to find one in a junk yard and investigate this.
Remember,
on the Listing that I have the Description is "PILLAR"
Not "TRIM" nor A-Pillar Trim.
Even just removing the trim and opening the door & hood, might reveal something and / or clues.

[negusm]

Heres what I think may have happened.

Ford redesigned the vert A-Pillars in 87 or 88 for their convertibles.

asc goes "WAIT, we need the OLD style or we can't bend them back in our shop."

Ford says, "We can put hatch ones back on, will that work?"

asc, says, "Yeah. Build the car with the hatch a-pillars".

Hence the part number for a hatch a-pillar.

I could see that happening.

-Mike

[foxchassis]

I don't know how it went with Capris but non-asc Mustangs destined to be convertibles (via Cars & Concepts) had one-piece fiberglass caps installed prior to being shipped to C&C. I don't know if Dearborn Assembly (DAP) cut roofs off of coupes and then bent the windshield frame rearward, or if they installed a whole different frame, but there was a separate assembly area for the modifications (including the shipping cap installation). The caps were collected in at C&C and picked up by Ford so they could be re-used. See the July 1990 issue of Mustang Monthly for this info.

The windshield in Mustang convertibles (at least non-asc convertibles) is indeed unique to the convertible body. I don't know if that's for '83+ convertibles or just for the 'aero' convertibles.

The coupe and hatchback -- regardless if either had a T-roof -- had the same windshield. The convertible roof, solid roof, and T-roof all had unique door glass. And from what I gather, the asc convertible had unique door glass as well.

[Sandy]

Mustangs headed for ASC, did not have those type of caps. They wore the normal 2-door coupe hardtops. I once had pics of a lot full of Mustang Coupes, AT ascMcLaren's lot. A "sea" of black or White LX V-8 Coupes.

[foxchassis]

Mustangs headed for ASC, did not have those type of caps. They wore the normal 2-door coupe hardtops. I once had pics of a lot full of Mustang Coupes, AT ascMcLaren's lot. A "sea" of black or White LX V-8 Coupes.

Did those cars have "incomplete" VIN identifiers, do you know?

[Sandy]

NO, they did not have "incomplete" VIN identifiers.