"Terminology" Used Throughout this Group

[Brian Styles]

Acronym Quick-Reference

• SAI - Shelby American, Inc.
• SAC (or SACI) - Shelby Automotive Company, Inc.
• SAAC - Shelby American Automobile Club
• FMC (or FoMoCo) - Ford Motor Company
• DSO - Domestic Special Order (also used by Ford sometimes for District Sales Office)
• FSO - Foreign Special Order
• SVO (or SVO&PS) - Special Vehicle Order and Parts Specification
• RC (or RPC) - Running Change / Running Production Change
• AC (or Air/Con) - Air-Conditioning
• KH - Kelsey-Hayes

Ford Domestic Special Order (DSO) / Foreign Special Order (FSO) -

FoMoCo Form # FD 4243 (revision date July 1964) - Landscape orientation

Pre-printed form, with typed information. Shelby American used the DSO form/process to special-order batches of cars from Ford. Each DSO would be limited to a single package code and trim. Multiple paint colors were itemized in the detail area.

For more information on what a 1965-1967 FoMoCo DSO/FSO looked like, visit: 

http://www.1967shelbyconvertible.com/documentation/original-documents/ford-dso-order-2512.asp

or turn to page 1325-6 of your 2011 SAAC World Registry

Ford Special Vehicle Order and Parts Specification (SVO, SVO/PS) -

FoMoCo Form # KBM (revised 7-63) - Portrait orientation

 

This form is created AFTER the order (DSO) is placed. 

Think of the SVO as an engineering form -- as an 'expanded' version of the DSO where all assembly numbers are broken out into specific part numbers of every single item added to, changed from, or deleted from the stock Mustang platform to fulfill each order for a Shelby G.T.

 

These have often been referred to as "add/delete" sheets.

An example of an SVO can be found on pages 1327-8 of your 2011 SAAC World Registry 

Ford District Item Number -

All '65-'67 Shelbys orders were typed on Ford form FD 4243. This multi-page Domestic Special Order (DSO) form. 

 

Prior to assigning a serial number to a car, Ford assigned each Sales District batches of sequential numbers, and the Sales District would assign these "item numbers" to the units specified on each order. Item numbers were necessary because cars had to be identified from the time that the order was placed, and remained part of the unit's permanent record even after a serial number was assigned.  A DSO could contain one or more units and therefor could have one or a sequential range of item numbers. Chrysler referred to this as a Vehicle Order Number (VON). 

Both the DSO number and District Item Number can be found on your car's Marti Deluxe Report.

note: Marti reports lable this as a "DSO Item #." Ford's Data Processing Manual calls it a "District Item Number," which we believe helps to clarify that the item number sequences were assigned to District Offices, and not to Domestic Special Order forms. 

See this topic: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/shelbyresearch/2yxKXo5VyMQ

There's a web page we found that elaborates on the confusion caused by the acronym "DSO." 

Each car's District Item Number can also be found on most Shelby Production Orders in the lower part of the 'Shelby Serial #' box. Cars ordered on DSO 2541+ seem have item numbers typed on their Production Orders. Cars ordered on DSOs 2501-2540 DO NOT have their item number typed on the Production Order. If you have one of these early cars, you can make a special request to Dave Mathews to pull the number from a Dealer Deliver Report punch card, or you can obtain it by purchasing a Deluxe Marti Report.  

For '67 Shelby G.T. orders, District Item Numbers weren't written/typed on the DSO forms until DSO 2541, though we've been able to figure out ranges by reviewing Production Orders and with the help of Dave Mathews.

Package Code (Pkg) - 

The term "package code" was used to describe the core-optioned vehicle when Shelby ordered cars from Ford. 

Each DSO was limited to a single package code. 

The 4-character package code consisted of the engine, gearbox, components (Air Conditioning and/or Exhaust Emissions) and body style (Fastback, Convertible and Coupe). The package code is found in characters 3-6 of each vehicles VIN.

For more information on package codes: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/shelbyresearch/-JFINQ4RsG8

Ford Dealers Report of Vehicle Delivery for Passenger Cars - 

FoMoCo Form # FD 8567-P, revised June 1966 - IBM 80-column punch card

These cards were pre-punched by Ford (Columns 1-33) and would have been used to update vehicle records in the Ford computer system after a vehicle was sold by a Ford dealer. Ford wanted to know when the vehicle was delivered (start of warranty), some metadata about the buyer, and the details of any trade-in vehicle. It even provided the ability to opt the customer in to the mailing list for the Ford Time publication.

In the case of '67 Shelby G.T. vehicles, the Delivery Report punch cards were delivered to Shelby American because Ford essentially treated SAI as a dealer. Shelby, however, never forwarded these punch cards to the actual selling dealers and therefore they were never completed and returned to Ford. This is why the Ford computer record holds no information about the actual selling dealers of the cars. 

 

Ford Vehicle Order Card (VOC) / Vehicle Record -

The VOC was a computer punch card that was used to feed data into Ford's IBM mainframe computer. The punch card is the IBM 80-column type. 

Per the printed punch card, the proper name for the 1967 model year would be the 1967 Ford Passenger Car Basic Broadcast Card (revised May-66) 655372-0 BSC

For an image and more information. visit: 

http://www.1967shelbyconvertible.com/research/decode.asp

Deluxe Marti reports print an 80-column record near the top of the page. Up until 2015, the Deluxe reports referred to this as the "Vehicle Order Image," which was an inaccurate term. The record on Marti reports is actually the post-build vehicle record, as it contains any materials substitutions that the unit may have received different from how it was ordered (such as interior trim). 

Shelby American Production Order -

Shelby American Form #0-103 - landscape orientation

 

Document created by SAI for each car that outlined Shelby Serial Number, Ford VIN, Key codes, options, such as wheel type, radio, full stripes, important dates, selling dealer and other notes. This is probably the most important document you can have for you car if you're looking to make sure all the factory options are correct.

Shelby American Daily Production Report (DPR) - 

Ledgers that tracked which cars where completed (Phase-1 "Shelby Upgrades") on a daily basis. The earliest found DPR is 2/22/67 and last is 6/19/1967. Based on these reports, it appears the goal was to complete 30 cars per day. Unfortunately these documents are quite scare and they only itemize about ~400 of the 3,225 serialized GT units. 

Shelby American Dealer Invoice (Invoice) -

Document created by SAI when a car was sold to a dealer. The invoice is an alternate source for learning about the options you car was sold with if a Production Order can't be found. For example, if an AM radio is itemized, your car did have an AM radio. If the Invoice itemizes Deluxe Wheels, then your car was fitted with and sold with Mag Star wheels.

 

Shelby American, Inc. Product Letters

Product Letters appear to have started on December 2nd, 1966 -- the same day that Ford’s Fred Goodell assumed the role of SAI’s “Engineering Manager,” replacing John Liefeld, who reportedly ‘resigned’ on the same day. We've only found two product letters so far and both are marked "CONFIDENTIAL."

* 67-1 Eye-Level Brake and Turn Signal Lights - 1967 Model GT 350/500 

* 67-4 1967 GT 500 Cooling Package - Air Conditioned Cars.

It is probable that Product Letters were implemented by Goodell to formerly address running changes (RPC) that affected the build of the 1967 GT models.

Prior to December 2nd, it appears that SAI was simply using 'Memos' to inform the staff of running changes, for example VIN length and Goodyear tire changes.

The 1967 Shelby "DSO Project"

Information taken from the printed SAAC registry (2011), reorganized, and published in an extremely usable digital form at Simkins' DSO Project by enthusiast and '67 Shelby owner, Roy Simkins.

Shelby American Shop Lingo

"Shelby Upgrades"  -  the modifications and components added to a Mustang platform to transform the vehicle into a Shelby G.T.  These included the roll bar, gauge pod, seat belts & shoulder harnesses, brake ducts, fiberglass components, paint, emblems, side stripes, etc.

 

"Shells"  -  SAI term used on the Daily Production Reports in reference to the fiberglass brake scoops.

"Cripple"  -  SAI's shop term for a vehicle that was incomplete or non-operational, for any reason, (e.g. on the 4/3/67 DPR, "There as only one cripple & this was due to no choke cable/brkt available."

"67 1/2" Front End   -  Name given to the front end grille assembly when the high-beams were mounted at the far sides of the grille area. Commonly called 'outboard high-beams' by enthusiasts.

"Air/Con" Hood  -  Name used for the louvered hoods that were specifically installed to G.T. 500 units with air conditioning.

"Blower" - Paxton Supercharger