Did they build Mopars on Saturdays back then?

[69bronzeT5]

My Duster was built on September 23, 1972 according to the fender tag....yet that's a Saturday

[Tilar]

I'd say it's very possible. They were putting out a lot of cars back then and even recently the stamping plants stay open 7 days a week, Why not production? 

[Chris G.]

Yes, Saturday was a working day.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

FWIW I dont have any '69s registered that were built on a Saturday

[ITSA426]

They built on holidays back then.  I've seen two '66 hemi Chargers built on July 4.  I can't believe they weren't building on Saturdays.

[Ghoste]

Especially early in the model year when they want to get as many as they can out on the lots.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Im going to "modify" my above statement

None in registry built on a Saturday in 1969.....(not saying that they didnt but so far none for me)

However in '68 they did build on a Saturday.

Heck the earliest car I have 100039 was built 7/28/68 which was a SUNDAY!!

[hemigeno]

Scheduled Production Dates were just that - scheduled...  They may have built cars on a Saturday that were actually scheduled to be produced anytime before that (days or even weeks prior).  My guess is -- still just a guess -- they used Saturday and/or Sunday as a "catch-up" day depending on how far behind schedule they were.  Barry W. and Doug H. will have much more insight on this topic than I.

Chris, the 100039 was one of the "prototype" cars, correct?  Would that have been built essentially by Management & Supervisors during the model year shutdown/changeover?  Weird that they would "schedule" the car for a Sunday though.

[69CoronetRT]

My guess is -- still just a guess -- they used Saturday and/or Sunday as a "catch-up" day depending on how far behind schedule they were.  Barry W. and Doug H. will have much more insight on this topic than I.

Speaking only for 69 STL, I have runs of six consecutive SPDs in at the beginning of the year and toward spring. Over the winter, it appears they go in five day increments. So I think Geno is right on target with Saturday being a catch up day to meet seasonal demand.

[69bronzeT5]

Especially early in the model year when they want to get as many as they can out on the lots.

That makes sense, my Duster has a kinda early production vin number. 157XXX.

[73chgrSE]

I just realized that my charger was built exactly one year after I was born. Same month, i guess they must've known.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Scheduled Production Dates were just that - scheduled...  They may have built cars on a Saturday that were actually scheduled to be produced anytime before that (days or even weeks prior).  My guess is -- still just a guess -- they used Saturday and/or Sunday as a "catch-up" day depending on how far behind schedule they were.  Barry W. and Doug H. will have much more insight on this topic than I.

Chris, the 100039 was one of the "prototype" cars, correct?  Would that have been built essentially by Management & Supervisors during the model year shutdown/changeover?  Weird that they would "schedule" the car for a Sunday though.

Yes Geno its the "ad" car R6 R/T

[Alaskan_TA]

Some cars have a SPD of 931 too. 

People keep assuming that the SPD is the BUILD day, it is just not so. The cars were often built weeks out of sequence, the SPD is the dated they HOPED to build the car.

I touched on this topic with the current Item Of The Month at this link;

http://www.hamtramck-historical.com/

My T/A as a further example has a SPD of 417, yet the engine assembly date is 422. So, my car was likely actually built sometime after the 23rd? 

[69bronzeT5]

The back door panels in my car had a date stamped if I remember correct...September 21, 1972. 2 days before the SPD of the car.

[resq302]

Im going to "modify" my above statement

None in registry built on a Saturday in 1969.....(not saying that they didnt but so far none for me)

However in '68 they did build on a Saturday.

Heck the earliest car I have 100039 was built 7/28/68 which was a SUNDAY!!

Chris,

Our 70 chally vert has a sched. prod. date of Sept. 28, 1969 which as a Sunday also.  Like someone else said, since this is within the first two months of them making this car, they could have been working crazy hours just to get them produced and out into the public.

[69_500]

It wouldn't be that odd for a car to be built on a Saturday. I would assume the factories back then were ran just like the ones today, 24/7 with 3 shifts going. Odds are that half if not more of the "Friday" cars weren't built until Tuesday or Wednesday of the next week if not even further after that.

Seeing a car with a 931 SPD would be pretty neat. That would be just as cool as seeing one with a SPD of 230.

[resq302]

Oh, you could probably see those fender tags like that but chances are they are fakes.

[69CoronetRT]

Oh, you could probably see those fender tags like that but chances are they are fakes.

legit cars with 931 exist.

Since 1964, 1968, 1972 and 1976 were leap years, I wonder if there are cars with a 229 SPD.

[Alaskan_TA]

Yep. From 1972;

[69CoronetRT]

Yep. From 1972;

Cool. Thanks!