Did the factory every make a mistake?

I'm sanding on my 74 grabber - pearl white, orange trim code. It's the only 74 I've ever heard of that came with orange seat belts but I'm sure there are others. At any rate, I have two questions. What is the number written in grease pen behind the grill, and more importantly, why is my driver's side door and driver's side rocker painted blue under the orange? At first I figured the car had been in an accident and they used the door from a 74 blue and white grabber. But, then as I sanded I realized it's the rocker too, and I see no signs of body work here. Does anyone have a clue? Could it be this started one day as a blue trim grabber only to be finished the next as an orange?

 

They did all kinds of strange things back then. Wouldnt surprise me if they painted the wrong color initially. Sure looks factory to me.

 

My car had a similar thing, it was repainted at some point but whoever did it made it look factory. I wouldn't be surprised if they repainted it at the factory because it looked that good.

http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=81649

 

As mistakes go, this one seems pretty odd. Must have been Monday morning or Friday afternoon.

 

I'm almost more inclined to believe a used rocker and door from the same car was installed at some point

 

The number written on the radiator support is the rotation number. If you find the build sheet, the same rotation number will be typed on there as well.

 

My brown car has a quarter extension the is yellow under the brown paint, the car has never been apart. The factory could have been just using up parts, or their could have been a factory repair.

 

Well working in a Ford assembly plant for 30 year I did see some thing that were hard to understand. Your could have had a paint repair in the plant when new or afterword at any time. A wrong color could have been applied in an area and then corrected after word. The body panels could have been swapped with another for any reason and repainted before it left the plant or at a dealer or a body shop at any time. Maybe that blew is a primer color. Today the primer is the same color as the body color. They do this now to save money. Sometimes at work I would see an engine bay a different color than the car. In these areas, paint is not required just e-coat so they let it go. I also know if an entire body is painted the wrong color it has to be scraped!! They cannot repaint and sell as a new car. Its a repaint. They have to start over in the body shop with another one. They would get mad about this and it dose happen. There are many body and paint repairs at the factory for system damage. Scratches and dents and sags, dirt in the paint! Building cars production style is difficult busingess but Quality is Job One. Ford does a great job!

 

In addition to what I just wrote, sometimes there are body concerns like split metal, welding concerns like warped steel or spot welds burned through. They will run the car through assembly and make repairs in pre delivery repair areas. They will have parts panted and sent to meet the car for repair. All though a wrong color rocker panel sounds like a paint mistake of some kind though. The Grabber hood was always a big mistake. The operates that did hood install would fail check that "93" code and install a standard hood. It would be detected in per delivery (most of the time) and the car would have to be put aside another and a Grabber hood would be ordered and painted and striped then replaced then ship the car! I was told they got tired of it and went to the Grabber stripe standard hood in 1973.

 

That's actually a pretty cool story!

 

i was thinking the same thing

 

That is a pretty darn interesting.

And to the OP, my white with orange trim 74 comet GT has orange seat belts as well.

 

My blue mav had the right rear quarter replaced on the assembly line...(body probably fell off a jig or got hit by a fork truck) Who knows, stranger things have happened...

 

Thanks for the info on the seatbelts. I wish I could find a set. My shoulder straps are cut.

 

My 75 has drum brakes and a V8, but Ford and everybody else will tell you that all 75s with a V8 had disc.

Mine 75 also has the LDO and Grabber package package. The wood trim is on the door panels and steering wheel, but none on the dash.
JR