HD auto transmission option

A posting on one of the FB pages piqued my curiosity with a factory FMX equipped 302 Mach 1, which was also a DSO 92 export car. 



I never ran across an FMX equipped 302 car, so I'm curious what would drive that option? Is it the export vehicle status, or was there a "heavy duty" trans option on the order sheet? It seems that by the info in the MPC, it's a 72-73 only option.  I'm aware that you could get the C-6 on the 351-2V 71~73 and some other Fords you could get the Z-code HD C-6 with the tow package, but there was no such option for the Mustang.

Hi HK 

Where would it have got exported to?

As I have experienced in Auto industry when production gets squeezed, they possibly had a parts shortage on C6 and someone at Ford decided to use what they have in stock.  :chin:

I have misplaced my Marti book mustang by the numbers or I would look up how many were made. I do know there were some one offs listed. Export cars did get some better parts note the Export brace used on the early Shelby Mustangs was standard on Export Mustangs.

In 72 all T-5 Mustangs got rear window defogger except of course the verts.

Now where is that darn book?

Rather odd per Marti

In 71 there was only one coupe and two fastbacks with the 302 / FMX

In 72 there were over 34,053 mixed of all 3 body styles  302 / FMX

In 73 there were zero

Rather odd per Marti

In 71 there was only one coupe and two fastbacks with the 302 / FMX

In 72 there were over 34,053 mixed of all 3 body styles  302 / FMX

In 73 there were zero

Click to expand...

Interesting....

IIRC, there were 125K +/- Mustangs built in '72. 

How many were equipped with 302 engines?

A shortage of C4 transmissions?

Rather odd per Marti

In 71 there was only one coupe and two fastbacks with the 302 / FMX

In 72 there were over 34,053 mixed of all 3 body styles  302 / FMX

In 73 there were zero

Click to expand...

Both of my 72 Sprint coupes have 302/FMX drive trains.

Rather odd per Marti

In 71 there was only one coupe and two fastbacks with the 302 / FMX

In 72 there were over 34,053 mixed of all 3 body styles  302 / FMX

In 73 there were zero

Click to expand...

Interesting....

IIRC, there were 125K +/- Mustangs built in '72. 

How many were equipped with 302 engines?

Click to expand...

A bit over 62,000

It was a double edged sword problem for Ford. The runaway success of a new model launch caused a severe shortage of the default automatic transmission (C4) for most vehicle lines. (Don C is correct) The launch of the totally new from the  ground up 72 Gran Torino line surpassed all of Ford's wildest sales expectations. Sales of the 71 Torino were around 326,463 (numbers vary by source) and when the dust settled, the 72 Gran Torino numbers were 496,581. Almost a half a million cars!! And that doesn't even take into account the sister Mercury car sales numbers! Helping add to this was the fact that the new Torino was basically un-challenged as the sole totally new car at 72 vehicle launch for the BIg Three. GM had planned on having some restyled "A" body cars for 72 launch, but another strike killed that. The A body from 71-75 included  Chevelle, Malibu, Laguna, Monte Carlo, Skylark, Regal, F-85, Cutlass, GTO, Tempest, LeMans, Grand Am, and Grand Prix. So you can see this was a big hit for GM and basically left the new Gran Torino unchallenged in a very competitive segment.

The standard engine in the 72 Torino was the 250 6cyl, 302 for the Squire wagon and Gran Torino Sport, both using the C4 for the A/T choice. The C6 was the default transmission for 4bl/performance, Police Interceptor, taxi, and trailer tow options. A large portion of the sales were everyday "Family Trucksters" 250, 302, 351W's that required the C4. The C4 was produced exclusively at the Sharonville, OH plant from 64-81 and was just up against the wall as far as capacity restraint. With the C4 also utilized in all the other car and truck lines, Ford had no choice but to utilize the medium duty FMX as a substitute for the C4. I had a FMX in my 70 M code Torino GT that was a pretty tough transmission and that was capable of chirping the tires when it shifted at will. (I did tell the nice officer I had nothing to do with that, the car did it on it's own)!   

By the time 1973 new vehicle launch had arrived, Ford had addressed the capacity issues at the Sharonville plant and no longer had to use the more expensive FMX in place of the C4.

OK...that's all I have!   

that was easy. now if someone could only tell me how many 73 Mex Mach 1's came with a 4sp.....Marti does not deal with foreign VIN's.

MustangNJ,

That's something many of us here have been trying to sort out for awhile. I've been trying to track down a Mexican Ford dealer Parts catalog such as a parts dept here in the states would use. Not had much success as I believe it would be easier to find out what is really in Area 51 here. That still wouldn't give us any production figures but would help figure out  what was used to build the Mexican cars.

Since the bodies were shipped to Mexico as incomplete or Knock Down kits, they were not "Vin'd" and therefore would not be in Ford's US database. These would be treated the same as any other vehicle built outside the Continental US. The Export models are a different category. They are domestically built with a US vin for the sole purpose of being sold as a complete running vehicle outside the States. Many of those had export only low compression engines (depending on the ship to country) and equipment that would not normally be available on stateside cars.

Mexico had some very strong content laws on component content of  vehicles manufactured there. The engine, transmission and differential were manufactured and supplied to the La Villa plant from local Mexico manufacturing  plants. The 351W engine and transmissions were Mexican built but the differential was a Dana unit since Ford did not manufacture 8" or 9" units in Mexico. It does seem strange to see the gold painted valve covers and air cleaner on a 71-73 Ford since they were last used here in 1965.

Unless someone at the La Villa assembly plant  had the foresight to save the original invoices such as Lois Eminger did here , I afraid we may never be able to sort out any production or content numbers.

Can someone with ties to Ford de Mexico help us?      ::shrug::

yeah, basically all I really know in terms of production numbers is that Mach 1's were only offered in 73, and there only 600 made. what I don't know is how many were 4spd, etc