Ford chief seeks help from Toyota

If you do a search you will discover there is a specific digit, in the VIN that designates the assemble plant.

mike

No they haven't, the only thing they have posted is that the first number is the county where the vehicle is assembled . Nothing about the specific number assigned 1, 4 and 5. ;)

mike

On Sun, 07 Jan 2007 09:50:16 -0500, Mike Hunter rearranged some electrons to form:

The 1st digit of the VIN does not designate anything about the parts content.

You were wrong before, Mike, and you're still wrong.

Incorrect. I have demostrated that similar vehicles coming off the same assembly line have different first digits despite the fact that the US content is nearly the same. This flies in the face of your conjecture.

Furthermore, I have not seen one reference to the use of the first digit as having to do anything with content in the legal code that requires the VIN. Why do you think that is?

Why do think the numbers are 1, 4 and 5, instead of say, 1, 2 and 3? Because

1 was the original number assigned to the US, and as more vehicle makers needed to use VINs, the additional number were assigned.

Again, nothing I have found supports your conjecture and much of what I found suggests that your conjecture is incorrect.

Jeff

But you haven't posted ANYTHING to back up your bogus claims!!

Yeah, it's the 11th digit. Your point is?

My point as others have pointed out, we have more vehicles produced at more assembly plants. Your information that Fords and Lincoln trucks assembled at the same plant but with different country digits completely proves that you are incorrect.

We're still waiting for that link that specifically states the first digit determines US content....

You assume the powers that be in China give a rats ass about some peasant starving to death.

Whitelightning

I could not care less what you choose to believe, do you own homework, WBMA ;)

mike

You are somewhat correct, the first number of the VIN designates country of origin. The different numbers assigned, 1, 4 and 5 is determined by US content.

mike

Looks like you may have finally stumbled on the explanation you seek. The reason the Lincoln LT has a 4 and the F150 a 1, although they both built on the same assemble line, is the US content of the LT falls slightly below 70%

mike

On the contrary nothing posted has shown the assignment of the first digit of VIN 1, 4 and 5 to be for anything but US content. If you believe that is wrong, show us ;)

mike

Prove it.

Think about it. The fact two vehicles assembled in the same plant can have different numbers proves it has to do with content. If not it would not only be the LT, but some of the F150s as well, that would exhibit a 4 ;)

mike

Since when is 80% "Slightly below 70%"?

BTW, the 2006 Lincoln Mark LT has a VIN that begins with 5, so according to what you say, it should be "slightly below 40%."

Jeff

Hold it. You have made this claim many times before. You back it up.

Jeff

I did my homework, like finding that a Lincoln Mark LT has a VIN that starts with '5' which you say is less than 40% US content, while it actually has

80% US content. Oopsie, you're wrong again.

So show us the web site that shows you are correct.

The US Code that requires that VINs be on cars is available on the web. Where does it say that US content has anything to do with the VIN?

Put up or shut up.

Jeff

content was never mentioned here , i didn't bother lookingfor SAE site . Maybe you can and post the content ratioslink.

The LT has a 5.

Could it be that different makes have different WMI (world manufacturer ids)? And Lincoln wouldn't have been assigned a WMI for trucks because they didn't make trucks until the last 5 or 10 years, when they started coming out with trucks (SUVs)?

In fact, this is what it is. Each of the manufacturers have a different WMI. Look at the bottom table on this page:

You'll see that each vehicle type (Lincoln SUV, Ford Passenger car, etc.) has its own WMI. The WMIs have nothing to do vehicle content. They are assigned by an organization in the US (I think SAE). If you are correct about VINs, there would be 3 VINs for each type of vehicle (depending on content), not just one.

I propose the following bet: Right after Easter, we meet at the NYC auto show. It should be easy to confirm whether or not the content reported on the stickers has anything to do with VINs or not. The loser buys lunch at Dallas BBQ or Red Lobster (I think I will have a coupon for you to save you money at Red Lobster) or another resteraunt we agree on. We can also take the subway to Chinatown or Little Italy. It will be nice to meet an nice perosn with whom I have talked with on the internet in person and put a face with the typing. And we can post our picture together on the internet.

Jeff

Jeff

Obviously the US content has dropped in some of the LTs, if what you say is true. I know some Aviators have had a 5 as well, in the past. Ford has been getting more stuff out of it factories in Mexico and Canada, because of the lower cost there, thus reducing the US content.

The '80%' you are referencing is the NA 'parts' content label. Imported parts can be listed on the NAP label if the final assemble in NA. That is how Toyota get to say the Camry and others show a NAP label of 80% yet must say 'assembled in America of world sourced parts' in their ads

mike