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This is a good discussion over on boss site, felpro seal trimming..

https://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=89263.0;all

ypically, production was a M-F gig for Ford, however, as already mentioned, there were times where overtime was offered to try and get ahead of the game numbers wise for one reason or another. This was not a regular occurrence, but did happen. This information directly from Metuchen, NJ line operators and/or their kids (neighbors/friends).

Bill

Agree, Metuchen does not appear to have the overtime Dearborn got. What I can see from the BOSS spreadsheet is that the plants operated on a nominal M-F schedule. However the BOSS production spreadsheet only shows data for Dearborn from April 69 through to the end of 1970 production, plus 1970 Metuchen production. No data for San Jose as no BOSS 302s were built there.

Just for interest these are the Saturdays and Sundays listed under ACTUAL BUILD DATE in the spreadsheet.

Dearborn
Saturday Jul 5th, 1969
Saturday Sep 20th, 1969
Saturday Oct 4th, 1969
Saturday Oct 11th, 1969
Saturday Nov 8th, 1969
Saturday Nov 15th, 1969
Saturday Nov 22nd, 1969
SUNDAY Dec 21st, 1969
Saturday Jan 31st, 1970


Metuchen
Saturday Oct 4th, 1969

Thanksgiving
Neither Dearborn nor Metuchen have any BOSS production listed on Thanksgiving, Thursday Nov 27th 1969. However it looks like Dearborn workers also got the Friday off where as Metuchen had production on 11/28/69.

Christmas and New Year
Neither Dearborn or Metuchen show any production on Christmas Eve - Wednesday December 24th through Sunday, with production resuming on Monday December 29th.
Both plants appear to be closed on December 31st, 1969 with Dearborn resuming production with several builds completed on January 1st.

Data around that time on the BOSS spreadsheet is inconclusive, but Dearborn had production on January 1st, 1970 followed by another possible shutdown. There are no actual BOSS 302 builds listed at Metuchen from December 31st 1969 until Tuesday January 6th, 1970.

EDIT: the BOSS spreadsheet is not a complete list of production but is a fairly representative sample. There could be more overtime days where no BOSS was built.

Dearborn assembly plant had 2 shifts during 1969 and into 1970. I would imagine Metuchen was the same but do not know that for sure, especially as Ford had a 3 week shutdown of the plant due to excess inventory from January 23rd 1970. 2000 employees were idled.

If we go back to the late 60s, was assembly line work at Dearborn 5,6 or seven days a week?
Thnx

Looking at when examples were built it appears, based on the Marti reports I have that that line (Mustangs and Cougars) ran 5 days a week for most if not all the production year. Difficult to find a lot of early built cars so there is a possibility that they may have run more often during that period but don't have the proof to support that claim.

Occasional Saturdays show up on the BOSS 302 production spreadsheet over on that forum. There are enough entries/actual build dates on each of the Saturdays to ensure they are not a typo.

Interestingly it looks like they worked the first 3 Saturdays in November prior to Thanksgiving, probably in an effort to offset a Thanksgiving shutdown on the Thursday and Friday. No production is listed on those dates.

You mean "Mobil-1 employee"...

These guys. Did my 1970 BOSS, excellent work.

https://vacuumorna-metal.com/content/restoration

I did this with my crappy Autolite reproduction a couple years ago. Lithium was subsequently recalled due to issue with the internal circuitry so I just put in the largest 12V AGM battery that would go inside the Autolite housing I could buy at Walmart.

https://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=91336.msg598377#msg598377

Good info. Would you have a link on the battery you used?

I forget exactly but it was an Everstart Powersport AGM motorcycle/ATV battery,right at 400cca, approx 6.5"x5"x7"

I did this with my crappy Autolite reproduction a couple years ago. Lithium was subsequently recalled due to issue with the internal circuitry so I just put in the largest 12V AGM battery that would go inside the Autolite housing I could buy at Walmart.

https://www.boss302.com/smf/index.php?topic=91336.msg598377#msg598377