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Weird Build-sheet Location

Sixpaksteve

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Just an FYI for anyone else with an early 60's Dodge..... :)

My '64 Polara convertible has been at my sandblasters since just before Christmas, and this past Saturday I took the cradle (rotisserie) that I have over to his place so we could roll the car 90 degrees so he could blast the underside of the car. (Pics will be/are in my thread '64 Polara Convertible restoration.)

While the car was rolled on it's side outdoors in the bright sunshine, I started looking at the front end parts and describing to my blaster what I'd like done in this area of the car. I then noticed what appeared to be an original build sheet, tucked away inside of the driver's side front frame rail. I could see it through the frame rail holes, but I couldn't really get to it. So I removed the bumper bracket from the front of the frame rail, hoping to find a wide enough opening to pull the sheet out in one piece. But no luck.... The hole in the end of frame behind this bracket is only about 3/4" in diameter.

I didn't see any point in leaving the sheet inside of rail for another 50 years, so I used a pocket knife and pushed it toward the front of the frame rail as best as I could. The build sheet paper was so old/weathered it came apart in very small pieces as I pushed it along and removed it, but it definitely IS a build sheet, presumably put inside of the frame by an assembly line worker 50-some years ago when the car was made. I now have a zip lock bag full of Build Sheet pieces if anyone is good at puzzles.... :)

Anyone else with an early Dodge like this find a build sheet inside of your frame? Have you looked here?? Lol!
 
Never found or even looked for one there lol
 
Just an FYI for anyone else with an early 60's Dodge..... :)

My '64 Polara convertible has been at my sandblasters since just before Christmas, and this past Saturday I took the cradle (rotisserie) that I have over to his place so we could roll the car 90 degrees so he could blast the underside of the car. (Pics will be/are in my thread '64 Polara Convertible restoration.)

While the car was rolled on it's side outdoors in the bright sunshine, I started looking at the front end parts and describing to my blaster what I'd like done in this area of the car. I then noticed what appeared to be an original build sheet, tucked away inside of the driver's side front frame rail. I could see it through the frame rail holes, but I couldn't really get to it. So I removed the bumper bracket from the front of the frame rail, hoping to find a wide enough opening to pull the sheet out in one piece. But no luck.... The hole in the end of frame behind this bracket is only about 3/4" in diameter.

I didn't see any point in leaving the sheet inside of rail for another 50 years, so I used a pocket knife and pushed it toward the front of the frame rail as best as I could. The build sheet paper was so old/weathered it came apart in very small pieces as I pushed it along and removed it, but it definitely IS a build sheet, presumably put inside of the frame by an assembly line worker 50-some years ago when the car was made. I now have a zip lock bag full of Build Sheet pieces if anyone is good at puzzles.... :)

Anyone else with an early Dodge like this find a build sheet inside of your frame? Have you looked here?? Lol!
A picture of baggy and paper chips please?
 
Here's some pics.... The one is the bag containing what's left of my Build Sheet, and then pics of several of the pieces.... IMG_0830.jpgIMG_0831.jpgIMG_0832.jpg
 
Strange place to put one unless somebody further down the line was supposed to yank it out and put it under the rear seat springs.
 
I think that is what happened unless it was disgruntled line worker being an ***!
 
The last two '64s I had I found one taped on top of the glove box, under the dash. We always called them "broadcast" cards. Same cars, I found them under the back seat, under the front seat. Those were incomplete but the ones found on the glove box, had all of the signatures (workers initials) on them. And a complete listing of all of the options too. I would doubt that the one you found in the frame would have a lot of info on it but you never know. I guess we'll be looking there, too, from now on!
 
I would like to find just one build sheet anywhere. I have 3 LA built cars and none of them had a build sheet to be found anywhere. The 64 Plymouth Belvedere we are building now is a St Louis built car and it had two build sheets. Where was your car built?
 
It depends how many pints of wine that worker had that day to know where things where put. Bag lunches determined many things on assembly lines in those days.

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It depends how many pints of wine that worked had that day to know where things where put. Bag lunches determined many things on assembly lines in those days.
 
I would like to find just one build sheet anywhere. I have 3 LA built cars and none of them had a build sheet to be found anywhere. The 64 Plymouth Belvedere we are building now is a St Louis built car and it had two build sheets. Where was your car built?

I want to say that my car came off of the Hamtramck line but I'll double check that this evening when I get home from work. Thanks for your interest/comments and I'll be back in touch....

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I think that is what happened unless it was disgruntled line worker being an ***!

I think you're dead on with your thinking here, Steve..... Some assembly line guy was either being an *** or maybe just trying to be funny. Back in 1964, that Build Sheet paper was nice and supple and could be easily rolled small enough for the assemply line working to insert it into the frame hole opening. But it would have been tricky (but not impossible) to remove it from that frame again even hours later due to the lack of access. The Sheet would have unrolled/expanded a bit inside of the frame, so I think some needle-nose pliers and alot of patience would have been required.

I'm very curious now to see if anyone else finds an old Sheet in their front frame rail after reading this thread. Thanks for your comments! :)
 
I've also found them thrown all over the car including inside the headliner, under the carpets, in seat springs (front and rear), under the trunk mat, and on top of the glove box liner and have even found the wrong build sheets. My 440 Challenger rag top had a build sheet for a /6 car in it......
 
... interesting find... by the looks of it you will spend a ton of time on something of little value (personal or provenance) since the condition makes it damn near illegible. I've had a bit of experience with paper restoration (pharmaceutical labels from 1900's Eli Lilly and Park Davis) and there was a point where I couldn't save some of them and moved on.

It would be fun to it a go however, to see if you could piece it together. Probably very brittle, might want to conceder laying them out on a piece of wax paper and misting the pieces with warm water before moving them around. I've also found that the tip of a stanley knife blade or exacto works well in picking the pieces up and moving them into place. Especially if you have sausage fingers like mine. Lol... Just my $.02.
 
It's xacto & tweeze time.
Lay all the chips correct side up between plate glass as you rebuild the build sheet/card.
Having a copy of a build sheet/card from someone on here to look at would be helpful if you do not know what you are looking at/for.
 
Thanks for the tips on how to possibly put that puzzle together. If I need a break from working on the car itself I guess I have this to fall back on to keep me busy. Lol!

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I would like to find just one build sheet anywhere. I have 3 LA built cars and none of them had a build sheet to be found anywhere. The 64 Plymouth Belvedere we are building now is a St Louis built car and it had two build sheets. Where was your car built?

Hello RVW, just getting back to you to answer your question....My Polara was built at the Hamtramck plant and shipped out to the dealer on May 27, 1964.

One of the reasons I'm not too gun ho on trying to piece this Build Sheet back together is because earlier this year I wrote the Chrysler Registry and they sent me the Production Record for the car. This document doesn't tell me as much detailed info. as the Build Sheet would, but it does confirm the high level things I was interested in.

I'll definitely save the Build Sheet baggie though.....It'll make for an interesting prop and story someday when I'm finished the car and showing it at the local cruise in or car shows. :)
 
On my '71 Scamp I found a part of a build sheet where the k-member bolts to the frame. Perhaps it was taped to the frame rail on the assembly line and the the k-member installed and the bolt drove right through it. Who knows but it was right for my car!
 
Strange place to put one unless somebody further down the line was supposed to yank it out and put it under the rear seat springs.


Cars have multiple sheets. The most common ones found are in the seats.

As sub assemblies, such as interior or the dash, were built or put into inventory for a specific car, that assembly did/could have a sheet. That's why it's best to check multiple areas of the car for a sheet.

Front end sub-assemblies are coded on a broadcast sheet. It's possible that the sheet used to indicate the assemblies was attached to let line workers know what specific components were to be used in the assembly of a particular car. Maybe the sheets were normally tossed after assembly. Maybe some line worker was just passing the time that day and put it in the frame rail.
 
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