Running tally of VIN #, order date and build date by Ranger5G member (2019 MY)

[Mokume]

I got my window sticker too. Blend date Wed 11/13. Perfect. I hope it only takes 2 weeks to get to St Paul. Last one I ordered was built there!

Indeed, my special ordered 2000 SuperCab was also assembled a Ford's Twin Cities plant back in September 1999.

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[Mokume]

She's here! Took delivery of it yesterday, 11/8/19.

Congrats!
She's a beauty...

 

[Mokume]

It is really hard to wait, but having reasonable expectations is important. If you figure 4 weeks and it arrives faster than that you will be happy. If they told you 2 weeks and it took 4, you wouldn't be a happy camper.

For me, the shipping part was somewhat easier than waiting for it to be built. Somehow it was easier knowing it was built and on its way to me. Hard to believe I ordered mine almost a year ago now.

My very first new car purchase which was also special ordered was a 1979 Mercury Capri (the first year of the Fox body Mustang/Capri twins) while I worked as a mechanic for a Lincoln-Mercury agency here. I was all of 24 back then, young, dumb and super impatient.
If I am not mistaken, final assembly was at Ford's San Jose plant in CA, final delivery was delayed almost a month because the car got mis-routed to Mexico according to the sales manager.
When it finally did arrive in Honolulu the interior was littered with KFC napkins and remnants of chicken bones, along with a few beer bottles, someone had a party in it!.
Additionally, the right front lower ball joint was completely dry, it made a horrendous squawking noise, thank goodness our parts department had a lower control arm assembly in stock, my fellow mechanic buddy and I spent an hour or so replacing that arm after normal shop hours just so I could take the car home the next day.
Hopefully my 2020 SuperCab gets routed properly, there is almost 5K miles it's gotta travel to reach me...I am now almost 65 and have learned many times that patience is a virtue.

 

[rangerdanger]

Congratulations to @Trey1940 for taking delivery of his Ranger!

I updated @T-Wrecks and @Explicit on the list.

 

[T-Wrecks]

My truck was built yesterday right on schedule. So how accurate are the estimated dealer delivery dates? They have mine at Dec 2. Not sure if this is a default value, average for that dealer or actually calculated. That's almost 3 weeks to get from Detroit to St Paul. Dealer says 2 weeks. I'm getting tired of driving their loaner Escape!

BTW - I can see the rail yard they drop them off at out my office window.

 

[Mokume]

My truck was built yesterday right on schedule. So how accurate are the estimated dealer delivery dates? They have mine at Dec 2. Not sure if this is a default value, average for that dealer or actually calculated. That's almost 3 weeks to get from Detroit to St Paul. Dealer says 2 weeks. I'm getting tired of driving their loaner Escape!

BTW - I can see the rail yard they drop them off at out my office window.

Curious as to why your dealer has provided you a loaner, is your new truck part of some sort of manufacturer buy back deal (lemon law)?
Pardon my ignorance, but 3 weeks seems a bit long for the truck to travel 690 miles. We've no freight carrying rail system here in Honolulu, so I don't know how such mode of transportation works. Sure makes me wonder how long my 2020 scheduled to be built on 11/25 will be in transport from MI to CA.
Perhap the train carrying your 2019 will be taking the scenic route?

 

[T-Wrecks]

Nope, I traded in my Fiesta ST to get the $2000 loyalty trade in rebate and sold my 2012 Escape hunting rig thinking I'd have the truck by the end of October like they said when I ordered it (a bit deceptive IMO). I need something that can handle snow and has room for all my gear so they gave me one of the used 2017 Escapes off the lot to drive for as long as it takes so they are taking care of me. They updated the delivery to 12/4 now.

 

[Mokume]

Nope, I traded in my Fiesta ST to get the $2000 loyalty trade in rebate and sold my 2012 Escape hunting rig thinking I'd have the truck by the end of October like they said when I ordered it (a bit deceptive IMO). I need something that can handle snow and has room for all my gear so they gave me one of the used 2017 Escapes off the lot to drive for as long as it takes so they are taking care of me. They updated the delivery to 12/4 now.

Impressive that your dealer gave you a loaner under your circumstances, hats off to them. Enjoy your new truck, Santa's a bit early for you.
I posted elsewhere in this thread about possibly touring Ford's Michigan plant, unfortunately no such tours exist.
Also spoke with a buddy who lives in Ann Arbor, he said the temperatures in MI have been already in the single digits...brrr.
It's now 0430 in Honolulu and about 72 degrees, expected to warm up to the low 80's with sunshine and blue skies, perfect day to be at the beach sipping a cold one while watching all those "stuffed" bikinis saunter by.

 

[Motorpsychology]

Indeed, my special ordered 2000 SuperCab was also assembled a Ford's Twin Cities plant back in September 1999.

Back in the 80's, I was selling at Saxon Ford on University Avenue in St Paul MN, which was about six miles from the Twin City Assembly Plant. We would have a few Ranger customers grouse about how they were getting gouged having to pay $3-400 to have their truck delivered, couldn't understand flat rate.

For a time, I worked at a GM distribution center. 36 rail cars would be brought in and broken down into 6 railcar segments. The siding would hold three rows of 6, ("strings") and it would take a crew of 4 a full eight hours to unload three strings. so four days to get the cars off the train, plus however long they were in rail transit, however long for road transport, plus the time to load at the factory, put the strings together with the right railcars (wrong railcars shipped would happen but rarely). So within the continental US alone there was 3-4 weeks-plus from the time it left the assembly line until it hit the dealership, not including the time it was in build sequence at the factory.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Back in the 80's, I was selling at Saxon Ford on University Avenue in St Paul MN, which was about six miles from the Twin City Assembly Plant. We would have a few Ranger customers grouse about how they were getting gouged having to pay $3-400 to have their truck delivered, couldn't understand flat rate.

For a time, I worked at a GM distribution center. 36 rail cars would be brought in and broken down into 6 railcar segments. The siding would hold three rows of 6, ("strings") and it would take a crew of 4 a full eight hours to unload three strings. so four days to get the cars off the train, plus however long they were in rail transit, however long for road transport, plus the time to load at the factory, put the strings together with the right railcars (wrong railcars shipped would happen but rarely). So within the continental US alone there was 3-4 weeks-plus from the time it left the assembly line until it hit the dealership, not including the time it was in build sequence at the factory.

Customers are very savvy and would order from dealers close the the assembly plant, so dealers way away were faced with higher costs of selling with high shipping rates. The company decided to make the transportation the same anywhere in the country. I agree with this policy.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Mokume]

Back in the 80's, I was selling at Saxon Ford on University Avenue in St Paul MN, which was about six miles from the Twin City Assembly Plant. We would have a few Ranger customers grouse about how they were getting gouged having to pay $3-400 to have their truck delivered, couldn't understand flat rate.

For a time, I worked at a GM distribution center. 36 rail cars would be brought in and broken down into 6 railcar segments. The siding would hold three rows of 6, ("strings") and it would take a crew of 4 a full eight hours to unload three strings. so four days to get the cars off the train, plus however long they were in rail transit, however long for road transport, plus the time to load at the factory, put the strings together with the right railcars (wrong railcars shipped would happen but rarely). So within the continental US alone there was 3-4 weeks-plus from the time it left the assembly line until it hit the dealership, not including the time it was in build sequence at the factory.

Thank - you sir for the enlightenment, I had no idea that the vehicle unloading from rail cars was so time consuming a process, we've no freight train service in Honolulu so please excuse my ignorance.
Hopefully my 2020 S/Cab won't need to be unloaded then reloaded onto another system since it's continental USA destination will be some port city in California, then loaded onto a PASHA rollon/rolloff (I hope) bound for Honolulu.
All in all a bargain destination charge wise, given that it would of travelled almost 5K miles to reach me @ 2K dollars.
On a side note, I accompanied my nephew early this year in his quest for a new 2019 Silverado 1500, the unscrupulous dealer attempted to charge him an additional $2500 for "destination fees" as shown on the phony Monroeney. When I asked the salesperson to provide documentation such as a bill of lading to substantiate this fee he said he could not.
Needless to say we left there pronto and went to a Ford dealership, his wife immediately fell in love with a 2019 Ranger S/Crew 4x4 in Sabre on the floor.
To this day he sings praises of that truck, yes he bought the showroom unit, sans any bogus destination fees.
"Happy Wife = Happy Life" , so he reminds me.

 

[T-Wrecks]

My wife's office at the St Paul Plant was literally right at the end of the line. They come off so fast she never saw mine, and yes I complained about the delivery fee too. She could have drove it home!

A few facts about TC assembly. Ford owned the dam on the Mississippi river so they got most of their electricity via hydro power. They even made money selling excess to the power company. There are a bunch of tunnels under the plant where they mined sand to make glass for the model Ts (it's been around that long). She had to go down there often as it was used for document storage. Rumor had it there were some "new" Model Ts down there. Right now it's a vacant lot about to be redeveloped in housing and commercial. It's prime real estate which likely figured into the decision to close it. Despite the job losses the city wasn't too distraught.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

My wife's office at the St Paul Plant was literally right at the end of the line. They come off so fast she never saw mine, and yes I complained about the delivery fee too. She could have drove it home!

A few facts about TC assembly. Ford owned the dam on the Mississippi river so they got most of their electricity via hydro power. They even made money selling excess to the power company. There are a bunch of tunnels under the plant where they mined sand to make glass for the model Ts (it's been around that long). She had to go down there often as it was used for document storage. Rumor had it there were some "new" Model Ts down there. Right now it's a vacant lot about to be redeveloped in housing and commercial. It's prime real estate which likely figured into the decision to close it. Despite the job losses the city wasn't too distraught.

Hi Mark,

Yep....been in those tunnels but never saw any Model Ts. Made it all the way to the dam too. Neat old plant, but the sidewinder in the final line was a limiter for increased production. Of the two plants, Edison and Twin Cities, I by far enjoyed visiting TC for Ranger New model launches and product problem investigations.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired.

 

[Mokume]

Hi Mark,

Yep....been in those tunnels but never saw any Model Ts. Made it all the way to the dam too. Neat old plant, but the sidewinder in the final line was a limiter for increased production. Of the two plants, Edison and Twin Cities, I by far enjoyed visiting TC for Ranger New model launches and product problem investigations.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired.

Fascinating trivia, thanks guys.
All my previous special order pickups, an '81 & '86 F 150's and my 2000 Ranger were all assembled @ Twin Cities.
When I worked as a mechanic for a Lincoln- Mercury dealer here many years ago, I remember many of the new cars were assembled @ Ford's Wixom plant.
I've got a few final assembly snafu stories in the almost 14 years I worked there, Mercury Monarch's and Zephyr's both lead the list.

 

[Dredgerie]

My truck was built yesterday right on schedule. So how accurate are the estimated dealer delivery dates? They have mine at Dec 2. Not sure if this is a default value, average for that dealer or actually calculated. That's almost 3 weeks to get from Detroit to St Paul. Dealer says 2 weeks. I'm getting tired of driving their loaner Escape!

BTW - I can see the rail yard they drop them off at out my office window.

My date has changed 4 times on the website so far. Take the date with a grain of salt.

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