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In Part I, VINs, Certicards, Fender Tags, and numbers stamped in the body were discussed with the subject being how they all tie together. This brief article will discuss some of the details of the broadcast sheet.
The layout of broadcast sheets changed almost yearly between 1962 and 1968. Broadcasts got larger as more information was provided, however there were no fundamental changes to the basic types of data printed on the broadcast. At the top of the Broadcast are numbers like the Sequence Number, Shipping Order and the VIN. There may also be control numbers and/or order numbers. The VIN and the Sequence Number or Shipping Order Number appear on the car, the other numbers do not. The other numbers, like the control number or the production job number bear no useful information.
Option Codes appear on the Broadcast and were used by assembly line workers to figure out what to bolt on to the car. Not all option codes listed on the Broadcast were sales codes that would have appeared on the car's window sticker or on the fender tag. For example, on a 1967 Broadcast, the "565 rear armrest and ash tray" option was selected but it would have never appeared on the window sticker or fender tag. This particular car was Dart GT, so this was a standard item on all Dart GTs. This presents somewhat of an inconsistency. Carpets were also standard on al 1967 Dart GTs, but this Broadcast did not specifically indicate the "503 Carpets" options. These kind of inconsistencies are pretty common.
An interesting section of the Broadcast is the Build Codes section. In this area there numbers listed for Engine, Trans, and Axle. These aren't sales codes, they are There are also listings for the suspension components, wheels, and even the steering column. These are assembly item numbers. As the car went down the assembly line, workers would read the Broadcast and find an assembly item number for whatever they were assigned to install, take that number to the inventory stacks near by and pick that item out of the stacks. For example, a 225 six cylinder in 1963 was option "502" for both A-body and B-body applications, but depending on whether it was slated for a A-body or a B-body, for a manual or autoatic transmission would have made it a unique assembly. At the Hamtramck plant, where both Dodge 330's and Darts were assembled, a line worker would choose between a half dozen 225 six cylinder assemblies based on this number. Oil pans, carbs, and cams were different based on the car for which it was to be installed.
Another example is a manual shift transmission. In 1963 the sales/option code was 341 for any three speed column shifted transmission. This wasn't enough information for the line worker as a three speed assembly would vary based on whether it was a A-745 or a A-903 transmission, and whether or not it was to be installed in an A-body or a B-body. In the case of the steering column, The number identified the part as a automatic or manual shift column, A-body or B-body, power steering, or non-power steering, and perhaps other variations of the assembly. Given those three binary possibilities there would be 8 possible units, make one of each for each of the 9 possible interior colors and the line worker would be looking at a stack of 72 different steering columns to choose from!
There is a section at the bottom of a Broacast for "Remarks". On some rare occurences, codes or special directions are written in this area. If a car has a 999 paint code, special instructions are sometimes written here (sometimes they were written on other paperwork that didn't have it into the car).
Broadcasts are sometimes incorrectly printed. Its not uncommon to find a confusing broadcast where one row of printed numbers areshifted to the left or to the right one character so that they align one box over across the entire row.
Continue reading about mopar documentation in Part III: Fender Tags.