What "makes" a 66 Barracuda a Formula S ??

junkyardhero said
to my understanding, on the early cars VIN had no indication of "formula S"

fender tag was the identifier and corroborated by the build sheet.

obviously the motor, HD suspension & swaybar and specific parts of the interior group were part of the S package and would help in identifying a car. however, a lot can change in 50+ years... parts get swapped out, repaired, upgraded. so while it's helpful initially for a swift verification it's not the be all, end all of determining factors.

you want to be 100% sure? you need the trifecta: fender tag that matches the build sheet, build sheet that matches the vin. motor & transmission will not have vin numbers on them (that didn't start until 68) but should be date coded and within a reasonable time frame of the build. there are no body numbers on the early cars to match the vin.

It's more important that the fender tag shipping order number match the one stamped into the radiator core support. Having a build sheet would be great too,

Jim Lusk said
While you have to take my word for it. There is a certain '65 Formula S that I have seen the window sticker that showed disc brakes (the old lady original owner showed me the sticker after I told her that discs weren't a factory option in '65. She kept the sticker in the glove box). That was in 1990. Last I heard the car was in SoCal and I believe the owner may have been a member here, but that was around 20 years ago. I saw the car on Hwy 49 between Oakhurst and Mariposa at an antique store (could have been in Ahwahnee).

I'd sure like to see that window sticker. It must be a real late build and may have other options that were not thought to be available in a '65.