Was talking with my dealer and he was curious as to how you got a VIN number and your truck is not even in production yet. What is the name of your dealer?

 

Tom Hilliar Ford in Escalon Ca.
David Hilliar is my man !!!!

 

Thanks, maybe they got some kind of inside arrangement with Ford. I have ordering cars (Corvettes, Jeeps and Superduty's) since 1978 and never got a VIN until the vehicle went into production and was actually being built.

 

In 2016 when my '17 was on order I got the vin two weeks before production iirc...seems pretty standard with Ford to schedule the vins, then release the window sticker...then produce, based on mine, and the experience of others on this board. I would expect the scheduling to be faster this go round as well as 16 for 17 was a completely new truck design, and this is a mid-cycle refresh. 2010 for '11 was the same thing, vins well in advance of production. Then with your vin you could use COTUS and ETIS to look up the specifics about your truck, and it's progress. It looks like COTUS has been sun-setted for an actual portal, we'll see how it works.

 

I got my '19 VIN shortly after the order, but from order to delivery was barely 4 weeks...

I went down to the dealer to pick up my '17, everything was all happy happy joy joy until I got a look at the truck. This was one they had on the lot everything I wanted. But a BIG dealer and a SMALL LOT and I mean SMALL!! I never saw the truck from a distance further away than my belly. Serious, I am not a fat man but I could barely walk between my truck and the others trucks parked next to it. So we made the deal off that and I go to pick up and WTH, its, its NOT a LONG BED! NO CAN DO.

They KNEW I would only do a long bed but it got lost in the deal-making I guess. I was going to trade in a '17 F 350 KR on a '19 F 350 KR and they told me they would rather NOT take in trade...WTH? you say, the Sales Mgr said we barely sell any long beds here and the few we do are ordered. Why? CITY dealer! They don't try to get any rural business, too many other dealers own that segment...made sense as they are a BIG dealer and I have never heard of them. Anyhow long discussion on why I had to have a long bed (for my business).

Problem was I had sold my truck already to a buddy who was looking for a '17 F 350 KR LB.

So there I stand at the dealer looking at a non-long bed and my truck was sold a few days before and I have a business need. Dealer says we can make it right, we will order you one and I said I need it in 30 days for a business trip. GM gets involved and tells me he can do it, they are BIG VOL dealer and he will contact Ford and get an expedite.

I placed an order and had VIN a day later, so yea, you can get aVIn before production, but Ford was building '19's already.

IN all my years of ordering I have got a VIN usually within 72 hrs of the order. When you get "confirmation" from the Mfg you are in the que at that time and they generate a VIN.

Way back when: The VIN came post-build as they built our of parts bins, years ago they moved to "just in time Mfg". The VIN is now the parts list and it gets generated early so the parts will be there when the vehicle starts to roll down that assembly line.

 

I got the VIN on both my 2017 and 2019 prior to Production. It was generated when Ford accepted the order and entered into their system.

 

I have gone thru the order guide and build and price sites way too many times trying to decide what I want to do, if I do. I priced a Lariat, a King Ranch and a Platinum with as similar equipment as possible. There is about $4K difference, plus or minus, between the KR/Platinum and the Lariat. I know some of the price difference for the Platinum is the 20 inch wheels but the KR prices out close to the Platinum and it has 18" wheels. I'm trying to think what the differences might be that makes that $4K gap between them. Seats? Tailgate emblem? The Lariat is tempting just to save some money but I'm not quite sure what I'm giving up.

 

Prestige, man, prestige! Not much else. [Full disclosure: I've driven at King Ranch since they came out, Lariat before that] Nicer badges, signature (or lighted) sill trim plates.

At some point they see you and think, "If they'll pay $65K for a truck, I bet they pay $70K for a truck that stand out a little more", and they're proven right every time.

Decide what you want, which often for me is "What ELSE would I rather do with the $$$", be happy, and support the US Economy!

 

Ordered my 2016 F150 just before Thanksgiving 2015 and had the VIN the first week of December. Truck was built Jan 5th and delivered and received Jan 19th

 

I have done same same and did not find the delta to be that large.

The 18 wheels come with the Chrome Package on the KR.

Here is the problem: The KR/Plt/Lim all have differently configured packages and standard equipment. The only way to really compare is to do an online u build it for each, the layout and compare at that time. When I did that for my KR vs the Lim (just for grins) my delta was around $2k IIRC. I personally would not buy a Plt/Lim model but that is just me, got nothing against them or those who bought them.

 

I went back and priced again paying closer attention to the details. I was wrong about the $4k differences. Invoice on a Lariat like I want is $74,720, the KR is $76,950 and the Platinum is $77,820. The KR is probably my preference which is $2230 more than the Lariat. The only thing I'm not sure about is the KR is the 2 tone paint with the Rapid Red and Stone accent. I'm not sure I like the 2 tone but to get the monochromatic paint requires the chrome package which adds another $1100 or so. That puts it in the Platinum range. Decisions, decisions.

 

Are you sure you're building them like for like? All.of those trim models can have 20's. I would expect the Lariat to require more options be selected whereas the other two might include them standard. The Lariat obviously cant have certain things the others have, so I can understand several thousand price difference, the other two, in my head, really only differ on interior finishes and some exterior ornaments on the Platinum. Not enough to expect a few thousand $ price difference.

 

YEA looks like my musing on building them.

I have had both the 2 tone and mono and the 2 tone looks best! WHY? It's a BIG truck and all one color is way to much color, makes it look vast, the 2 tone makes it look not as large, but still big pig on the block!

 

I have ordered an almost loaded lariat. It is missing adaptive cruise and steering. If I add those options the Platty is cheaper.

 

no way a Platinum is cheaper than a fully loaded lariat - I have been building mine in "dream mode" for a while - all options on platinum vs all options on Lariat - Platinum always comes out to $4144 more. All done on the nadaguides build.