Ford Build Sheet by VIN — Decode the Door Data Plate
Ford recorded each car's build on the door data plate and in its production database: paint and trim codes, the rear-axle and transmission codes, and the DSO district it shipped to. For 1967-and-newer Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles, the Marti Report rebuilds the original factory order in full. Start with the VIN to lock in the year and plant. It's free.
Look Up a Ford Build Sheet by VIN
Enter the VIN and we'll fix the year, plant, and body so the data plate and build codes decode correctly
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How a Ford Build Sheet Lookup Works
Ford split the build record between the car and the factory. The VIN points you to the right reference; the data plate and Marti Report fill in the rest.
Enter the Ford VIN
Type the VIN from the dash, door jamb, title, or registration. It fixes the model year, assembly plant, and body style before you read the rest.
We tie it to the data plate
The VIN tells you which Ford reference applies so the door data plate's paint, trim, axle, transmission, and DSO codes decode correctly.
Reconstruct the order
For 1967-up cars the Marti Report rebuilds the full factory order from Ford's database: options, dates, DSO, and how rare the build was.
What Counts as a Ford Build Sheet?
Ford never shipped a single tidy document called a build sheet. The factory record lives across three sources, and a real Ford verification reads all three together.
First is the door data plate, the metal warranty or rating plate riveted to the driver's door or jamb. In a few short fields it stamps the body style, paint and trim codes, the rear-axle ratio, the transmission, and the DSO district. It is the build summary that travels on the car.
Second are the component tags. Buck tags, engine and axle stampings, and casting dates let restorers confirm individual parts are date-correct and original to the car.
Third, for 1967-and-newer cars, is the Marti Report, reconstructed from Ford's own production database. It is the closest thing to a printed factory order and the document collectors treat as authoritative.
On the door data plate
- Body / body-style code
- Exterior paint code
- Interior trim code
- Consecutive rear-axle ratio code
- Transmission code
- DSO district / special-order code
Each field is a short code. Decode it against a Ford reference for the exact model year the VIN gives you, since Ford reused codes across years.
What a Ford Build Record Shows
Between the data plate and the Marti Report, a Ford build record documents the car at the component level, far more than the window sticker ever showed the buyer.
Door data plate codes
Body, paint, and trim codes stamped on the driver's-door warranty plate, Ford's on-the-car build summary.
DSO district code
The District Sales Office field showing where the car was ordered and shipped, and whether it was a special order.
Axle & transmission codes
The consecutive rear-axle ratio code and transmission code, key to verifying a numbers-matching drivetrain.
Paint & interior trim
Ford exterior paint codes and interior trim codes for exact, year-correct color and material matching.
Marti Report order
For 1967-up Fords, the authenticated original order: options, production and sales dates, and rarity numbers.
Assembly plant & dates
The Ford plant code and build date that confirm where and when the car ran down the line.
The Marti Report: Ford's Authenticated Build Record
If your Ford was built in 1967 or later, this is the document that settles arguments. Here is what makes it the Ford standard.
What's on the car
- ·Stamped at the factory and physically on the car.
- ·Body, paint, trim, axle, transmission, DSO codes.
- ·Can be swapped or restamped, so verify against records.
- ·Covers every era, including pre-1967 Fords.
What Ford's database holds
- ·Licensed from Ford's original production data.
- ·Full option list, production and sales dates, DSO.
- ·Rarity figures: how many were built like yours.
- ·1967-up Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury only.
Want a make-agnostic factory record instead? Use the general build sheet by VIN for any manufacturer.
Decode Your Ford's Original Build
Enter the VIN to lock in the year, plant, and body, then read the door data plate and, for 1967-up cars, line it up with the Marti Report. Free, in seconds.
Why Ford Collectors Verify the Build
In the Ford world, documentation drives value. A Marti-reported, numbers-matching Mustang, Torino, or Galaxie sells for far more than a superficially identical car with no paper trail. A verified rare DSO or option can move the price dramatically.
Restorers lean on the axle, transmission, paint, and trim codes to source year-correct parts. A 1969 Mach 1 with a specific axle code and DSO needs different components than a base Mustang, so the data plate and Marti Report name the right specs for judging-ready work.
Pair the build record with a salvage title check and an odometer check to confirm both the factory order and what happened since.
Ford verification checklist
- Confirm the door data plate matches the VIN year and plant
- Decode the axle and transmission codes for numbers-matching
- Cross-check the DSO against a Marti Report
- Verify paint and trim codes against the year reference
- Document rarity for a 1967-up Marti-reported car
- Pair with a VIN history check for the full story
Start the Ford build lookup by VIN:
The Ford VIN, the Plate, and the Database
The VIN tells you who, where, and when. The data plate adds the codes. Ford's database, through the Marti Report, completes the original order.
A modern 17-character Ford VIN encodes the World Manufacturer Identifier, the descriptor section, a check digit, the model year, the assembly plant, and the sequential production number. Pre-1981 Fords use a shorter VIN with its own plant and body fields. Decode those with our classic car VIN decoder.
What the VIN does not carry is the option list. That has always lived on the data plate and in Ford's production records, which is exactly why the door tag and the Marti Report exist. Decode the raw VIN first with our VIN decoder.
Where to find Ford build data on the car
- Driver's-door data / warranty plate
- Door jamb VIN sticker
- Engine block casting and stamping
- Rear-axle housing tag
- Transmission code tag
- Buck tag (where it survives)
Plates can be reproduced and parts can be swapped, so always cross-check the codes against the VIN and, for 1967-up cars, the Marti Report.
More VIN Tools for Ford Owners
The build record is the starting point. These checks complete the picture on any Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury.
Always check the VIN before you buy
Our free report reveals accidents, title brands, odometer rollback, theft records, and open recalls in seconds.
Ford Build Sheet: Frequently Asked Questions
The questions Ford owners and collectors ask most about door data plates and Marti Reports.
What is a Ford build sheet?+
A Ford build sheet is the factory production record describing how a single Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle was ordered and assembled. On the car itself, Ford stamped much of this data onto the door data plate (also called the warranty plate or rating plate) and onto component tags. For 1967-and-newer Ford vehicles, the most complete reconstruction is the Marti Report, generated from Ford's original production database. Together these sources give the paint and trim codes, axle and transmission codes, the DSO district code, and the assembly plant.
How do I read a Ford door data plate?+
The Ford door data plate is a metal tag on the driver's door or door jamb. It encodes the vehicle in short alphanumeric fields: body code, exterior paint code, interior trim code, the consecutive rear-axle ratio code, the transmission code, and the DSO (District Sales Office) code that shows where the car was originally shipped. Decode each field against a Ford reference for that year and model. Pre-1980 plates use Ford's own format, while a VIN lookup is the fastest way to confirm the year, plant, and body style before reading the rest.
What is a Marti Report and which Fords does it cover?+
The Marti Report is an authenticated build record produced by Marti Auto Works, which licenses Ford's original production database. It reconstructs the factory order for Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles built from 1967 onward. It lists the original options, paint and trim, DSO, production and sales dates, and how rare the configuration was. It is widely accepted by collectors and judges as the authoritative Ford build document. Vehicles built before 1967 are not in that database and rely on the door data plate and component tags instead.
What does the DSO code mean on a Ford?+
DSO stands for District Sales Office. On a Ford door data plate the DSO field identifies the district the car was originally ordered through and shipped to, such as a specific regional sales district or an export destination. A special two-part DSO number can also flag a special-order or fleet vehicle. The DSO helps verify a car's documented origin and is one of the fields collectors cross-check against the Marti Report.
How do I decode Ford paint and trim codes by VIN?+
Ford paint and interior trim codes appear on the door data plate and in the build record. Enter the VIN to confirm the year, model, and assembly plant, then read the paint code (exterior color) and trim code (interior color and material) from the data plate or the Marti Report. Ford reused some letter codes across different years, so always decode against a reference for the exact model year. The VIN's tenth character fixes that year for you.
Can I get a build sheet for a Mustang by VIN?+
Yes. The Mustang is one of the best-documented Ford vehicles. Enter the VIN to decode the year, plant, and body style, read the door data plate for paint, trim, axle, transmission, and DSO codes, and for 1967-up cars order a Marti Report for the authenticated original order. This combination is what collectors use to confirm a numbers-matching Mustang and separate a documented car from a tribute or clone.
Look Up a Ford Build Sheet by VIN
Enter the VIN to anchor the year and plant, then decode the door data plate's paint, trim, axle, transmission, and DSO codes.
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