I thought the Blend date was when they marry the body to the frame
Traditionally yes... but in the era of unibody vehicles that's not necessarily the case any longer. Nowadays it is easier to think of it as the start date of final assembly, when everything is blended together. And since most of Ford's vehicles take less than 24 hours to complete after assembly begins, it can also be thought as the rough date the vehicle will exit the main production line. However... it does not take into account any accessories that may need to be installed after the vehicle is off the main assembly line. Traditionally the accessories that get installed after it travels down the main assembly line are stuff like decals, paint protection film, bed liners, etc, but I don't know the nitty-gritty of the Bronco production.
I've read that production starts several days prior to the blend date. Considering they will be shut down for most of July, it may not be that far off. Just a guess.
Yes this is true. The engines, for example, are built/assembled at least a few weeks before hand (in Ohio I believe). The body panels would have been stamped a few days before the blend date. Paint shop probably would have already painted the panels. Really we're just talking about final assembly when the vehicle goes from a bunch of a parts and transforms into the vehicle you ordered.
Unfortunately for
@oldgoat (and myself, as I am also scheduled for 7/25),
@Deano Bronc is correct... the assembly line will be shut down for the first 3 weeks in July. Which is probably why we are starting to see the window stickers appear so early.
2022 4dr Badlands, 2.3L Manual, Mid pkg
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