I found the original finish on my dash tag under a layer of thin black paint. It took some time working with a toothpick to gently pick away at the paint, but it sure was worth it! Can anyone tell me what the numbers on the tag mean? I know they don't match the serial number on the engine, which was cast 3/9/14.
There is a discussion of dash tag number versus engine number about halfway down this 2010 thread:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/119926.html
Regarding car (body) numbers, seems like I read somewhere (From Here to Obscurity maybe?) that at some point in time Ford quit numbering the bodies...can anyone confirm, clarify, or expand on that for me and others who might be interested?
I can't remember, (nothing new there) and sure's heck can't find it!
Maybe I dreamed it.
Tim -- The tags have body numbers through the '15 model year, as far as I know. I haven't seen a body number on a '16 car, even they used the same data plate.
That is NOT the body number! It is the serial number of the car. The body number is under the front seat.
Well, Exxxcccuuuuuuuuuuussse ME!!!
Mike, I believe the '16s still have the brass plate on the firewall, but you won't find a number stamped on it.
My Canadian 16 still has the number, it and the engine # still matching.
Larry -- That's what I tried to say above, but I left out a word. It should say, "...even though they used the same data plate."
The number on the brass tag does no match the engine number after late 1912 calendar year.. Ford built a number of Ts with engine numbers starting with a "B". All of the "B" number Ts were 1913 models. There were about 12,000 of them. The numbers on the brass patent plates continued on in order on both the regular engine number cars and on the "B: series. Thus the number on the brass plated tends to be higher than the engine number, but I have seen the number on the brass plate lower. There is a 1913 T Touring in Minnesota with the engine number circa B325. It should have a brass patent with a 6 digit number.
Darel, my engine number is 495181 and the brass plate on the dash is lower at 463748.
I have a brass plate that does not have a place for a number. Also, I have of a 1917 T zinc plate, the same size as the brass plate that does not have a place for a number. The plate used after that was a narrower zinc plate and used though 1925. The 26-27 plate had clipped ends.
Bill, since no one else has done it yet, congratulations for being able to recover your original dash tag, good job!
My 13 and 15 tourings both have the numbers on the brass tag trailing the engine number by about ten thousand units.
Correction Darel! All 1925s have clipped ends too. Ford saved some money by doing that. I don't know what the cost of those two rivets were, but it was probably 1/4 of one cent!