Calling Brass Era experts! Need information on 1912 Touring

[Stephen1915]

What information can you derive from the body number on a 1912 touring? There is no motor with the car, no data tag and I am not sure if there is a frame number. The body number is plainly visible. It is a Fore-Door slab side Model.

It is stamped:

F.B. Co. 41123



Does that mean Fisher Body Company ?

Thanks!

[KimDobbins]

please post a picture of your body and one of the number.

[Stephen1915]

Here is the body, having trouble posting pictures.

[Stephen1915]

Testing.
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[Stephen1915]

Here is the sill-

[TWrenn]

I'm pretty sure it is Fisher Body. Looks like a nice car you got going. I see it also has the two-piece driveshaft, often not seen as so many of these earlier cars were retro-fitted with later drivelines/axles. Great find! As for the actual dating of the car, sans any other stampings, it's all gonna depend on the engine number.

[CudaMan]

This older thread talks about another 1912 Fisher body marked FB Co xxxx, like yours:

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/3 ... 84103.html

[Wayne Sheldon]

I certainly have not gotten the 1912 model year bodies sorted out in my mind, nor have I seen any articles that I consider definitive on the subject.
The 1912 model year was one of constant evolutionary change, both in mechanical details of the engine and chassis, as well as styling and construction details of the bodies.
There were four distinctively different runs of bodies style and construction wise. Two early style, sometimes referred to as the step-side bodies. Early ones had the low firewall with a "filler board" between the firewall and the windshield. This was similar to the firewall and windshield of the 1909 through 1911 models. Such early models were mostly built in late 1911 calendar year but considered to be 1912 models.
Somewhere around December of 1911 or January of 1912, the firewall was changed to the taller style which continued (with minor changes) into early 1915 on many open body Ts.
Later in January of 1912 (debatable?), the early so-called "slabside" bodies began. For some amount of time (couple weeks, maybe a month?) between January and maybe early February of 1912, both "stepside" and "slabside" bodied cars were being assembled and leaving the factory.
The basic "slabside" body then continued until the introduction of the 1913 style (most likely between September and October of 1912?)
The distinct difference between early and late slabside 1912 touring cars is whether the rear doors have an outside door handle or not. Earlier slabside touring cars (mostly?) had the hinges to the front of the rear doors, and the outside door handle to the rear of the rear door.
Somewhere about June of 1912, the outside door handle was eliminated and replaced by a taller inside lever similar to what as was used till the end of model T production.
Construction of body and details like the doors and firewall can narrow down a 1912 body to about three or four months. To be proper, an engine fitting into those body timelines would be the best choice. However, often economics and availability can be driving factors.

[Stephen1915]

I guess there is no correlation between the body number and date of production based on other cars?

[TWrenn]

I would hazard a guess that is correct. The body makers couldn't probably care less of keeping THEIR numbers "in sync" with Ford's "serial numbers" which as we all know are also the number on the engine block, and were used to "date" the car. Ford quit using body numbers about mid 1915. In Dec. of 1925 motor numbers did start to appear on frames.