[rockfla]

Originally Posted by DavidG

DD and Robert,


Station wagon bodies were numbered as 'ro' states so it is presumably the eleventh station wagon body built. It would be something of a coincidence if it were the eleventh station wagon produced as that presumes that all '32 station wagons were assembled at a single assembly plant and that plant ruthlessly employed FIFO inventory control. Neither of those presumptions are accurate based on Ford's archival records. The body may be from the eighth or eighteen or eightieth whole station wagon built depending on where that station wagon was assembled and how far away that assembly plant was located compared to the location of where the body was built (there were two sources of the '32 station wagon bodies as Baker-Rauling only made some of them). There are no surviving records of when either numbered bodies or specific engine number engine/transmission assemblies were assembled together into a vehicle, station wagon or otherwise. A more accurate claim would be; "it's an '32 early station wagon and its body was the eleventh one built by Baker-Rauling", assuming it is a Baker-Rauling body. Presumably it has the early version of the header bow and no tool box in the floor in front of the tailgate like the later '32 station wagon bodies.


Some, but perhaps not even a majority of Ford-built '32 passenger car bodies (standard coupes and sedans most notably) had a body number stamped on the #1 steel cross sill usually with a letter prefix (D for Dearborn, T for Twin Cities, etc.) denoting the plant where the body was built. The cabriolets, convertible sedans, deluxe coupes, and some, but not all, Fordor sedans had separate numbered body builder tags riveted to that #1 cross sill.

Thanks for "un-sticking" me David!!!