Decoding Mercury ID Plates

[Firemaverick231]

Hi everyone! New forum member here. I am hoping that someone may be able to help me in decoding the ID plate on my 1956 Mercury Custom Phaeton. The information is as follows:


Serial number: #56LA46285M#
Style: BU57C
Body Specifications: 278-653-176-171


I was able to decipher the serial number as it being the 46,285 vehicle produced at the Los Angeles plant in 1956, and the Style as being a Custom 4-door Hardtop, but I have found no reference material available for decoding the Body Specs.


I saw Stiggy had helped someone else decode the Body Specs, but I can't send him a PM on here as I have not had 10 posts yet.



Thanks in advance for any help!

[KULTULZ]

I saw Stiggy had helped someone else decode the Body Specs, but I can't send him a PM on here as I have not had 10 posts yet.

Can you give me Stiggy's info and I will PM him for you.

The 1956-59 MERCURY MPC does not give much info for 1956 but really begins giving more build info for the 1957/ builds.

MERC must have changed their PATENT PLATE designs in 1957 as did FORD to include more info that was broken down in the MPC.

As with FORD, most info must have been given through TSB before the 1957 change.

Can you show the post you found as I am curious myself?

I would post the two ILL pages but my browser is still messed up and it will not show large enough to cipher.

The BODY TYPE crosses into two descriptions;

BODY TYPE 57C - CUSTOM 4DR HARD TOP and CUSTOM 4DR PILLARESS - (FORD did this also - BODY TYPE and BODY CODE (trim).

There is no ENGINE ID, but the 312 was it. There were four HP ratings for 1956 and they were described in a TSB.

[Firemaverick231]

Hi Kultulz, thanks for the info and the help! The first link is the one to the forum discussion where he helped out another member, and the second link is to his profile.


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2033232


https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/member.php?u=94653


Funny thing is, I have an original copy of the 1956-1959 chassis and body master parts catalog, and the format of the Body Specifications code on my plate doesn't match the format in the book. Also it says to reference the "master price and reference list (form MD-4230)" for the soft trim codes. I actually managed to find and purchase one, but can't find any codes or anything similar anywhere in it. It only has pages and pages of part numbers and pricing.

[rotorwrench]

I can't tell you for sure but I think the books you would need would be an original year model specific 1956 Mercury Body Parts Catalog and/or the 1956 Mercury specific Chassis Parts Catalog. I do believe that these original 1956 specific manuals had the information that you seek as long as they are the last revisions. Soft trim and paint started getting complicated with two tone combinations out the Kazoo. 1956 was a change year for this stuff. Thunderbird owners have the same problem due to changes in the format to the body tags on the cars. It makes it awful difficult to find information.

Once FoMoCo started compressing multi year information into one book, they came up with separate Master Price and Reference Lists for each model year. These things are hard to find. You'll notice that the actual parts listings in the multi-year books are NOT inclusive and leave out a lot of information. If a person can find a CD that has the illustrated parts breakdowns and the parts listings then they might get somewhere but I can't find any for the 1956/59 Mercury. My 56 thru 59 Parts book is mostly illustrations. A person really needs both for good research.

The 4-door hard tops are really nice cars. I'm sure you will enjoy that car a lot. Keep posting. You will get to 10 posts soon enough. Photos are good too if you can share some.

[KULTULZ]

Stiggy PM'd ...

[Firemaverick231]

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Thanks Kultulz and Rotowrench, I really appreciate the help. Here's some pics of her. She's in rough shape, but so far it seems like she is complete. Found all the missing chrome trim in the trunk.

[5851a]

Oh my, she was quite a beauty in her younger years. 55 and 56 have the most attractive instrument panel I have ever saw. Turquoise and white 2 tones are at the top of my list for 50's colors. Not sure why, but around here back in the day we called 4 door hardtops phaetons'. Those Mercury's sure had some smooth lines.

[mercman from oz]

Firemaverick231's 1956 Mercury Custom Phaeton. These are great looking cars, so I hope that you are able to restore this example

[Stiggy]

Hi Firemaverick231,
Here's what I've found re your `56 Mercury..


Serial number: #56LA46285M#
Style: BU57C
Body Specifications: 278-653-176-171


56 1956
LA Los Angeles assembly plant
46285 Production number
M Mercury


BU57C Custom 4 Dr Hardtop
278 Heath Green/Classic White/Heather Green
653 Green Cloth/Vinyl

176 ???
171 ???


I can't help with 176 and 171 ~ it should be a number for day of the month.
Then it's a letter ~ A for January, B February etc thru to M for December.
Also another number is for rotation..


PS ~ Heath green is not a typo error!!..

[Firemaverick231]

Thanks Mercman for enlarging the photos! It's going to be a long process, but I fully intend on restoring it to OEM spec. I love the color and two-tone.


And thank you too Stiggy for the rundown on the numbers! Here is a pic of the ID plate just to make sure I'm not reading it wrong. I'm guessing it was a late enough in the model year that it was some interim ID code between '56 and '57?

[mercman from oz]

Here is a picture of the ID plate - Firemaverick231

[mercman from oz]

1956 Mercury Custom Phaeton from the Original Sales Brochure

[Stiggy]

Thanks to mercman for enlarging the photo, I've noticed that 176 is actually 17G.
Compare the G to the other "6's" on the vin plate ~ an easy mistake to make.
That makes it the 17th of July for production and 171, rotation..
Stiggy..

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by mercman from oz

1956 mercury custom phaeton from the original sales brochure

absolutely beautiful car!

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Stiggy

Hi Firemaverick231,

Here's what I've found re your `56 Mercury..


Serial number: #56LA46285M#
Style: BU57C
Body Specifications: 278-653-176-171


56 1956
LA Los Angeles assembly plant
46285 Production number
M Mercury


BU57C Custom 4 Dr Hardtop
278 Heath Green/Classic White/Heather Green

653 Green Cloth/Vinyl

176 ???
171 ???


I can't help with 176 and 171 ~ it should be a number for day of the month.

Then it's a letter ~ A for January, B February etc thru to M for December.

Also another number is for rotation..


PS ~ Heath green is not a typo error!!..

THANX for the help Stiggy!

Where did you find the info I have highlighted? My 56-59 MERC MPC does not show that. It may have been deleted on final print (1960).

[Firemaverick231]

AH!! My mistake. I guess poor lighting and camera angle would do that. Ok, that makes much more sense. Thank you all!

[mercman from oz]

1956 Mercury Colour Chart

[Stiggy]

Hi kultulz,
I got that from a book published by Cars & Parts magazine.

It's called Catalog of American Car ID Numbers 1950 -59.

I've also got 2 `55 ~`56 Ford and Meteor chassis catalogue
books and a `55 ~`57 body parts catalogue for Ford, Meteor,

Mercury, Monarch and Thunderbird. It has an interior part chart
for the instrument panel, steering column and garnish mouldings.

Here's a link to a great website for decoding Ford's...click on this

http://vinmagic.com/ then this.. To see a list of supported vehicles
click here If anyone wants info on their car, let me know..
Stiggy...

[KULTULZ]

THANX! for that info.

Muchly appreciated!

[Stiggy]

Oops..
It has an interior part chart ~ should be, it has an interior paint chart
for the instrument panel, steering column and garnish mouldings.