Firewall date code location

[Racur96]

Hi guys. Where exactly is the firewall date. Code on a 29, mine is a pickup. Thanks

[redmodelt]

Drivers side lower edge of gas tank just above the lip where it bolts to the cowl. If I recall there was some talk that the date stamped there was an inspection date for the gas tank. Not all tanks have a date stamped on them.

[jkeesey]

My 29 tudor body does not have the tank number located as described but I've found others that do

[glenn in camino]

I think Ford stopped dating gas tanks sometime in late 29. The employee who stamped the tanks probably was a victim of the economy.

[Steve Plucker]

The earliest recorded firewall date is 5-28-28...the latest date recorded is 9-20-29. Can we beat those dates anyone?

I did an article on this very subject and is on my website under Additional Studies and is also in one of the gas tank articles I did.

Also see my Letters, Numbers and Codes data.

Merry Christmas.

Pluck

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

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My early '29 std coupe has no gas tank stamping. Help, those with similar coupes, where have you found BODY number that has assy. plant info??

[Racur96]

Thanks, searched cowl but no luck. I was able to get assy plant # with battery acid method. My engine was built July 8th according to steves site. And speedo still has tamper tag on backside and shows w9, 1929 September. Right rear frame crossmember has pao stamped in it. Anyone have any idea what it is? Couldn't match it up with any Frame codes listed.

[Tudortomnz]

Re 'earliest & latest' dates stamped on tanks. There is '28 35A here [ Canadian export] with 5 16 28 [ body F 1839]. Can't beat the latest date, but a '29 165A from the rural home town where I now live has 8 23 29. My own late '29 Tudor has no date stamp, but it was built in Oct. at Windsor, post date stamping.

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by BILL WILLIAMSON

My early '29 std coupe has no gas tank stamping. Help, those with similar coupes, where have you found BODY number that has assy. plant info??

Bill,

Look on my website under Additional Studies, then go to Letters, Numbers and Codes.

By the way...just how on earth can you have an "early" 1929 STD. COUPE? All "early" 1929's of this type were Special Coupes...were they not?

Pluck

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by Tudortomnz

Re 'earliest & latest' dates stamped on tanks. There is '28 35A here [ Canadian export] with 5 16 28 [ body F 1839]. Can't beat the latest date, but a '29 165A from the rural home town where I now live has 8 23 29. My own late '29 Tudor has no date stamp, but it was built in Oct. at Windsor, post date stamping.

Can you please provide a photo Tom?

Pluck

[Ron in Quincy]

In talking to my uncle, a number of years ago, about a early 29 AA truck he purchased new from the Ford Dealer in Stockton CA, I noticed it did not have a date on the gas tank. My uncle advised me that the original gas tank started leaking around the steering column about 2 months after he took delivery; he took the truck back to the dealer and the dealer installed a new gas tank, thats why no date !!!!

I wonder how many other original tanks were changed due to the same problem ?

Another thing he told me about the AA: when he was advised by the dealer that his truck was ready for delivery, and when he got to the dealership he found the cab was a open cab, he was upset as he had ordered a closed cab; he went back to the dealership 2 days later and the dealer had removed the closed cab off a new 1/2 pickup and switched the cab to his AA and put the open cab on the 1/2 ton pickup.

I suspect who ever ended up with the AA belives the truck is all original like it came from the factory ?

Reguarding the stamping that identifies the assemble plant on the sill in front of the front seat, I have also seen it stamped on the passenger side, and sometimes stamped upside down, sometimes facing the rear of the vehicle and somtime facing the front of the vehicle; have also seen bodies with no stamping.

Ron

[Tudortomnz]

Steve, re a photo of tank dates I mentioned, the early one is on a NZ Model A list [with the owners name ] , the car is nowhere near I now live, but I can get the one from Aug. '29 which is owned by a friend. I will try & do this in the New Year.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is the gas tank date on my 9-27-28 Phaeton. I've also seen some dates stamped upside down.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Steve Plucker

Bill,

Look on my website under Additional Studies, then go to Letters, Numbers and Codes.

By the way...just how on earth can you have an "early" 1929 STD. COUPE? All "early" 1929's of this type were Special Coupes...were they not?

Pluck

Thanks Pluck, been searching the car and your website to no avail. Saw one indication that it might be INSIDE the seat riser. My car is not a "special" and it has the "d" nuts for a drum tail light BRACKET only on the L/H side and has never had cowl lights and it has a rumbleseat that looks original to the car. The hood shelves have the cut-away where the pass by the bumper brackets and it has the hooks on the top radiator tank to hold the hood open. Has the round raised area around the crank hole cover. It now has fender mounted tail lights. The car build was started in 1987, I have lots of pics, but no written history. Running board shields has the rear humps. The car doesn't look like it has any mis-fit or incorrect parts, has front mounted squeeze grip park brake. Engine number pad is rough, as though number is original, according to engine number, it is a June, '29 car. Rear fenders are surely NOS, perfect. Front fenders might have been NOS as their is only a small amount of body work done that could have been from storage damage. Bill W.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is the body number from my same 9-27-28 Phaeton. The "TC" means it was built at the Twin Cities Frod Plant and the 476 means it was the 476th Phaeton body built at that plant for that model year. That's a low body number for a 9-27-28 gas tank date, but there wasn't much demand for an open car in Minnesota.

You can see the number is actually partially covered by the seat riser, and the seat riser is bent rearward a little, which exposes the number better.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Here is the body number from my same 9-27-28 Phaeton. The "TC" means it was built at the Twin Cities Frod Plant and the

[Special Coupe Frank]

Tom - which body sill is that, and where is the number located? What is the black sheetmetal with the stiffening rib embossed in it ?

Would like to try to find the assembly plant # on my Special Coupe...

[Special Coupe Frank]

Originally Posted by Steve Plucker

Bill,

Look on my website under Additional Studies, then go to Letters, Numbers and Codes.

By the way...just how on earth can you have an "early" 1929 STD. COUPE? All "early" 1929's of this type were Special Coupes...were they not?

Pluck

My guess is he has one of the June or July '29 Standards, making it "early" for the resumed production of the 45-A ?

MY understanding is that same as yours - 49-A Special Coupe only from mid 1928 through June '29.

[Racur96]

Pic of assy number & code is most likely on panel where your heels set while in drier seat, rib metal is seat riser, looking down from straight above it with seat out. At least thats where mine is, some are on side rails subframe.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Special Coupe Frank

Tom - which body sill is that, and where is the number located? What is the black sheetmetal with the stiffening rib embossed in it ?

Would like to try to find the assembly plant # on my Special Coupe...

That's my 9-27-28 Phaeton and the number on that car and on my 2-23-29 Tudor are both in the same place, right where the heel of my left foot would be if I sit in the seat with my feet straight down along the front edge of the seat. The metal is the steel seat riser on my Phaeton.

[John Duden]

Originally Posted by Steve Plucker

Bill,

Look on my website under Additional Studies, then go to Letters, Numbers and Codes.

By the way...just how on earth can you have an "early" 1929 STD. COUPE? All "early" 1929's of this type were Special Coupes...were they not?

Pluck

Mine says 2 28!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Heavens, I don't know, Engine # falls in for a June'29, Engine number pad is not altered, but may not match frame number, thus the confusion. Motor may have been changed and NOT re-numbered. I will discover the body number and clear it up. "VERMIN" is NOT a special coupe, just a really decent regular coupe with like new interior, top, and rumble seat redone in 2002.----Bill W.

[Artiki]

Just resurrecting this thread to add my photo for future ref. I just had my fuel tank acid dipped...





...and it revealed the number you can see below.


There was so much paint on it before that the number wasn't visible.

[msmaron]

Was it also sealed and coated inside?? and who did it please

[Tom Wesenberg]

The stamper got the 8's upside down. Sometimes the entire number is upside down.
Now's a good time to weld all those extra holes shut.

[wrndln]

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Another thing you might check is the 8 or 10 rivets (or something) where the gas tank cowl welting is supposed to go. I don't believe they should be there. There is a wire inside the welting that goes over the tank for the hood to rest on that is tightened to hold it in place, not rivets.
Rusty Nelson

[Steve Plucker]

I hope like heck that the fellow who acid dipped it for you nutrilized it to get all the acid out of the small crooks and crannys because if not...you will be very disapointed when you start seeing the acid oozzing from those areas after it is painted.

Don't ask me how I know!

Pluck

[atourer]

Gents, this is a topic close to my heart - So I ask, at what point in manufacture was the tank stamped ? - I had read or heard that it was stamped after it was welded as a form of batch control for quality in case of leaks. This would have of course been some time before final assembly. Later it was stopped as an unnecessary step - is this true ?
Also this is particularly relevant to us in Australia because our open models and trucks were imported from Canada CKD so a tank date plus say 2-3 months would give approximate local build date. Thanks, Brian

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by atourer

Gents, this is a topic close to my heart - So I ask, at what point in manufacture was the tank stamped ? - I had read or heard that it was stamped after it was welded as a form of batch control for quality in case of leaks. This would have of course been some time before final assembly. Later it was stopped as an unnecessary step - is this true ?
Also this is particularly relevant to us in Australia because our open models and trucks were imported from Canada CKD so a tank date plus say 2-3 months would give approximate local build date. Thanks, Brian

atourer...

You are asking the 64 million dollar question! There are a lot of us out here that would like to know the EXACT reason why Ford stamped these tanks when they did...mainly from about May 1928 through September 1929.

All we can do is speculate the reason at this time and that was for quality control after the assembly of the tank itself. In other words after the tank was inspected...it was then stamped and sent to the various assembly plants throughout the USA.

The closer the assembly plant was to the tanks coming off the assembly line at Fordson/Dearborn, the closer to the build date in some but not all instances. As with engines, some sat around and were got to later thus making assembly further from the actual stamping of the tank.

If you go to my website and review the gastank articles and some of the data, you can see that there were at least three senarios of tank assembly to a car or truck body.

It is quite interesting.

Again...all we can do is speculate just what the reason was as to my knowledge, no one has really come up with the definitive answer as to just why the tanks were stamped in the first place. That answer is HOPEFULLY hidden in the Ford archives and HOPEFULLY some one will find the real answer.

Pluck

[shawnhorton2960B]

[shawnhorton2960B]

ok that did not show up ,will try again

[shawnhorton2960B]

1 29 29 or 1 20 29

[Bustingear]

Just checked mine which is a 28 AR but I got a tank off of a four door to use on my sedan
Marked 6 21 28

[Tudortomnz]

Originally Posted by atourer

Gents, this is a topic close to my heart - So I ask, at what point in manufacture was the tank stamped ? - I had read or heard that it was stamped after it was welded as a form of batch control for quality in case of leaks. This would have of course been some time before final assembly. Later it was stopped as an unnecessary step - is this true ?
Also this is particularly relevant to us in Australia because our open models and trucks were imported from Canada CKD so a tank date plus say 2-3 months would give approximate local build date. Thanks, Brian

Brian, you should check the article by Dave Slater [ Vic.] in Restorer July/Aug. 2010; ''My visit to The Australian Ford Archives".Australian production was not closely related to what went on in US. They actually were selling '28 '29's in 1931 & '32 along with the locally built 1930 types that went to 1932. Ian Irwin has also published about 3 very good books on Australian Model A's; ask some local Model A guys if they know of these.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Originally Posted by Racur96

Thanks, searched cowl but no luck. I was able to get assy plant # with battery acid method. My engine was built July 8th according to steves site. And speedo still has tamper tag on backside and shows w9, 1929 September. Right rear frame crossmember has pao stamped in it. Anyone have any idea what it is? Couldn't match it up with any Frame codes listed.

What is the "battery acid method" for revealing a deteriorated frame / cross-member number ?


SC Frank

[Racur96]

Hi frank just noticed your question. Take a copper pot scrubber( I used one with plastic handle) and dip it in battery acid. Take a battery charger and hook negative side to peice that your trying to get numbers from & positive to your pot scrubber. Lightly run it across the peice. It's nasty so make sure & wear glasses, gloves & a mask & make sure and keep it wet with the acid or the arc can scorch it and make it hard to read. This method worked when nothing else would on my numbers. They were lightly stamped and deteriorated but it brought them out quite a bit.

[Special Coupe Frank]

Racur,

Thanks for the info ! Assuming you're using 6-volt setting on charger ?

Frank

[Racur96]

No I used 12 , may work on the 6 but my charger didnt have the 6 volt option.

[1oldtimer]

Ok, bringing back a dead post or at least a post in a coma......here's mine it's on a '28 Tudor.

So what does it mean? 10-13-28 without the 28? since stamping was stopped by then in '29.
Funny thing is 10-13-28 was a Saturday.

[Tudortomnz]

I do not understand your question on this ; if it is a 1928, must be Oct. 13th 1928?
Re being a Saturday, I think you will find it would have been a normal work day, especially if in the morning. They had rotating shifts at the car plants. These days, we also have gone right back to working everyday & all night like before the 40 hour work week?

[1oldtimer]

Originally Posted by Tudortomnz

I do not understand your question on this ; if it is a 1928, must be Oct. 13th 1928?
Re being a Saturday, I think you will find it would have been a normal work day, especially if in the morning. They had rotating shifts at the car plants. These days, we also have gone right back to working everyday & all night like before the 40 hour work week?

There is no dashes and no year, is that normal or is it a code for something else.

[Steve Plucker]

I have personally seen tanks without the dashes as well with them...Also tanks where the numbers were not present.

I am also thinking that your tank was stamped 10 13 (28) October 13, 1928.

Pluck

[al's28/33]

Hey Tom your Phaeton just had it's 85th Birthday!! I will drink to that! Hope you like Rootbeer Floats!

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by al's28/33

Hey Tom your Phaeton just had it's 85th Birthday!! I will drink to that! Hope you like Rootbeer Floats!

Rootbeer floats is the best drink. I never gave it a thought about the date.
Hope to be still driving it when I'm 85.