One owner, for 81 year...Kinda

Slseacrist

Junior Member
As the story goes, my 1930 coupe was bought new in 1930, from San Jose Ford. My Great Grandfather, traded my grandmothers model T in for it, while she was away at college. Though it was my grandmothers car my great grandfather drove it to work everyday.
One day he had a accident at the corner of Hamilton and Bascom is San Jose, rolling it. This resulted in 31 fenders on one side. After my great grandfather passed away, the puddle jumper as my family called it, become the second family car. Later the it was used as Jeep on my family's ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
On Nov. 22 1963 after school was let out, after JFK's assassination, my father discovered it was stolen. After a few months of searching and putting the word out, word came that the car was blocking the gate and we needed to move it ASAP. It came back running and new headlights.
In do time, the car came into my father care. Though he used and enjoyed it, life an family got in the way. The car sat form when I was 2 till 30, when I got it out of the shop and back on the road.

My question is are their records of were a car was sold new? This would conferm, or denia the valitiy of the family legend. I am still not sure if i want to know, but i am interested if it is possible?
 
There could be a body number stamped on the floor body cross frame, just in front of the seat. If it is there, it would reveal what plant it came from.
 
Puddle Jumper after freshly painted Kelsy Hays Rims...
 

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Great story! I have a young lady friend that has a Model B pickup that has always been in the family, starting with her grandfather. It was used on his dairy. It has never been left outside at night!
 
As I finish up road testing and tweeking the 1931 pickup, the coupe is living at my fathers house. So before I head home for the holidays, I found the body number for the pickup, I just finished pitting back together, SFAA 3796. It is a San Fransisco car. After heading home for the holidays and all the rigmarole of Santa,( I have a 2 1/2 year old) I spent 30 minutes looking for the body number on the coupe with no luck. No marking in front of the seat.

Between 1930 and 1931 did they move the location of the body number? Do different bodies have different body number locations? I know the car was in a role over accident, but I do not think the seat cross member would have been replaced? Would love to find the body number. Any advice.
 
As I finish up road testing and tweeking the 1931 pickup, the coupe is living at my fathers house. So before I head home for the holidays, I found the body number for the pickup, I just finished pitting back together, SFAA 3796. It is a San Fransisco car. After heading home for the holidays and all the rigmarole of Santa,( I have a 2 1/2 year old) I spent 30 minutes looking for the body number on the coupe with no luck. No marking in front of the seat.

Between 1930 and 1931 did they move the location of the body number? Do different bodies have different body number locations? I know the car was in a role over accident, but I do not think the seat cross member would have been replaced? Would love to find the body number. Any advice.

Go to my website then go to "Additional Studies". Then go to "Letters, Numbers and Codes". There you will find the section on Assembly Plant Codes. It tells you of another place to look for your Assembly Plant codes.

The Richmond plant (R) opened August 1, 1931 after the closing of the San Francisco plant (SFA/SFAA).

Pluck
 
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