1940 Wagon Data Tag?

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philipswanson

Well-known member
I have an original 40 wagon and want to restore the data tag(s). It has one tag riveted to the firewall which is obviously original but can't read anything on it. I see some 40s have two tags. Anybody know what format is correct and how many tags are correct?
 
philipswanson said:
I have an original 40 wagon and want to restore the data tag(s). It has one tag riveted to the firewall which is obviously original but can't read anything on it. I see some 40s have two tags. Anybody know what format is correct and how many tags are correct?
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My wagon only came with the patent tag riveted to firewall. You should also have a number stamped in the firewall that is partly covered by the voltage regulator. This number is your body number. They built close to
10000 woody bodys in 1940. Mine is stamped 8XXX. Each X is an actual number..........
40larry
 
My wagon only had the original patent plate with 4 rivets holding it to the firewall. The only other thing on my car was the number stamped into the firewall under the voltage regulator which is the numerical body number produced for that production year. My wagon is 10581 out of 11000. The late Lorin Sorenson had what was the last 40 wagon built at Iron Mountain according to some records from there. He has month by month production numbers listed in his book on Woodies.
 
Some convertibles and wagons, very few it seems, had a body number tag in the upper - left corner of the dash panel.
It was thought that practice had stopped in 1939 but I and a couple of others, have witnessed this anomaly on '40 models as well.
I've attached a tag of a '40 convertible I'd recently restored. The wagon tag would appear very similar and be placed in the exact location.
Most dash panels have small "dimples" in that area that would help the worker quickly locate the proper place to drill and subsequently attach the plate.
 

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Just had a look at a cowl pic of a 40 wagon I sold a few years ago. The tag in question is a generic to 40s and I believe is a patent plate located on the center/left/upper firewall attached with 4 rivets. If you remove the voltage regulator you should see a series of numbers stamped into the sheet metal. My 40 was #10085. Its just a point of interest. I think 40 convertables have a body/cowl number stamped there as well.
If I remember correctly Kube mentioned in an earlier post that there was also a tag affixed to the cowl on the drivers side upper cowl not sure what its function was. I'm sure he will chime in as he was interested in others who might have the additional tag attched... Bill in Nova Scotia.
 
As long as we are talking about numbers under the voltage reg. my 39 deluxe Tudor has 14C 102 CHE . Any clues to the meaning of this? Mark
 
Bill said:
Just had a look at a cowl pic of a 40 wagon I sold a few years ago. The tag in question is a generic to 40s and I believe is a patent plate located on the center/left/upper firewall attached with 4 rivets. If you remove the voltage regulator you should see a series of numbers stamped into the sheet metal. My 40 was #10085. Its just a point of interest. I think 40 convertables have a body/cowl number stamped there as well.
If I remember correctly Kube mentioned in an earlier post that there was also a tag affixed to the cowl on the drivers side upper cowl not sure what its function was. I'm sure he will chime in as he was interested in others who might have the additional tag attched... Bill in Nova Scotia.
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Ya know Bill,
The numbers stamped in to the sheet metal I believe was the "rule of thumb" in 1940. The tag, as seen in my previous post was I believe much of an anomaly during '40 production.
I was unable to find any document that might offer an official "clue" as to what happened, what was supposed to happen and when.
My guess, and only a guess is that the prescribed method of identifying the convertible and wagon bodies in '40 was to stamp the sheet metal.
Perhaps not everyone got the note back then?

As a side note, a few closed cars (1940) have been witnessed with numbers stamped in to their dash panel sheet metal. The coupe I am currently restoring has this - I've zero clue what the numbers signify.
And, to really muddy the proverbial waters... hers's a picture of a '40 coupe I'd restored with a body tag with it's serial number. Note the number starts with PC. And yes, that matched the title and frame.
 

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Kube said:
And, to really muddy the proverbial waters... hers's a picture of a '40 coupe I'd restored with a body tag with it's serial number. Note the number starts with PC. And yes, that matched the title and frame.
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Special-order "Police Car"? Mercury engine? DD
 
Anybody have a picture of the plate that's riveted to the firewall on a 40? I can't make anything out on mine and would like to replace it with a correct plate.
 
philipswanson said:
Anybody have a picture of the plate that's riveted to the firewall on a 40? I can't make anything out on mine and would like to replace it with a correct plate.
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Data plate...Carpenter sells them. His part #01a-14001, $4.95.

The reproductions, if I recall correctly, have one wrong number out of the twenty-eight or so listed.

You can see it in this photo...
 

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Very nice original engine compartment. Are there any numbers you had to stamp in that plate? Looks like I have other work to do under the hood. Thanks for the information.
 
philipswanson said:
Very nice original engine compartment. Are there any numbers you had to stamp in that plate? Looks like I have other work to do under the hood. Thanks for the information.
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That plate from Carpenter is silk screened and ready to install as received.
 
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