Early Production '57 Ford Data Plate Questions

[yblock57]

Howdy —

Trying to decode Dad's data plate. Searched around on here and google and all the data plate examples show the later production decoders. His was built in November '56 from what can tell. Getting hung up on the production code at the end... .it's not labeled like the later plates with 'Date' 'Trans' 'Axle'. Any help filling in the blanks appreciated!


Here's what I have;

D = 312 4v
7 = 1957
D = Dallas Plant
V = Victoria Body — Fairlane 500
130591 = 30,591th vehicle assembled
63A = Fairlane 500 Club Victoria
ZE = Coral Sand lower body/Colonial White upper body
2 = tu-tone?
L = Colonial Vinyl and Brown Tropical-Leaf or Brown Silver-Shadow Fabric
26L = 26th November
98 = ?
5 = 2.91:1 Axle?
C = Fordomatic (3-speed)?

 

[dmsfrr]

Although this is a link to T-Bird page it explains the Data Plates were changed during April of '57.
https://www.ctci.org/decoder/

The "Production code" was discontinued and replaced with Transmission and Axle codes.
https://www.ctci.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/print03.jpg

The Production code may have had something to do with how many cars of that model were built for a particular sales district.

 

[yblock57]

Although this is a link to T-Bird page it explains the Data Plates were changed during April of '57.
https://www.ctci.org/decoder/

The "Production code" was discontinued and replaced with Transmission and Axle codes.

The Production code may have had something to do with how many cars of that model were built for a particular sales district.

Thanks, that's what I was seeing as well. Weird how they changed things mid-year instead of waiting till the '58 model year.

 

[mercman from oz]

How to decode the 57 Ford Data Plate

 

[dmsfrr]

Thanks, that's what I was seeing as well. Weird how they changed things mid-year instead of waiting till the '58 model year.

They may have done it for more effective record keeping and not wanted to put if off longer. ???

The changeover to the '58 model year had at least one of its own problems that may have kept the main office fairly busy. The '58 Birds and Lincolns were built at the new Wixom facility and the Birds weren't ready until about 3 months late.

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird/prod1957tbird.html
.

 

[yblock57]

Thanks fellas. Have a friend with a later production '57 Custom and noticed his has the different style data plate. Learn something new every day.

 

[rotorwrench]

A look at earlier data plate configurations puts the production code in a category that may be pretty simple. The 985C may be the 985th car produced that day and C would be the grave yard shift. The C could definitely be something else like a specific assembly line but without a reference for the 1957 Ford full size passenger car line production code then anything is a guess. All Cars made on a specific day in a specific plant would be included in the daily production numbers from the Thunderbird to the basic Fairlane depending on what assembly plant is affected.

Ford originally published this stuff in both chassis parts catalogs and body parts catalogs depending on the year of manufacture. The body parts catalog for a 1957 Ford should have been stand alone publication but it was combined with 1953 to 1957 and the early 1957 edition may be the one needed. The chassis parts catalog was 1955 to 1957. Most of these books were replaced by the later multi-year semi-inclusive catalogs that covered all Ford cars from 1949 through 1959 so a lot of information was considered redundant and was not always included.

Ford didn't put as much information down for the earlier cars and mid year changes make for some real head scratchers from one year to the next. 1949 was a bad year for data plate information because the system was new compared to 1948. The change from 1951 to the 1952 cars was also a big change due to upgrades in the part number prefixes and the Y-block year of 1954 made even more changes to that.

 

[yblock57]

A look at earlier data plate configurations puts the production code in a category that may be pretty simple. The 985C may be the 985th car produced that day and C would be the grave yard shift. The C could definitely be something else but without a reference for the 1957 Ford full size passenger car line production code then anything is a guess.

Ford originally published this stuff in both chassis parts catalogs and body parts catalogs depending on the year of manufacture. The body parts catalog for a 1957 Ford would have been stand alone publication and the early edition may be the one needed. Most of these books were replaced by the later multi-year semi-inclusive catalogs that covered all Ford cars from 1949 through 1959 so a lot of information was considered redundant and was not always included.

Ford didn't put as much information down for the earlier cars and mid year changes make for some real head scratchers from one year to the next.

Thanks, Rotorwrench. Interesting stuff. Think I'll try posting this on 57fordsforever.com.

 

[KULTULZ]

Think I'll try posting this on 57fordsforever.com.

If you do, can you post a REFERRING URL so that we can also follow the subject/posts?

It is correct about the 1949/59 PASS CAR MPC FINAL ISSUE in that it shows only the later 57/58 PATENT PLATE and no decoding for the PRODUCTION CODE found on earlier style plate(s).

I think the characters 98 represent the SALES DISTRICT the car was intended for. I am working on this but if they know the answer it will save me some trouble and would be appreciated.

 

[yblock57]

If you do, can you post a REFERRING URL so that we can also follow the subject/posts?

It is correct about the 1949/59 PASS CAR MPC FINAL ISSUE in that it shows only the later 57/58 PATENT PLATE and no decoding for the PRODUCTION CODE found on earlier style plate(s).

I think the characters 98 represent the SALES DISTRICT the car was intended for. I am working on this but if they know the answer it will save me some trouble and would be appreciated.

Sure thing!
Link here.

 

[KULTULZ]

!!! Appreciated !!!​

 

[dmsfrr]

... The 985C may be the 985th car produced that day and C would be the grave yard shift. ....

985? Yes, see the image below, from the link in reply #2 above... Note the areas outlined in red.
~ scheduled to be assembled on that day ~

Not sure what the "C" is for...

Another possibility is the last digits are the cumulative total of vehicles of that model ordered for that dealer sales area. I've been told this format was used for the '55/'57 T-Birds, by one of the folks who keeps a very large registry, he's affiliated with CTCI.
.

 

[KULTULZ]

!!! WRONG !!! ​

OK, I have it ciphered out. I just wanted to ring the bell before anyone does at THE OTHER FORUM ...

PRODUCTION CODE​

26L - PRODUCTION DATE
98 - DISTRICT SALES
5 - AXLE
C - TRANS

The 2 in the PAINT CODE represents the type of paint used (I believe). I need to search further

The above translation is incorrect My Bad ...

 

[yblock57]

Well that makes sense. Interesting stuff there. Thanks!

 

[dmsfrr]

OK, I have it ciphered out. I just wanted to ring the bell before anyone does at THE OTHER FORUM ...

PRODUCTION CODE​

26L - PRODUCTION DATE
98 - DISTRICT SALES
5 - AXLE
C - TRANS

The 2 in the PAINT CODE represents the type of paint used (I believe). I need to search further.

Take another look at the image posted in reply # 12 above.

26L = scheduled production date. Yes

98 = District Sales Area. Nope, there is no sales area 98, see image 1 below.

5 = Axle. Nope, I don't think there were that many factory original choices behind a 312 in '57.

C = Trans. Nope, the transmission codes for '57 models were numbers, not letters.
.

 

[KULTULZ]

Take another look at the image posted in reply # 12 above.

26L = scheduled production date. Yes

98 = District Sales Area. Nope, there is no sales area 98, see image 1 below.

5 = Axle. Nope, I don't think there weren't that many factory original choices behind a 312 in '57.

C = Trans. Nope, the transmission codes for '57 models were numbers, not letters.
.

What you showed is 1956 BIRD SPECIFIC (BODY TYPE 40A).

It is not known if it came from FORD MATERIAL or was drawn from a BIRD VENDOR source. Same as with your shown DISTRICT SALES CODE CHART, it is not FORD but a re-write. A few details were left out.

You need to be more particular regarding your information sources and not say NOPE but rather IMO.

1957 FORD PASS CAR is being discussed, not BIRD.

It may be that the BIRD SPECIFIC DATA PLATE had different coding in spots as possibly the 57 BIRD was assembled only in DETROIT. Also the plate you showed was for a 56 vehicle. That may be another factor.

It would be interesting to find the facts as opposed to a BIRD VENDOR version `who may not have ciphered FORD info correctly.

 

[yblock57]

No definite answers regarding the production code over at the 57 international site. All their literature makes no mention of it. Another person asked the same question regarding his early production plate and came up empty as well. Not a big deal. All the main info is accounted for. Maybe they didn't think axle/trans info was a big deal till mid year. Ha!

 

[dmsfrr]

...
It would be interesting to find the facts as opposed to a BIRD VENDOR version `who may not have ciphered FORD info correctly.

Here are a couple links to separate sources (not T-Bird) that describe the 'Production Code' used on mid-50's Ford data / patent plates for various cars until mid April of '57.

https://www.1954ford.com/page3.php

https://1956-ford.com/images1956forddatacolors/1953-56-ford-car-data-plate-decode.pdf

And image 1 below from the Crown Victoria Assn website showing similar information...

In these various examples, plus the one from CTCI, the Production Code is consistently described as being: digits for the day of the month, a letter code for the month, and digits for a (presumably) daily production number.
Some of these plates have usually 2 characters between the date and daily vehicle number that is the Dealer sales area code. Image 2 below.

If you have additional or different information concerning the makeup of the 'Production Code' on this style of data/patent plate I'd welcome seeing it.

...
It is not known if it came from FORD MATERIAL or was drawn from a BIRD VENDOR source.
...
You need to be more particular regarding your information sources and not say NOPE but rather IMO.
....
It may be that the BIRD SPECIFIC DATA PLATE had different coding in spots as possibly the 57 BIRD was assembled only in DETROIT. Also the plate you showed was for a 56 vehicle. That may be another factor.

It was because of the '55/'57 Thunderbirds that much of the original Ford vehicle information from the mid/late 50's was saved.
"... Lois (Eminger) worked in the Legal Department at Ford, and needed to research a particular 1955 Thunderbird. When she asked the people in archiving for the invoice, she was told that they were all thrown away after 10 years ... (she) felt this information might be of importance to people down the road, so she asked for permission to save these copies for future reference, and permission was granted by Ford for her to do so."
https://automotivemileposts.com/tbird/tbird1957eminger.html

Yes the charts on the CTCI / Thunderbird website don't specifically include other Ford car models, but the information corresponds directly with the original Ford documents mentioned in the previous paragraph.
"...we have Thunderbird invoices for the 1955 models after serial number 232214 and substantially all of the 1956 and 1957 models available ..."
https://www.ctci.org/invoice-sales/

FYI, approximately 99% of '55/'57 T-Birds were built in Dearborn.
.

 

[KULTULZ]

No definite answers regarding the production code over at the 57 international site. All their literature makes no mention of it. Another person asked the same question regarding his early production plate and came up empty as well. Not a big deal. All the main info is accounted for. Maybe they didn't think axle/trans info was a big deal till mid year. Ha!

I assure you the cipher I gave is correct.

************************
EDIT -

And it turns out as not correct.
************************

The exact info to cipher all plates was deleted from the 1949/59 FORD PASS CAR MPC - FINAL ISSUE.

See attached for excerpts from pre-mid 1957 PATENT PLATE info - this particular reading describing a Retractable HDT. There appears to be deviations between different model lines.

This is the source of the info that needs to be found, not a BIRD Restorer's opinion.

Your PRODUCTION CODE reads for your particular 57 as -

1) 26L - BUILD DATE
2) 98 - DISTRICT SALES
3) 5 - 2.91 RR AXLE
4) C - F/M (All Were 3S)

 

[KULTULZ]

This is the thread @ 57fordsforever.com -

http://57fordsforever.com/smf/index.php?topic=8938.new#new

There is a REFERRING URL within that thread that will give you most info on the late 57 FORD PLATE.