engine question

ModAfan

ModAfan

Senior Member
The serial number on my Model A’s engine indicates that it passed final testing on May 22, 1928. The date stamped on the firewall is June 20, 1928. Was it normal for an engine to take 30 days to make its way to the assembly line?
 
Pluck,

Thanks to your excellent research, I was able to find the Assembly Plant Code. I had tried to find it a couple of years ago, but I was looking in the wrong place.

It was stamped facing the rear of the car, and it is just about directly between the front seat supports. (I think the "S" is upside down).

It was covered by thick black paint. I saw only the dash between the S and the first 2. It took quite a while to clear away that tough old paint. I used paint remover and, finally, acetone to clear it completely.

I was delighted to find that the car was assembled in Henry Ford's Somerville, MA, plant, which was located about 12 miles from my home. There is a square in Somerville today called "Assembly Square," where the old plant once stood.

Many thanks for the assistance.
 

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ModAfan said:
Pluck,

Thanks to your excellent research, I was able to find the Assembly Plant Code. I had tried to find it a couple of years ago, but I was looking in the wrong place.

It was stamped facing the rear of the car, and it is just about directly between the front seat supports. (I think the "S" is upside down).

It was covered by thick black paint. I saw only the dash between the S and the first 2. It took quite a while to clear away that tough old paint. I used paint remover and, finally, acetone to clear it completely.

I was delighted to find that the car was assembled in Henry Ford's Somerville, MA, plant, which was located about 12 miles from my home. There is a square in Somerville today called "Assembly Square," where the old plant once stood.

Many thanks for the assistance.
Click to expand...
Neat! looks like they turned it into a shopping mall. I bet the building stood where the parking lot is today - they did the same thing here with old CAT property the city bought. Buildings around the outside and a huge parking lot in the middle. The dirt was so contaminated with diesel fuel, oil, coolant, etc it would have cost millions to clean it up OR dont disturb it and pave over it...

Have you ever drove your car to its "birthing" grounds and taken a few pics?
 
SeaSlugs,

"Have you ever drove your car to its "birthing" grounds and taken a few pics?"

I hadn't thought of doing that, but I doubt that the car would recognise anything in that area after 88 years. As you said, it's shoppings malls and parking lots.

Thanks
 
Most of the cars in our club were built at the Twin Cities Assembly Plant, and we got to drive them down the final assembly line about 8 years ago. Unfortunately Ford saw fit to shut it down and tear down the plant a couple years ago.
 
Pluck,

One more thing about this car: A friend of mine pointed out to me that it is a “transition” car. It has the hole in the floor on the driver’s side where the emergency brake was mounted in the “AR” cars. The hole has a screwed-down metal plate over it. He also said that it had early brakes.

Any idea how many transitional “AR” cars there were?
 
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ModAfan said:
The serial number on my Model A’s engine indicates that it passed final testing on May 22, 1928. The date stamped on the firewall is June 20, 1928. Was it normal for an engine to take 30 days to make its way to the assembly line?
Click to expand...

Just so we are clear, with 99.99% probability, that date on the gas tank is NOT the date your vehicle was assembled.


ModAfan said:
Pluck,

One more thing about this car: A friend of mine pointed out to me that it is a “transition” car. It has the hole in the floor on the driver’s side where the emergency brake was mounted in the “AR” cars. The hole has a screwed-down metal plate over it. He also said that it had early brakes.

Any idea how many transitional “AR” cars there were?
Click to expand...

I'm not Pluck but while we are at it, ALL Model-As were "transitional cars" from the day the first rolled off the assembly line. And, your friend needs to understand there was never a Model-A called an AR by Ford nor his Engineers. That is a made-up name sometime in the 50s/60s derived from hobbyists looking at parts books.
 
Cars built from the introduction of the separate parking brake, up to November, when the one piece cross shaft came out, would fit your description. My 28 Phaeton with tank date 9-27-28 fits it to a T.

So, it would be about 6 months.
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
Just so we are clear, with 99.99% probability, that date on the gas tank is NOT the date your vehicle was assembled.




I'm not Pluck but while we are at it, ALL Model-As were "transitional cars" from the day the first rolled off the assembly line. And, your friend needs to understand there was never a Model-A called an AR by Ford nor his Engineers. That is a made-up name sometime in the 50s/60s derived from hobbyists looking at parts books.
Click to expand...

I agree with Brent...

Pluck
 
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