Mystery number

J

Joe Altieri

Member
Howdy,
A 1930 Model A Coupe which I purchased in November of '09 has matching chassis and engine numbers, but also has a number on a sub-frame crossmember. The number is clearly stamped and appears to be: an inverted large case V (or is it an A without a cross bar?) followed by S2254. Can anyone tell me what is the significance of this number?
Many thanks.
Joe Altieri
Lake Almanor, Ca.
 
Joe,

Those letters and numbers represent the assembly plant for which your car was assembled. I believe what you are looking at is AS2254. The "AS" stands for the Seattle assembly plant; the "2254" stands for the 2254 coupe that was produced at the assembly plant that year. In the words of our assembly plant guru, David Sturges:

"They can be found anywhere on that cross member and can be
oriented to read from either the front or the rear. These stampings
also vary in size depending on the assembly plant. A few plant numbers
have been seen on the drivers side body side rail and a few have been
seen inside the seat riser on cars so equipped. They mainly are on the
Ford built bodies but some have been noted stamped into the front wooden
body cross member on Briggs and Murray bodies. For some unknown reason
not all bodies were stamped with a plant letter and number. The initial letter/s
are used to indicate the specific assembly plant where the Model A was
assembled and the digits following the letters are very probably
production numbers within each assembly plant. We are not sure if these
production numbers are by body style but they very well might be. The
1928 and 1929 vehicles were considered as one set of production numbers
and they seem to have reverted back to number one with the introduction
of the 1930 vehicles. Two assembly plants (Louisville (LE), Kentucky and Los
Angeles/Long Beach (LA), California) affixed the month and year (4 31 to
indicate April 1931) to their assembly plant codes."

Pluck
 
I agree with the others. Your car was assembled in Seattle. Like Joe Way, I also have a '29 Tudor that was from Seattle, #AS8729. Even though it's a '29, it has a couple of '28 features, like the drum tail light and the round emblem in the center of the front bumper.
 
Michael in Sedona said:
I agree with the others. Your car was assembled in Seattle. Like Joe Way, I also have a '29 Tudor that was from Seattle, #AS8729. Even though it's a '29, it has a couple of '28 features, like the drum tail light and the round emblem in the center of the front bumper.
Click to expand...

Hmmm...mine must have been assembled just a few days earlier. AS8675.

It had an aftermarket taillight when I got it, but it did have a round emblem. I always figured it had been replaced, but maybe it was OE.

Joe
 
Thanks folks. I appreciate the help.
Anybody have an idea why my engine will turn 180 degrees and lock up? It has been suggested that it is a stuck valve or two. I have not taken off the side plate or head to look.
Thanks again.
joe
 
Sure sounds like a stuck valve to me. I would make a mix of acetone and ATF and put it on the valve head and stem and tappets, then let it soak for a few days. If you force it too much you run the risk of knocking teeth off the timing gear.

When did the engine last turn over OK?
 
Thanks. It seems to be the consensus that the prob is a stuck valve. I don't know when the car was last run, but guess it has been 3-4 years.
ATF. I have seen several references to ATF. What is it. I had planned on spraying marvel mystery oil in the chamber. I had used it and soaked my cylinders to get the engine "half way" unstuck. Un fortunately, it didn't get it entirely free.
Thanks again for the help and suggestions.
joe
 
Since the cam turns half speed of the crank I think it would turn more than 180 before it stuck if it was a valve ? Just my 2c
 
Michael in Sedona said:
I agree with the others. Your car was assembled in Seattle. Like Joe Way, I also have a '29 Tudor that was from Seattle, #AS8729. Even though it's a '29, it has a couple of '28 features, like the drum tail light and the round emblem in the center of the front bumper.
Click to expand...

That round Ford-Made in USA emblem was the best ever ona Model A. henry should have stayed with it.
 
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