dated instrument clusters

[alvin stadel]

Yesterday I was looking for a speedometer head to have rebuilt so I dug out 3 instrument panels or clusters and layed them on my bench. 1 is marked June 56 and 1 is July 56 these also have crayon numbers written on them, also have a parts number stamped and a ks in a circle, the tops that would be under the dash are both painted. The thrid one has no numbers, or any id marks of any kind, why is this? As long as I'v been messing with 57 Fords I never payed much attention to this stuff until I got hooked up with you guys and read about ash trays, glove boxdoors ect. So now you have me wondering. Also when did they start making the parts for the upcoming year. Take care, Alvin.

[JimNolan]

Alvin,
   To make a long story short, months. It took months to assemble the parts for future production of the 57. Case in point, Glass. The first part of 09 when I had the frame-off restoration I decided I would replace my rear window with a new one. I had already replaced the front with a repop from Vic Philips Autoglass in Popular Bluff, Mo. ( Great Guy ) . I called Vic about the rear window and he said today is your lucky day. He said years ago he had a new rear window for a 63A and he misplaced it, moved to new location and yesterday he found it again. He said he had a bunch of calls for a rear window over the years but couldn't find it. He asked me what the date code was. I called him back and gave him the date. (To the best of my recollection it was March or April 1956). To mine and his surprise the new one he had was the same date. All my windows, except the windshield are dated the same. I may be wrong but I think glass is one of the earliest parts to be made for the 57 model year. Jim

[canadian_ranchero]

the one with no date may be a replacement one bought over the parts counter at ford