Ignition coil date codes

[Randyh]

Does anyone know how to decipher the date codes used on the 50's yellow top coils?  I have seen originals that use a 4 number date code.  Originals that I have seen were 7362, and 9532,  I assume the first number is year but what do others mean?  The ink stamps that are used restoration of t-bird coils contains 7111. 

[John Palmer]

I worked on new Fords, at a Ford new car dealership in the 1960's, doing tune up and electrical work.  I can't say I ever saw a "date code" stamped on a yellow top coil at that time.  We basically had 6v, and 12v O.E. coils during the distributor "points days".  The yellow tops were considered a premium coil, until the MSD stuff started showing up much later. 

I'm sure you know how to decipher the Ford part number to determine the date, and base part number.  "B" was on fifty's parts. "C" part numbers began for 1960's etc.  The four digit base number (in the middle of the part number) was a generic part reference.  The part numbers were stamped, or printed on every part.

It was well into the seventies, before they cared about product recalls, and safety campaigns which made identification of the date of manufacture very important on parts and vehicles.  The 50's and 60's were like the wild, wild, west, compared to how they handle product safety issues today.

[Randyh]

Here is an example of a date code from an original coil, looking to determine how 7143 is deciphered so that I can determine what should be on my coil.  I have never seen anything other than 1,2,or 3 for last digits and I believe first digit is year, but the second and third digits don't follow any date code system that I have seen.

[Oldmics]

How bout March 14 1957

And the 2 and 3  last numerals of the sequence could be the month and the 36 and 53 in your examples could be the total days from Jan 1st.

So the 7362 could be Feb 5th 1957 and your 9532 could be Feb 22nd 1957 (although that day falls on Sunday) and I would not think production would be engauged on a Sunday.

Just a guess

Oldmics

[Randyh]

I have thought about some of those but get stuck on two digits months or three digits days.