Oldest 57 on Website

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   I'm sitting here wondering what to do next and I thought I'd see if you guys would co-operate with me and we'll see who's got the oldest and newest 57 Ford on the website by vin plate dates. Mine is 27J, that's the 27th day of Sept. 1956. I'm sure James and the website will donate two one week paid holidays to Las Vegas for the oldest and newest. Maybe I should talk to James about that first. Jim

[Lou]

In late 1956 Look or Life magazine did a story on a new 57 Ford (58B) being shipped to the American embassy in Moscow, I have the data plate information on that car. It's build date was 14J, has serial number 100001, at Marwar, NJ. I do not think this was the first car built as after the line is set up 10 of each model was built at a very slow pace to work out any problems in production, this would have taked place in late August or the first week of September.
As for the cars I've owned the oldest one was a 63B with a 25K build date , assembled at Somerville, MA.

[cool57]

Mine is sort of early, but I can't look at data plate until tomorrow...

[JimNolan]

Lou,
      While I've got you on the phone let me ask you a question. Did the San Jose assembly plant give a serial number of D7RV103794 to indicate it was the 3794th car to come off it's assembly line, while the Dallas assembley plant gave it's 3794th car off the assembly line serial number D7DV103784. If this is true, that would mean that two cars could theorically have the same build dates ( say 27J ) and the same consecutive number ( say 103794 ).
   Am I correct in assuming this is how the Vin number on 57 Fords are determined. Jim

[Lou]

D7DV103784 and D7RV103784 would be the 3784th car built in their respective plants, however Dallas had more production so the build date would not be the same. Another factor is when the order was received the build date was scheduled, this was dependent on if and when all the parts and accessories would be available to fill the order.

[RICH MUISE]

Lou: well here I am in a mass of confusion again. I thought I had my data plate all sorted out. I have the style of plate that is the second one shown on the www.1957ford.com website. It's the plate with the embossed edge and black paint coming inward around the rivet holes on the sides. Comparing my info with the one that is shown, in some places where the example is shown, they show letters where mine show numbers??? my serial number is A7RG-165806 and my production code is 3D730015D. I thought that gave me build info of april 3rd,1957 in San Jose. Am I correct? also on the 1957 ford website they title my data plate as the early style,but april wouldn't be an early build???

[geraldchainsaw]

ok,  i don't how to read the vin#,   heres mine,  C7MC-138635,    76B-GJ-AC-22B-852
D

[Lou]

Rich, in fact there are 3 styles of data plates used on 57 Fords, the background is what is different. (more patend numbers different placing of the Ford logo etc) some of this is due to different suppliers of the blank plates. It seems that all the plates started off the same at all plants but somewhere around the first week of April 1957 the plates were changed and depending on how many of the old style plates were still on hand as supplies of of the old style plates ran out the new one came on line. The new plates (which there are 2 styles) did away with the production code and substituted  a trans and axle code in it's place. It seems that San Jose didn't change over until about May 1. (Dallas changed  around April 1, Louisville didn't change until mid May) So yes you and anyone else with a production code has a early style data plate.

[Lou]

Gerald; C7MC-138635,    76B-GJ-AC-22B-852
C engine=292
7 year = 1957
M assy plant = Memphis
C base body style = Convertible
138635 unit number = 38635 1957 Ford car built at Memphis

76B Model = Fairlane 500 convertible
GJ paint = Cumberland Green & Willow Green
AC soft trim = White & green vinyl
22B build date = February 22, 1957
852 production code = This meant different things at different plants, I don't know it's meaning at Memphis

[geraldchainsaw]

1st, thanks to LOU for telling me when how etc the conv was built,   now for some comments,     i thought a 312 was standard for the conv???,   could this have been a special order since its orig motor was a 292???,  and does this because its not a orig motor change the value of the car??,  thanks     Jerry

[JimNolan]

Jerry,
   I can answer this one for you. The 312 was an option on all cars. You paid extra for it. I've seen convertables with 6 cylinders in them. I don't know the statistics but I'd bet most 57 Fords had something in them besides a 312.
   As to your car having a 312 engine in it you should know a few things already. 1. The car came with a 292 cu. in. engine. 2. The only way to know if it's a 312 engine is to pull the oil pan and see what's stamped on the bearing caps. Alot of people look at the transmission end of the crank for a dimple. But, it's been proven there's 312 cranks without that dimple. 3. The engine could have everything on it stamped ECZ and it could still be the 292 block it came with. Jim

[smurfee]

  HI GANG, can't read it but mine is  7MG180119, SMURFEE 

[Hoosier Hurricane]

Jim:

You are correct, my son's convertible is an A car.  Has a 390/4 speed now.   John

[JimNolan]

Guys,
   Thanks to Lou I've replaced some misconceptions about Vin numbers with facts now. Originally I thought my car was the 3794th 57 Ford made in that year. That not being the case the date of projected assembly ( 27J ) doesn't mean it was actually built that day. The information ( 103794 and 27J ) are just indications of build date.
   Another thing that I'd really like to know about my car is the emblem on the glove box. The Special Thunderbird emblem we know was put on the E and F code cars in 1957. I saw one of these emblems go on ebay for $600 dollars. I looked up the guy that won the bid, emailed him and asked why that emblem was so important to him. He was restoring a E code Ranchero and someone confiscated the emblem before he got the car. He told me I wouldn't see that emblem for sale for another 10 years.
   My car came with that emblem and it was a 312 with just a 4 barrel. I know the emblem came on the car because I was able to get in contact with every person that owned the car from 1970 until I purchased it. They all remember the emblem and the guy that had it in 1974 sent me the original owners manual to the car. He had liked the car so much he kept the owners manual and thought I should have it now. Some people have told me that the emblem was put on the first 1500 cars that came off the assembley line that had the 312, 4 barrel and dual exhaust.
   I know that the first printed brochure ( 8/56 ) titled " A new kind of Ford for '57 " had a picture of a blue dashboard on the back. That picture had a Special Thunderbird emblem on the glove box. I don't believe the first E or F code car came off any assembly line that early in production. All the brochures printed after 8/56 had the same blue dash without that emblem. That would tend to give credance to the 1500 theory but I met a guy at a car show with a high assembly number 57 that had the emblem and his car wasn't an E or F code. Soooo, I'd really like to know the history of the emblem. Jim

[dgasman]

The build date on my wagon is 14F built in Los Angeles Ca