Date Codes

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks....I'll scan and post them when I get them.

[57AGIN]

Jim:

I researched the date code on my 57 and found it was made on September 27, 1957 and was number 247 from the actual end of the production run of 57's at the Terminal Island plant in San Pedro/Long Beach.  No wonder all my major structural welds were blow throughs on the motor mounts, transmission mounts and upper rear shock mounts.  Must have been lots of celebrating going on.  Every one of my welds on those pieces was bad and I've had all of them redone.

Bob
57 AGIN

[JimNolan]

Jim:

I researched the date code on my 57 and found it was made on September 27, 1957 and was number 247 from the actual end of the production run of 57's at the Terminal Island plant in San Pedro/Long Beach.  No wonder all my major structural welds were blow throughs on the motor mounts, transmission mounts and upper rear shock mounts.  Must have been lots of celebrating going on.  Every one of my welds on those pieces was bad and I've had all of them redone.

Bob
57 AGIN

That's exactly a year from the day that mine was assembled. Sorry to hear someone hit your car. They probably didn't have insurance anyway.

[gasman826]

Welder trainees started on the frame line.

[rmk57]

Mine has the same poor welding, blown through and not welded in places, although mine was built on Feb 20th, in the San Jose plant, 862nd car scheduled to be built that day. Quality wasn't exactly job 1 back then was it.

Randy

[hiball3985]

My Ranchero frame has nice welds. I wonder if the Ranchero/wagon frames were built on a different line. It just may have been a different shift or employee also.

[Ford Blue blood]

My San Diago built early Ranchero has great welds as well....

[57AGIN]

Wow, that is fascinating about the different models having better welds.  Gasman, I have to believe you are correct about trainees doing the frame welding.  The welds were fine for the 6 cyl. my car was made with, but with close to 500 hp now I feel better having redone all of them.

Bob
57 AGIN

[electricalan]

Ya got me wondering so I went out and did an inspection of my Ranchero welds.They look real good.I never heard anything about bad factory welds on these cars before.

[gasman826]

That old stick welder you have in the back corner of the garage was new technology in '57.  Ford had just started welding frames.  Earlier frames were riveted.  I don't know if '57 was the first year but one of the early years for welded box frames.  Boxed frames are part of the overall design to get the '57 lower and better handling.  If you look closely at the box frame welds, the weld is not constant...it is skipped.  This allows the box frame to flex and twist for ride quality.  I locked my frame to a frame table, pulled it to spec and welded it end to end top and bottom.  I wonder it the Ranchero and wagon frames were considered heavy duty and therefore welded better and more complete for a stronger and stiffer frame.  Anyway, it needs to be considered with higher horse power applications.

[Frankenstein57]

The AO Smith plant in Milwaukee provided complete car frames to manufacturers for many years. Not sure which of the big three were built there, you always saw semi trailers with frames stacked high pulling out of town. The switch to unibody construction kind of spelled the end for those jobs. I once new a dirt tracker who acquired a brand new frame somehow for his 67 chevelle.

[Ford Blue blood]

My uncle Art Abraham worked for AO Smith after dropping out of school until his retirement in 76.  They made frames for everything that rolled during the 40s until when he retired.  When he retired they were doing pretty much heavy truck stuff and a few government jobs.

[57 Ford Kustom]

well, with all this date code talk I had to check mine out last week. As it turns out, my 57' is 57 years old today! It was born on 5 April 1957!
Tim

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks....I'll scan and post them when I get them.

Jay..got them in the mail today. I'll get them scanned and posted as soon as I have a chance. Thanks!

[Ecode70D]

OK Rich
    Thanks for letting me know that they arrived.
     I'm pretty sure that they are going to keep you busy for a while. 
Have Fun Jay