The serial numbers always begin at 100001 each model year at each separate assembly plant. The fourth item is always the letter "H", denoting the body style, i.e., Thunderbird. The third item is always the letter "F", indicating that the car (all two-passenger Thunderbirds) was assembled at the Dearborn (River Rouge) Plant. The second item is a numeral denoting the model year: 5 = 1955, 6 = 1956, 7 = 1957. The early style data plates were used however, character fonts and stampings on the plate differed greatly in appearance from the Dearborn produced Thunderbirds.Ī few invoices for the 1957 E models built late on the 1958 assembly line show no charge for E equipment. The data plates on these vehicles almost always contained the letters "MEX" in their VIN. It is estimated that a few hundred Thunderbirds were shipped to Mexico for final assembly in a Ford plant located in that country. The invoices for the D/F Phase One Thunderbirds show "SUPERCHARGED ENG STD TRAN $340.00" The VIN numbers of the D/F models are well documented by original invoices. These Thunderbirds have since been referred to as D/F models or Phase One supercharged models because the F model supercharged Thunderbirds were not available until June of 1957. The invoice release dates were January 29, 1957. The data plate date code on these models was stamped A25 (Jan. They were built to fulfill a requirement to have supercharged engines available to the public in order for this type of engine to be used at the 1957 NASCAR Speed Trials at Daytona Beach, FL. In January of 1957, 15 Thunderbirds were produced with supercharged engines. The first letter in the serial number denotes the engine size, as per the following chart. Small Data Plate was phased in during the week of April 15 to April 19, 1957. Large Data Plate used on all 1955/56 Thunderbirds and 1957 models until mid-April 1957. On the smaller data plates the transmission type and the rear axle ratio were shown following the date code. The small data plates starting in April 1957 did not show the destination code or scheduled Item number. The small data plate was used on 1957 models until the end of productions of the 1957 Thunderbirds, Dec. The large data plates were used on all 1955/56 Thunderbirds and 1957 models until mid-April. There were two basic styles used between 19 models. Patent data plates are located on the firewall of the engine compartment near the heater duct. Please take the time to relate this article to your own car so you may have the pleasure of discovering something new about something "old". It explains what the production code means, and probably in what area your car was first sold. It documents what engine and which colors were original for a specific car. This article provides a ready reference on all data important to the heritage of the classic Thunderbird. Photo Caption: Top- large Data Plate, Bottom- Small Data Plate.Ĭlicking on photo will enlarge it so you can read the text. Also, factory colors are a MUST for Original Class in Concours judging. Cars restored to original condition are generally worth more and will appeal to more prospective buyers when you decide to sell. If you are undecided on the color, or have a specific color in mind, remember that it is to your advantage to adhere to the factory body and interior colors when you restore. Whether you own or are looking for a classic Thunderbird, so long as you are planning to restore it you will most likely want to know how to tell what it was like when it was new. Revised and updated by George Barlow, Dave Tulowitzky, John Sailors, John Smith, Frank Stubbs and Gil Baumgartner (2010) It is one of the best explanations and descriptions on how to interpret the Data Plate information. The following article is reprinted from the July-August issue of the Early Bird.
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