[yblock57]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

A look at earlier data plate configurations puts the production code in a category that may be pretty simple. The 985C may be the 985th car produced that day and C would be the grave yard shift. The C could definitely be something else but without a reference for the 1957 Ford full size passenger car line production code then anything is a guess.

Ford originally published this stuff in both chassis parts catalogs and body parts catalogs depending on the year of manufacture. The body parts catalog for a 1957 Ford would have been stand alone publication and the early edition may be the one needed. Most of these books were replaced by the later multi-year semi-inclusive catalogs that covered all Ford cars from 1949 through 1959 so a lot of information was considered redundant and was not always included.

Ford didn't put as much information down for the earlier cars and mid year changes make for some real head scratchers from one year to the next.

Thanks, Rotorwrench. Interesting stuff. Think I'll try posting this on 57fordsforever.com.