'Sorry...'Still need a photo of the 1929 MURRAY...

[Marshall V. Daut]

....Fordor/Town Sedan firewall where the data plates are located. I know where the four-hole Ford data plate goes, but the two holes for the Murray body number plate had been filled in and painted over before I got the car. 'Can't tell from inside the firewall, either. The plate either had to be located above the larger Ford data plate in the upper 1/3 firewall, or next to the sediment bulb in the middle 1/3 firewall (1929 Murray firewalls were in three parts bolted together). Both places seem logical for this small company plate.
I have looked through the usual Model A picture books, as well as back issues of the Town Sedan Club newsletter. Maybe I missed a few issues, but oddly no sources show that portion of the firewall where the two plates are located. Could someone please post a photo (or send it to me privately as an attachment) of that portion of the firewall if the Murray plate is still present? I need to see the spacing from and relationship to the Ford data plate, so the whole firewall does not need to be shown. I only want to drill the holes once in the new paint job and in the right place.
Thanks in advance.
Marshall

[Del in NE Ohio]

My 1929 Murray 155-A had the Murray body number tag on the passenger front sub rail, just outward from the floor board.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Meaning, NOT also on the firewall? I found an old issue of the Town Sedan Club newsletter that does show a photo of the Murray plate on the wooden floor sill. But I thought there was also one on the firewall, too, as seen on '30-31 Fordors. Maybe I should just settle for placing the new plate on the wooden sill?
Marshall
By the way, vendors offer the Murray body plate with split rivets, which also led me to believe the plate was to be placed on the firewall. Otherwise, I should think nails would be included if the plate were to be only affixed to the wooden subrail.

[Randy in ca]

Originally Posted by Del in NE Ohio

My 1929 Murray 155-A had the Murray body number tag on the passenger front sub rail, just outward from the floor board.

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This one is the same:

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[Marshall V. Daut]

Yup. Thank you, Randy. That's the same location as shown in the old Town Sedan Club newsletter I found. What confuses me about the body tag placement, however, is that a 1929 Station Wagon firewall shows this plate on the firewall, as "redmodelt" posted in a different, albeit related, thread: https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=335012. Admittedly, not a Fordor/Town Sedan body and the Station Wagon's firewall is more of the conventional two-piece construction as opposed to the three-tier Fordor/Town Sedan (and 1929 Cabriolet/Town CAR) firewall, but it's a Murray body, too. Why would a body-building company only place its tag on a Station Wagon firewall in 1929, but not on a Fordor/Town Sedan firewall? Both are wooden-structured bodies. I am SOOOOOOOOOO confused! A photo of an original, unrestored Murray Fordor/Town Sedan firewall would be very helpful. Surely, one of our readers owns such a car???
Marshall

[Don Turley]

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Marshall, I did a survey several years ago, asking owners of Murray Town Sedans to tell me the location of the body number data plate. Results of the survey was that the plate was attached to the body sill wood near the front passenger side door in 1929 and for the first two to three months of 1930. After that, in 1930 and 1931, it was attached to the firewall.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Great! Thanks, Don. Terrific, authoritative research information. Added to what you have written, I have received other such helpful inputs and will go with the flow and place the new body tag on the wooden sill, where it apparently was originally located. I have photos to guide me where to put the plate, now that I am sure they are correct. Too bad I laid out so much money for the tag, shipping, driving all over the Quad Cities on three days to various OUT OF BUSINESS trophy shops, and the cost of engraving (the trophy shop wouldn't stamp it, but it looks beautiful!), only to have it covered up by the front carpet! Rats! It'd look better on the firewall! Oh, well. If that's how Henry did it in 1929, that's good enough for me in 2024. Now, where did I put those little nails???
Thanks, everyone, for your help. Mystery solved for me and hopefully for other 1929 Fordor/Town Sedan/Cabriolet owners in my position.
Marshall

[Bob Bidonde]

Out of curiosity and to help Marshall, I searched all over the internet for a picture of the 155-A body number plate, but with no luck. Randy, I cannot read the plate in your photo. So can someone post a readable picture of the 155-A Body Number Plate?

[Marshall V. Daut]

Yes, Bob. I blazed that trail, too, before posting my question here. I was surprised that nothing was available on-line or even in authoritative standard Model A books that could answer my question. I did find one photo in a back issue of the Town Sedan Club newsletter that showed the plate mounted on a wooden sill. But that didn't really answer my question whether there was ALSO one on the firewall, as I had seen many times on '30-31 firewalls. I think, however, that enough reliable support has come my way to convince me that the Murray body tag belongs on the right side wooden body sill. Nothing on the '29 firewall. So, that's where she's going - nailed to the wooden sill!
Marshall

[Randy in ca]

Here's a picture of the plate on an unrestored 1929 Standard Fordor:

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and one of an example of the available repros:

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