Dates for ar

[Dick M]

What are the start and end production dates for the 1928 "AR" Model A?

[Jim Mason]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ghdhy5UUIfc

[Mike Peters]

Jim: Thanks for posting the very interesting video explaining how the "AR" parts prefixes originated. If I got this right, when any Model A part that was superseded with a new and improved part, the old part was given the part number suffix "AR" in front of the original part number. Correct?
Therefore, any part that was superseded with a new part could have the "AR" prefix all the way to the end of 1929.
Also, calling any early Model A an "AR" is technically meaningless.

I never knew this and appreciate the information.

[rotorwrench]

A lot of speculation on this. Even the real early cars were constantly having updated on the fly. I'm not sure what major update would give a final designation.

Ford would start with a basic part number as a general rule with no indication of an engineering change suffix. After the first major engineering change was made and approved a suffix of A would be added. Follow on changes would add B or C, etc. to designate the changes. Early in model A production, they seemed to want 1st part use to be re-designated with the AR suffix instead of just leaving off the suffix. This seems to indicate an "original release" designation for that engineering design. Ford did this for a while but finally dropped the practice in the early 30s since it tended to add confusion to part numbers. I think they were trying to aid in supply of spare parts for cars that had the early part designs installed. Ford finally started coming up with ways to change the early part assembly to the late part assembly in the publication of service bulletins. This way they could drop the early part numbers altogether.

[Dick M]

Jim,
Thank you so much for your responsive video. I will never again just associate early Model A's with the term "AR". I was amazed to find that parts numbered with the AR were seen well into 1929. I really learned something new today.

[Jim Mason]

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Part number

1234
Engineering change
Old part number changed 1234 -A
New part 1234-B
If old part was kept for repairs old part number 1234-AR
If not needed for repairs part 1234-A obsoleted



Engineering change
New part number 1234-C
Old part became 1234-BR if needed for repairs otherwise 1234-B obsoleted.

[Jim Mason]

Example from 12-1-1929 parts book

[KR500]

Thanks all for clarifying this issue

[Bob Bidonde]

This slide explains "AR":

[WTSHNN]

I find discussions about "AR" more enjoyable if you read the term like a pirate would pronounce it.

-Tim