1935 Roadster production order

[SUHRsc]

I have a '35 roadster that the VIN number appears like it would be a December '34 produced car.(I know that is not a tell tale sign) The back of the gauges are marked to have been produced in December '34 also. The body tag is in the mid 2000's so about half way through all '35 Roadster production. The number on the transmission matches the VIN so that all makes sense to have always been together.

My question is in the fact that my doors have the inside handles in the later position. Not all the way at the front.

The car appears to have been originally black, then Green and then the final color it is now which is similar to Tacoma Cream (not correct)

The doors have the same layers of paint as the body.

The car is in very good condition so I have no real reason to believe it to have been pieced together from a pile of various parts.

Were all of the Roadsters produced fairly early? So the inside door handle change would have possibly happened sooner then on the closed cars?

There is no X on the cowl side.

It's not that important really as I don't intend on restoring the car and having it judged. I am just interested in knowing the details.

Thanks for any input.
Zach


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[Vic Piano]

I can't help you with any of the ID's but, she sure is a beauty!

[adileo]

Originally Posted by vic piano

i can't help you with any of the id's but, she sure is a beauty!

x2:d

[35fordtn]

Zach,
Maybe see if it has some Early features such as the lower grille pan, ignition switch lever, lower radiator pan, and such. Great looking car. Hopefully Don Rogers will chime in.

[rockfla]

MIke
Wouldn't the inner front fender aprons be different too? Louvered or not?? in conjunction with the lower radiator apron/crank hole detail???

[Terry,OH]

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Is the body tag original to the firewall? Does the tag have the 710 model? If not, the tag or the entire firewall may have been replaced. It is possible the entire body was changed to an earlier frame. Does the frame have the early style body mounts on the side of the frame rails or the early style radiator mounts? There is also the possibility the frame number was changed.

[Don Rogers]

Zach, The difference between your body plate number sequence (April/May 1935) and engine number sequence (Dec 1934) is puzzling. While not impossible, it doesn't seem like the chassis/engine and body go together. Murray Corp produced Roadster bodies for Ford in 1935. By the end of April,1935, they had made 2413 bodies for Ford domestically and by the end of May an additional 550. Your inner door handle location seems consistent with an April/May production date.

Can you do further research on your vehicle? Here are some items to check out.
--Do you have original glass...look for date on glass
--Is your ignition lever a bulls eye or tear dropped (Feb 35 change over)
--Do you have a metal floor board on the driver's side?.....Changed to wood March 1935
Let us know what you find.
Don Rogers

[SUHRsc]

Thanks everyone. I do not have the original glass. The switch is bullseye. Drivers floorboard is metal. Gauge is stamped B12. Late grill splash pan that looks like it may have been replaced. Early radiator shield with no hole. Long fender braces. Has small tank radiator in the car that looks perfect. I would guess replaced. Engine is an LB which I guess was replaced. But has '34 style intake.

[SUHRsc]

Body number looks original but I misquoted as mid 2000s. It is 7I0 2033. The 1 is a capitol letter i.appears to have been painted around each time.

[SUHRsc]

Also non louvered inner fenders.

[SUHRsc]

Early style frame body mounts and single radiator mount. Trying to post from my phone. Sorry for multiple posts to get this all down.

[35fordtn]

Not to hijack the thread, but Don do you have any evidence of Early 35 Transmission cases not having the grease fittings for the clutch release shaft?

[JM 35 Sedan]

Zach, you or someone else may have already covered this, but do the frame numbers near the steering box match exactly with the numbers stamped at top of transmission bell?
Is it possible that some of the serial numbers are weak strikes of some numbers that may look very much like other numbers? For example a 7 could look like a 1, an 8 could look like a 3 or vise versa. Last week we had an 8 that was mistaken for a 5. I know this is elementary, but maybe some additional cleaning of the numbers without removing any steel material, and maybe even a lead pencil on paper rubbing of the numbers, might be worth doing as a double check.
Also, you probably already know that some very early '35 intake manifolds look very similar to the 34, except the hole in the rear of the intake, where the fuel pump stand bolts on, would be round for the early 35's, but diamond shaped for the 34's. Just some random thoughts.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Not to hijack the thread, but Don do you have any evidence of Early 35 Transmission cases not having the grease fittings for the clutch release shaft?

Along that same line of thought, I wonder if any 34 transmissions, with 40-×××× cases were carried over into the first builds of 35's and used up instead of using the 48-xxxx cases with the deeper integral clutch bell housing. I can't imagine FoMoCo trashing good '34 transmissions or their cases if a lot of 34 stock existed when the 34's stopped and the 35's began.

[SUHRsc]

Maybe this is my problem John, I am basing this on the title and transmission number. The frame has a good layer of paint on it and it almost appears original so I didn't want to dig into that to read the number clearly.

[JSeery]

That's interesting, most states (maybe only some, I really don't know) require you to use the frame number to title a car. A transmission is easily changed, you could change a frame, but then the title goes with the frame. Just rambling on, but in my state you would have to know the frame number.

[Don Rogers]

35Fordtn Mike, All 18-7005 cases that I have seen had no grease fittings. Like wise, all 48-7005 cases have had grease fittings.

[Don Rogers]

Jim 35 Sedan, 1934 transmission cases (18-7005) were used in early 35 Fords until February 1935.

[Don Rogers]

SUHRsc, It would be great if you could get a photo of the Body plate and the serial number in the frame next to the steering box.

[35fordtn]

Don, my reasoning for asking is I have a 48 case # 18-1397836 that has no grease fittings the case part # is 48-7006-EX I am guessing some early 48 cases may not have had grease fittings.

Zach, I have had luck using a small amount of aircraft remover on the serial number portion of the frame. I brushed a small amount on let it sit and wiped it off. It removed the paint on the frame but left the paint in the numbers making it very legible.