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.

[Don Rogers]

35fordtn, Mike, It sounds like you have an experimental 48-7006 case. Ford may have been trying out the new design(minus grease fittings) before going into full production in February

[SUHRsc]

Here is the body tag and the area of the frame with the VIN.

I'd prefer to not strip the paint on the frame right now... so I guess that shuts down this discussion until I do so.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

[DavidG]

Michael/Don,

The transmission case in my January, 1935 engine build date phaeton does not have grease fittings and I do not recall it having an EX along with the rest of the 48-prefix part number. The case is original to the car judging from the VIN. It's a pretty low mileage car and I'm the second owner.

[Don Rogers]

It sounds like the grease fittings did not come out with the introduction of the 48 case. My stash of transmission cases have them. They must have been a running change.

Live and Learn

[DavidG]

Please excuse the additional detour.

Don,

Speaking of grease fittings, was their addition to the brake cross shaft a running change or a service part only phenomenon post '36?

[Don Rogers]

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Dave, I believe that it was a post 36 service part addition.

[JM 35 Sedan]

I have a pile of '35-'36 cross shafts that I have collected over the years, and none of them have, or ever had grease fittings except for those I personally rebuilt for my own cars. I used bronze bushings that came standard from the bearing manufacturer with the exact ID for the shaft and OD to fit the mounting bracket with a very slight press fit. Also had to make new shafts for these rebuilds, but I think the end product will work better and last a lot longer than the originals that had some type of woven fiber material surrounded by a formed sheetmetal can that Ford used for bearings.

[Terry,OH]

Mike: I believe the EX suffix in the part number, is for Export. From the export parts I have seen they can have some very unusual features. For example: 1940 Ford headlight buckets with Ford (embossed in the glass lens) original headlights. The headlight bulbs are held together with clips to make them take apart so the light bulb inside could be replaced. A 35 restorer told me he had seen some early 35 transmissions with the throw out bearing lube cup.
SUHRsc: On your body tag, the 7I0 is a stylized 710, the Ford, body, model number for a Roadster. Your tag does appear to be original to the body, the tag is not a reproduction. The early body mounts would appear to be early March or before frame.

[35fordtn]

Terry,
I was of the thought that export cars had a letter at the begining of the Vin? Not disputing, only trying to learn.. I was under the assumption as well that EX in a part number was a experimental part. I have some Aluminum heads and water pumps of different designs from that of normal production parts that have EX behind the part# as well.

[35fordtn]

Sorry Zach, we have done a fabulous job at Hijacking your thread!

[DavidG]

Terry,

Nope. Exported LHD parts were the same as used domestically. An F as the last figure in a engine/transmission number prefix designated it for use in RHD vehicles, whether they were assembled in the U.S. or abroad.

Consistent with this is the transmission case that I refer to above. It is from a U.S.-manufactured vehicle assembled abroad (and there's no EX marking on any part of the car).

[DavidG]

Michael,

It's an "F" and it's the last figure of the prefix. Nothing in the way of part number prefixes or engine number prefixes distinguishes a LHD vehicle produced for domestic sale from one produced for export (except where the lighting or brake system requirements of the destination country differ from those of the country where the vehicle is manufactured).

[SUHRsc]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Sorry Zach, we have done a fabulous job at Hijacking your thread!

It's still interesting information!

[DavidG]

My apologies too! But I've just edited my two most recent posts to correct a silly error on my part.

The use of an F in a prefix is not only confined to RHD engine/transmission numbers. There are numerous examples of LHD parts with an F in the prefix and not just outside of North America. Both the early '32 four-cylinder starter switch and the right side tail lamp bracket had part number prefixes of BF, for example. Further, of the six different brake systems used on '32 passenger cars and commercial vehicles worldwide, five all had varying degrees of parts with BF part number prefixes and two of those five systems were for LHD vehicles. It is highly likely that a similar use of the F designation in LHD part number prefixes continued on for years.

My apologies for the confusion.

[philippe]

hello

i'm french from lyon,
i have a total original 35 roadster,
i can see on my car that you are looking for,
my heads are very old and one is repair from a long time,
do you know where can i find new one ?
philippe

[SUHRsc]

This is the transmission case number with the December 34 VIN on the top that is in my car.

[SUHRsc]

More details : 1 piece center floorboard. Inspection plate with hole for grease cup.

[JM 35 Sedan]

Originally Posted by philippe

hello

i'm french from lyon,
i have a total original 35 roadster,
i can see on my car that you are looking for,
my heads are very old and one is repair from a long time,
do you know where can i find new one ?
philippe

Hello Philippe, are the heads on your 35 roadster made of aluminum or cast iron?