Early or late 56 T bird?

[SuperDave]

I have a 56 bird in the shop for some cosmetics. I notice that NPD lists parts by "early or late". How do you determine that? By vin # ? which by the way is
M6FH285565.

[Sid]

Very late. You can tell what the build date is. on the second line on the vin tag you will see trim,color code and production code. at the beginning of production code there are 2 digits and a letter. A is January B is Feb and so on. Skip I though. The digits are day of month. I am thinking yours will be a J or a K. I think your car is close to the end of production for 56.

[Oldmics]

You must be working on the hardtop.

There are differences in the early/late hardtop assemblys.

The differences are in the configuration of the top to body mounting clamps. The portholes were a mid year introduction.

Your serial # indicates a 292 engine,for my own knowledge - is it a standard shift transmission?

Oldmics

[SuperDave]

It's a 292 three speed. no power anything. Fiesta Red.
Looking at NPD catalog, the clamps on the rear of the top (with port hole) are dog leg style. continental spare, Who knows what has been changed in the past...
4 CA L XC 4ECX403 Does this info match the vin tag info?

[Sid]

If I am reading this proper I think your car is May 04 1956 built in Chicago and was Peacock blue. Blue and white interior. 292 engine 202 HP 4 barrel carb. I hope I am correct on this....Sid

[dmsfrr]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Here's a link to decode '55/'57 Thunderbird data plates...

https://www.ctci.org/decoder.php

[paul2748]

No early TBirds were made in Chicago

Originally Posted by Sid

If I am reading this proper I think your car is May 04 1956 built in Chicago and was Peacock blue. Blue and white interior. 292 engine 202 HP 4 barrel carb. I hope I am correct on this....Sid

[fordrodsteven]

Here's your breakdown. 40A L XC 4 E CX 403.
40A is the body type - All 55 & 56 birds were 40A designation
L is the code for Peacock blue exterior
XC is the code for dark peacock blue & white interior
4 is the day of the month
E is the month (May)
CX is the sales / dealer code - means the car was sold in Chicago. (Note all birds were built in Dearborn, MI)
403 is the consecutive unit number for cars built that day. - Not just birds but all cars that went through the line on May 4th of 1956.

[Sid]

Originally Posted by paul2748

No early TBirds were made in Chicago

I never called this an early Bird. I would say it is slightly past mid year build.

[SuperDave]

Thanks guys. It's always fun to do the 'forensics" on cars I work on.
So if it is a mid year car it could have had a hard top with port hole and early hardware. It must have had a body off restoration at some time, because I have not found any trace of blue paint.

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by Oldmics

You must be working on the hardtop.
There are differences in the early/late hardtop assemblys.
The differences are in the configuration of the top to body mounting clamps. ...
Your serial # indicates a 292 engine...
Oldmics

Originally Posted by fordrodsteven

Here's your breakdown. 40A L XC 4 E CX 403.
40A is the body type - All 55 & 56 birds were 40A designation
L is the code for Peacock blue exterior
XC is the code for dark peacock blue & white interior
4 is the day of the month
E is the month (May)
CX is the sales / dealer code - means the car was sold in Chicago. (Note all birds were built in Dearborn, MI)
403 is the consecutive unit number for cars built that day. - Not just birds but all cars that went through the line on May 4th of 1956.

Looking in my CASCO 2017 catalog on pg 69 it shows diagrams of the differences in hardtop & soft-top parts and the date that divides the 'early' and 'late' versions is May 1, 1956. So the car you're working on falls into the 'late' category by only a couple days. That said, given the supply of new vs old parts on the assembly line, the number of years since then and what most anyone could have done with it in that time, it could still be original, or not.
.

[SuperDave]

I found the Peacock blue! I removed the horn ring to find out why it was blowing the horn on left turns and low and behold.. the wheel had been painted.

[paul2748]

In 56 Ford made a number of running changes during the production run, so it depends on just what item you are referring to. For instance, mid year ?? Ford went to a water cooled auto trans from an air cooled. Additionally, sometime during the year Ford went to different "C " heads, the early ones had a core plugs at the ends while the later ones had no core plugs.

[fordrodsteven]

I'm not sure if you are looking for information for the rear top clamps. If yes then maybe this will help;

[paul2748]

BY early Bird, I meant 55-57 (which is a name they use for the first generation Tbirds. And still, no early birds ( first generation) were made in Chicago.

Originally Posted by Sid

I never called this an early Bird. I would say it is slightly past mid year build.

[fordrodsteven]

I noticed you mentioned the dog leg clamps. According to the information that I find the dog leg style are pre- May 1, 1956. Maybe the top was one still hanging around when that car was assembled? Or the top was bought and installed later on? Anyway here's some more information for you.

[SuperDave]

Yep, The top has early clamps and late weather striping.. Probably parts accumulated fro other cars and sources.. As long as it works. it's not a show car.
Now to figure out how to lift it enough to change the weather striping..

[dmsfrr]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

Now to figure out how to lift it enough to change the weather striping..

It's a two person job to remove the top and put it somewhere.
Volunteer someone with good arms.