The Ford Barn

Clem Clement · 02-24-2018, 06:18 PM

I understand that in 1940, Mercury serial numbers started with #99A-101,701 and ended with 99A-257,100. My 40 Merc’s serial number is 99A-173,164.

What month would my car have been made? The car is a 1940 Four-door Convertible sedan.)

rotorwrench · 02-25-2018, 12:43 PM

The number is a bit shy of half way through the production year (179401 would be half way). If this is an indicator then May or June of 1940 would be possible. Window bugs and engine date codes can help if there are any. Dates on those can be within a month on accuracy by date. I don't know if anyone has looked in the Benson Ford archives for this but it may be published in some book that has Mercury information in that time frame.

Hopefully someone can give you a better answer.

Clem Clement · 02-25-2018, 01:58 PM

I'll look at the bugs. I had not thunk of that

Clem Clement · 02-25-2018, 03:13 PM

bug sez circle:
safety
1 Ford 40
glass

As-f-s

Windshield sez the same but ws

What does it mean??

rotorwrench · 02-25-2018, 05:24 PM

Here is a good thread. Refer to posts numbers 9 & 10. It looks to be January 1940. The other group of letters may be glass type & placement but I don't know as much about the prewar stuff. It could just be a plant code and "Ford Safety Glass" code. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63301. At least it is consistant to the earlier 1940 time frame. They could be off by as much as 3-months and sometimes more depending on how good the sales were on the Mercury cars in that time frame.

PS: Just to add. Wheels were also dated but could easily have been replaced since the car was new.

Here is another bug thread but it can be confusing. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...0963&showall=1

Clem Clement · 02-26-2018, 08:52 AM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

All mine at Jan 1940 bugs. Car serial # is mid year. There is more to learn here.

AS: American Standard
F:Ford
S:Safety
WS: Windshield safety

JSeery · 02-26-2018, 09:02 AM

Glass and/or engines can set in storage for a period of time before they are used on the assembly line. Not sure it was always first in first out.

Anton Voycheck · 02-26-2018, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

The number is a bit shy of half way through the production year (179401 would be half way). If this is an indicator then May or June of 1940 would be possible. Window bugs and engine date codes can help if there are any. .

Don't forget that production year and calendar year are two different things. Mercury production for 1940 likely commenced in late 1939 -- Oct or Nov -- and likely ceased in Sept or October of 1940.

Clem Clement · 02-26-2018, 09:52 PM

Good thought. There has a to be an answer to this Q out there someplace. The fordor Convert was a poor seller, so maybe the stopped production early.

35fordtn · 02-27-2018, 08:56 AM

You will never know the exact month or day that you car rolled off the assembly line. With some research at the BFRC you can determine the exact day your engine was produced.

rockfla · 02-27-2018, 02:22 PM

@Clem
First, what body number is your 40 Convertible Sedan? Second our 39 Mercury was an early October of 38 car, the glass is "bugged" 8-38 and it is equipped with FORD/MERCURY hub caps (which only ran for three weeks) and other "early" pieces for 39 Merc's SO......IF production stayed on the same track....I would guess that the 40's started in MID/LATE September of 38???

rotorwrench · 02-27-2018, 06:54 PM

The 1939 Mercury was all new so there was no need for retooling. Ford likely started tooling for it a lot earlier than they did the new 1939 Fords (Deluxe anyway). The 1940 models likely had to go through some retooling which may have held back job 1 to a later date. Ford liked to intro stuff in November or December back in those days. It's not like they do now. They have new ones coming off the line in August or September in the modern era.

02-24-2018, 06:18 PM	#1
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Mercury Production serial numbers by the month I understand that in 1940, Mercury serial numbers started with #99A-101,701 and ended with 99A-257,100. My 40 Merc’s serial number is 99A-173,164. What month would my car have been made? The car is a 1940 Four-door Convertible sedan.)

02-25-2018, 12:43 PM	#2
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,425	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month The number is a bit shy of half way through the production year (179401 would be half way). If this is an indicator then May or June of 1940 would be possible. Window bugs and engine date codes can help if there are any. Dates on those can be within a month on accuracy by date. I don't know if anyone has looked in the Benson Ford archives for this but it may be published in some book that has Mercury information in that time frame. Hopefully someone can give you a better answer.

02-25-2018, 01:58 PM	#3
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month I'll look at the bugs. I had not thunk of that

02-25-2018, 03:13 PM	#4
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month bug sez circle: safety 1 Ford 40 glass As-f-s Windshield sez the same but ws What does it mean??

02-25-2018, 05:24 PM	#5
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,425	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month Here is a good thread. Refer to posts numbers 9 & 10. It looks to be January 1940. The other group of letters may be glass type & placement but I don't know as much about the prewar stuff. It could just be a plant code and "Ford Safety Glass" code. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63301. At least it is consistant to the earlier 1940 time frame. They could be off by as much as 3-months and sometimes more depending on how good the sales were on the Mercury cars in that time frame. PS: Just to add. Wheels were also dated but could easily have been replaced since the car was new. Here is another bug thread but it can be confusing. https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...0963&showall=1 Last edited by rotorwrench; 02-25-2018 at 05:43 PM.

02-26-2018, 08:52 AM	#6
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) All mine at Jan 1940 bugs. Car serial # is mid year. There is more to learn here. AS: American Standard F:Ford S:Safety WS: Windshield safety

02-26-2018, 09:02 AM	#7
JSeery Member Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 16,132	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month Glass and/or engines can set in storage for a period of time before they are used on the assembly line. Not sure it was always first in first out.

02-26-2018, 09:52 PM	#9
Clem Clement Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 3,393	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month Good thought. There has a to be an answer to this Q out there someplace. The fordor Convert was a poor seller, so maybe the stopped production early.

02-27-2018, 08:56 AM	#10
35fordtn Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: McMinnville, TN Posts: 2,327	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month You will never know the exact month or day that you car rolled off the assembly line. With some research at the BFRC you can determine the exact day your engine was produced.

02-27-2018, 02:22 PM	#11
rockfla Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Jacksonville FL Posts: 3,946	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month @Clem First, what body number is your 40 Convertible Sedan? Second our 39 Mercury was an early October of 38 car, the glass is "bugged" 8-38 and it is equipped with FORD/MERCURY hub caps (which only ran for three weeks) and other "early" pieces for 39 Merc's SO......IF production stayed on the same track....I would guess that the 40's started in MID/LATE September of 38???

02-27-2018, 06:54 PM	#12
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,425	Re: Mercury Production serial numbers by the month The 1939 Mercury was all new so there was no need for retooling. Ford likely started tooling for it a lot earlier than they did the new 1939 Fords (Deluxe anyway). The 1940 models likely had to go through some retooling which may have held back job 1 to a later date. Ford liked to intro stuff in November or December back in those days. It's not like they do now. They have new ones coming off the line in August or September in the modern era.