Posted By |
Discussion Topic:
Serial numbers and car codes
-- page:
1
2
|
|
ford38v8 |
11-27-2024 @ 6:54 PM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 2852
Joined: Oct 2009
|
Tom, why on the transmission?… I think your reasoning is good (replacement), but the other way around. Transmissions commonly lasted far longer than engines, even today you’ll see original transmissions in cars that have had multiple engine transplants. And about owners manuals with mistakes, those manuals had to be composed, printed, and distributed to dealerships before the first car came off the line. There are numerous examples of hurried literature having mistakes.
Alan
|
TomC750 |
11-27-2024 @ 7:06 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Nov 2024
|
I guess I think transmissions, as I broke the one in my original'41 and my brother broke the one in his '48. Gee, I wonder if it had anything to do with our driving style? As far as the engines go, you could eventually wear one out, but as long as you kept oil and water in one, they were impossible to blow up. Thanks Alan. TomE
|
TomC750 |
11-29-2024 @ 1:48 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Nov 2024
|
Well, sure enough, my ser# was on the transmission, and it matches the # on the frame and the title. That still does not determine if my engine is original, but at this point I'll assume so, for one thing, the brake drums are like new and so much of the car seems not to be high mileage. TomE
|
TomO |
12-05-2024 @ 4:40 PM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 7339
Joined: Oct 2009
|
My understanding of why the serial number was stamped on the transmission and not the block is that Ford had an engine exchange program and the serial number would stay with the car. If your Ford V-8 needed to be rebuilt, Ford would exchange your engine with a rebuilt engine, resulting in much less down time.
Tom
|
TomC750 |
12-05-2024 @ 6:22 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 37
Joined: Nov 2024
|
TomO, Makes perfect sense. Thanks. TomE
|
sq1954 |
06-12-2025 @ 9:00 AM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Jan 2017
|
Looking at my 41 Mercury registry your serial would be about May or June of 41. Check your glass bugs to see when it was made if it has the original glass in it.
|
sq1954 |
06-26-2025 @ 10:21 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Jan 2017
|
The engine color is not correct. The 1941 Mercury still used the engine color in green then changed to blur in 1942. I have verified that by two low milage all original 1941 Mercurys with 30k miles on them. One built in October of 1940 the other one built in August of 1941. Both of them had engine and transmissions painted green.
|
sq1954 |
06-26-2025 @ 10:30 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Jan 2017
|
All the 41 Mercurys had the raised deck for the intake manifold. No 99A stamping. They also had raised flanges for the exhaust manifold. 41 Mercury lefthand exhaust manifold was 41 Mercury only.
|
sq1954 |
06-26-2025 @ 10:36 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Jan 2017
|
I have a 39-40 Mercury block with the milled top of the block and 99A stamped on it. It does does not have sleeves.
|
sq1954 |
06-26-2025 @ 10:44 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Jan 2017
|
They stamped the number on the frame and again on the top of the bell housing. Ford quit stamping the number on the bell housing in 47 or 48. If someone has changed out the transmission then you may not have matching numbers with the frame number.
|