markings in grease pencil on frame

They are asembly line numbers that pair that side of the car up with the fenders as the car went down the line.

From your description it looks like your missing a couple of numbers and the typical dash between the sets. As it has been explained the numbers identified the hook where the matching fenders were hanging for that particular car (a San Jose thing in 64-6)

This was a revolving set of hooks so you will see the pattern and the numbers repeat themselves if you saw enough examples

Bob,

In your area of CA you will likely find some large salvage yards with Mustang remnants and they are a great reference. Jeff has documented these for years in wrecking yards for years and got me got hooked on it; there is a lot to learn from the unrestored cars you find there. Here are some reference pics from a 10/64 SJ coupe that show what we're talking about. The one picture with the "X" shows the typical mark applied to indicate that the steering box was torqued. The gray around the marks is dried sound deadener that has discolored with age.

If you are fortunate enough to have the marks on your car then be sure to carefully document each one and preserve them. If you ever restore the car or strip the paint you can replicate them authentically.

[Blocked Image: http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/8975/dsc5029wj3.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/6436/dsc5036vz6.jpg]

[Blocked Image: http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/3440/dsc5039lo6.jpg]

This is a "California Guys" thread for sure. You guys have that sort of preservation on junk yard cars?? Us guys in New England usually don't even have that kind of preservation on garage kept cars.

You guys are spoiled rotten. - j/k

Edited by - toolbox on 09/23/2007 07:36:44

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

This is a "California Guys" thread for sure...

You guys are spoiled rotten. - j/k

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana" size=2 id=quote>

Good observation, Karl...There used to be plenty of 60's cars in Eastern junkyards, but relatively few remain at this point in time. When they were commonplace, nobody was interested in studying the cars for production line markings. Most of the cars were salvaged for parts, and then crushed decades ago...As time passed, a lot of yards were shut down when the environmental movement, strict EPA regulations, and local zoning restrictions tightened things up a lot, making it difficult to keep a "traditional" salvage yard business alive.

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=1 face="Verdana" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>

............... i even found a very large letter "Z" and a couple of other stray markings on the outside of the core support on the driver side, right below the hood bumper, anyone ever seen something like that?

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana" size=2 id=quote>

Thought this is not typical (when compared to Dearborn early cars - yes we have decent preserved versions of those too you can find (sometimes) the exterior and interior codes in the location you described. These were under the black paint so seeing them on a restored car over the black paint could lead to a deduction

Also keep your eyes out for the typical "D" in one of three or four typical locations depending on what shift assembled the car.

As for the "X" - ONLY!!! on the 65-67 San Jose cars on the DRIVERS SIDE ONLY. Don't copy what others are doing as people are starting to loss points for badly done or just bad marks at shows and the learnign curve catches up

Enough gloating .....<img src=images/icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>

Weather has turned cool so off the the yards again tomorrow. Should be a good day normally get 300 plus pictures on a slow day.

Edited by - J_Speegle on 09/23/2007 20:49:59