Re: Thief-proof (body dash) numbers
Posted by HH56 On 2013/2/1 13:23:44
Has anyone ever conclusively said how or when the numbers were created.
IIRC, there was a thread at one time speculating they were done when the firewalls were stamped and still flat before joining to the body. I seem to also remember a photo from somewhere showing a large "C" type device inserted thru the empty windshield opening. Looked like it was mashing the firewall between it's jaws. Was that gadget stamping the number on the line or maybe just crimping something.
If they numbered after the car was on the line maybe one of the machines broke down for a period. Rather than stop production they did without since it didn't seem to be a needed number. Doing it on the line might even explain some of the anomalies where numbers are way out of sequence -- if the ID numbers were added farther down. Seem to remember articles saying cars were taken off the line for various reasons. Maybe the sequence was messed up when they were put back on.
IIRC, there was a thread at one time speculating they were done when the firewalls were stamped and still flat before joining to the body. I seem to also remember a photo from somewhere showing a large "C" type device inserted thru the empty windshield opening. Looked like it was mashing the firewall between it's jaws. Was that gadget stamping the number on the line or maybe just crimping something.
If they numbered after the car was on the line maybe one of the machines broke down for a period. Rather than stop production they did without since it didn't seem to be a needed number. Doing it on the line might even explain some of the anomalies where numbers are way out of sequence -- if the ID numbers were added farther down. Seem to remember articles saying cars were taken off the line for various reasons. Maybe the sequence was messed up when they were put back on.
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