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Howard,

Interesting. But that is what I was expecting. I think all the offsets may be close, but only the same when compared to the exact same body style number. We just need to compared the offset between a few cars of the same body style number and year to know if my theory is correct.

Howard,

i just noticed that you have the same body style as JW. 2122. So there is a range between 422-447 in that particular body style.

Could this be because of out of sequence production, or some other annomily?

Here's another you can add:

1941 180 Limo:
Body Dash: <570569> (the zero looks like a square).
Body/Serial: I450-2105
Date of delivery: 2-22-41
Place of delivery: Louisville, KY.

Engine # not relevant (believe it's out of a '48 Custom).

I'll get the info from the '50 when it gets back from the shop.

A good question that unless someone who was actually there knows & speaks up, don't think we ever will for sure. I think my theory of last in, first out for the dash stamping is also good for this as well--and there may have been the 400-500 range come into play--no idea how many bodies Briggs would have built.

I don't believe I have ever read they had "just in time" mfg, so my feeling is they probably built a bunch of 4 door bodies, stored a row of them, put another row in front and so on, and then went on to build a different model and stored those. Depending on how Briggs delivered would also come into play. At any rate, production came in, grabbed the first that would fit the order they were building off the front row, assigned the final number and built the finished car. Depending on how many bodies they built, could see quite a numerical difference that way.

Those of u with missing or questionable VN's can take a good strong light soucr and inspect the firewall for the last 4 digits of the VN. For example:56xx-1234 would have 1234 painted onto the firwall BEFORE the final color was added.

The numbers will appear about 5 inches tall and about 3/8 inch wide, On a 45 degree angle tangent to the 10:00 o'clock position of the left fresh air vent of the firewall under the hood.

The numbers are visible on my very original and early 5672 BUT IT REQUIRES GOOD LITE AT JUST THE RITE angle to reveal them. My junk late 5672 the numbers are CONSPICUOUS due to the extreme weathering that the car has been subject too. I posted pics of the late 5672 firewall several months ago or maybe late last year.

It believe a reasonable person mite consider that this was factory routine procedure most likely thru out all of the Reinhart body styles and maybe even way back into the late 30's.


--=*=-- Supposedly, the VN is stamped on the FRAME under the RIGHT body pillar but i have never looked for mine.
--=*=--

--=*=-- Supposedly, the VN is stamped on the FRAME under the RIGHT body pillar but i have never looked for mine.
--=*=--

Can't say whether this is true or not, but during the Classic era of the mid-30s and back, the frames and steering gear boxes and their own serial numbers in addition to the VN, the BDN, and the engine number. For example my 34 Eight (1100) has engine# 375137, frame # 375217, and steering gear # 375627. The frame # is on the left side in the proximity of the trunnion block.

Back to BDNs for a moment, I just saw a fellow over on AACA looking to find his Clipper which was apparently stolen. He has the VN, but with ready available of blank VN plates that could be of dubious value. So I repeat advice I gave years back, when you have your car appraised for insurance purposes, have the appraiser include the BDN on the document. Or at the least, record it somewhere

Quote:

Keith, I did not see those "painted" numbers on '54 and went over every inch of the firewall. But those numbers you speak of can be seen in a few pictures of the 55's coming down the assembly line at the Conner plant in the Kimes book.

I have not seen any picture of the bodies from 54 and before built by Briggs with those numbers on. Unless there may be something in the Briggs archives.

So I think that may have been something unique that started with in '55 with the shift to the Conner plant, and the Packard building their own bodies again.

O_D

Here is a posting of the Guy you talked to at AAAC who had his Clipper stolen from a body shop. So BigKev has a reply here too, "Did you record the Anti-theft number?"

forums.aaca.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/54 ... Packard_Clipper_question#Post544058

Don't think I will give my Clipper body to a guy in Washington State!

DanL

My deepest condolences, sympathy and prayer to the man who lost his car of 41 years and that he may find it.

Over the last 3 to 4 years scrap metal prices have skyrocketed to levels not seen since the years prior to WWII. And even higher than that. I live about 1/10 mile from Bordeaux Metals here at Taylor Town. The have a website. It's no slouchy operation. Everyday i see attractive cars and trucks going there literaly pushed, pulled and even dragged by Farmalls. I've chased a few of them down trying to buy them. Some of them only need a head gasket. Most are very high mileage tho.

I could go on and on about this but the PROBLEM is that many of these vehicles will bring $300 - $600 as scrap metal and then i'd have to chase a redneck down for the title. I even had one redneck tell me that he didn't have time to drag it across the street to my house and that it would reduce his >2000 pound price tier.

BOTTOM LINE is that ANYTHING made of metal is a target for thieves.

Quote:

I was thinking it would probably wind up as a lowrider. After reading that, I can only hope the poor car's that lucky.