| bird | -- 11-29-2018 @ 3:50 PM |
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I have discovered some writing on my 1951 Ford Country Squires firewall. Some appears stenciled on some appears hand written. Can anyone clue me in to what these may mean?
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| nelsb01 | -- 11-29-2018 @ 6:18 PM |
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Since Woodie bodies were assembled in Iron Mountain MI the actual body to frame was done at the various assembly plants. It looks to me that the pencil writing says Twin City. The Twin Cities Ford Assembly Plant was in existence from 1924 to 2011. I would venture a guess that your body was assembled and shipped to the Twin Cities Plant were it was attached to a completed frame assembly. There were also stamps (like rubber stamps) on the cowl that were done when certain inspections were completed, such as paint. This message was edited by nelsb01 on 11-29-18 @ 6:20 PM
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| 51woodie | -- 11-30-2018 @ 10:54 AM |
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Bird. The only writing I found on my '51 was on the inside of the door panels. There was a date and what could be someone's initials on each panel. If you are in the process of restoring your wagon, send me a pm, as I have a bunch of parts that you may be interested in.
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| woodiewagon46 | -- 11-30-2018 @ 4:05 PM |
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I think nelsb01 has your answer. When I took the doors apart on my '46 Station Wagon, there were marks in pencil on the inside of the inner rear door panels. On one side was the number 711 and on the other side was 83#. Very distinct about 6" tall, no idea what ether means. I assume they were probably production marks from the wood fabrication at Iron Mountain.
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| nelsb01 | -- 11-30-2018 @ 8:34 PM |
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Years ago I bought an original from the plant interior wood kit from Richard Brown of Iron Mountain. You would not believe all the pencil writing on the inside of the panels. Everything from shift number to autographs of either worker that cut the panels or supervisor that signed off on the work. Richard is gone now, but I wish I had asked him more about the wood that he was able to acquire from the plant.
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| woodiewagon46 | -- 12-01-2018 @ 8:19 AM |
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nelsb01, if you are looking for a book about Iron Mountain, there is one available called, "Iron Mountain Ford Motor Company Plant, Kingsford, Michigan, 1920-1951". It's available from the Menominee Range Historical Foundation, P.O. Box 237, Iron Mountain, MI, 49801. The cost is $15 and $5 for shipping. Lots of facts and figures about IM.
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| nelsb01 | -- 12-01-2018 @ 8:57 AM |
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I do have that. Great book but wish some of the photos were a bit clearer. I have acquired about all the Iron Mountain postcards that have been created. I even have pictures of what remains of the plant today. There are many interesting stories about how the employees were first offered the remaining wood parts. Many of them used those wood pieces to heat their homes. Ah, for a time machine to be able to go back and visit in about 1948.
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| bigvince | -- 12-03-2018 @ 1:09 PM |
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All 49-51 wood bodies were produced at Iron Mountain. Since Ford shipped the 49-51 bodies from Iron Mountain in special enclosed boxcars, Twin Cities may have been the final destination for final assembly. Also, workers assembling the wood panels on cars signed their name on the inside of the panels. This was for a quality control measure. My 48 Woodie has a small box located on the Patent Plate Inside the small box are the letters LB for Long Beach, CA which was where the body was shipped and final assembly occurred. I have seen other 48 models with TC for Twin Cities and BUF for Buffalo in this small box.
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| woodiewagon46 | -- 12-03-2018 @ 3:02 PM |
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nelsb01, I do remember reading in one of my "Woodie" books that when the plant closed, any employee could pay one dollar for all the wood they could fit in their car. That maple must have made some great firewood. If you get that time machine, let me know and I'll go with you!
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| 42wagon | -- 12-06-2018 @ 3:22 AM |
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In Sorenson's book Famous Ford Woodies there is a picture of a worker installing one of the side panels on a 49-51. There is all sorts of writing in grease pencil on the inside. Perhaps because they knew the end was coming the workers decided to leave their mark? I have also seen a picture of a body being loaded on a box car for shipment to an assembly plant. It had something written on the firewall. Whether it was in grease pencil and was supposed to be removed at the assembly plant is unknown.
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| woodiewagon46 | -- 12-07-2018 @ 8:18 AM |
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I saw that, 42wagon. There is also a picture on page 244 of a '52 Mercury Wagon with "green 8" written on the firewall. Sounds like a good research topic for someone with time on their hands.
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