: John,
: Why would you assume that the Briggs tags were 'changed out'?? Why would anyone in the 'pre-restoration' period bother with changing out tags, and finding ones with the right numbers on them?? Maybe the Square cage nuts were specified by Ford, or maybe they were cheaper from the hardware suppliers than the D nuts. Many late 30/31 Windshield Belt moldings have the square nuts on coupes, which are assumed to be Ford manufacture (although I'm aware of at least one Briggs coupe body--but I don't know what kind of nuts are on it)
: Based on the evidence you have presented so far, I'd think the 'nuts question' needs some rethinking, but that's Just IMHO, and based only on what I've read here, and what I've seen.
: ---David D.Mr. Dewey,
I'm sure that you have much more experience than I in Model A's. I just know what I have personally experienced and what has been documented in the Victoria Asoociation as far as the records of body tag numbers, frame/engine numbers, body styles (leatherback vs. steelback) and other unique Victoria body features.
As for the changing out of body tags, for instance, we have 6 leatherback Victorias that are listed as having indented firewalls. The records we have show that the leatherback was discontinued in early 1931 and that steelback production began well before the introduction of the indented firewall. There are also cars listed that have low body tag numbers that are steelback which should be leatherback some with indented firewalls and some without.
So evidently sometime during their existence the body tags have been changed or replaced, on these particular cars, with one found at a swap meet or other source. Perhaps the tag was taken off of a car in a wrecking yard to provide an identification number for legal purposes. I don't know why or how these things have happened.
I didn't mean to imply that this Briggs/Murray identification was an absolute. It is an indication on some body styles such as Cabriolets (all Briggs made if I remember correctly) and early (such as '29) four door sedans (some Briggs and some Murray made)have these features differentiation.
I'm not sure what you mean by "pre-restoration" period. I seem to recall that Ford published a booklet in 1955 called a restoration handbook for the Model A. While this was some 20 years before I acquired my Model A I think there were quite a few Model A's being returned to their previous glory long before this time. Surely someone has taken a part such as a tag off a wreck or some other disabled car to complete his car and not known the difference or cared for that matter.
With all due respect,
John Icenhower
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