Topic: Identifying NOS quarter panels - 65/66

[Burgundy66]

I apologize if this has been covered 1000 times already, the search button wasn?t getting me answers. Might be a user thing. 😁

I am going to look at some supposed NOS 65/66 coupe quarter panels. These are black ones, unknown when produced, and only one sticker on one part that I?m not sure is original, or has been reproduced. My question is: Are there some detailed telltales that can differentiate Ford service parts from the latest ?best? repops?  I have some familiarity with 90s/early 2000s repops, and can spot those a mile away. Any insights would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin

[Hipo giddyup]

Ford parts, original or service parts, will have a date stamp in the metal. For fenders, it is on the inner lip near the bolt holes, for quarters, it would be in the channel where the weather-stripping would fall into.

I cant get to my NOS quarters to take a pic but here is an example from a fender that I have handy

[J_Speegle]

Ford parts, original or service parts, will have a date stamp in the metal. For fenders, it is on the inner lip near the bolt holes, for quarters, it would be in the channel where the weather-stripping would fall into.

Not all later NOS/service replacements used the same markings or date patterns as the original parts.

Here are examples of service replacements. It was very typical for most restorers outside of the dry states to almost automatically replace front fenders during the 80-90's when they restored their cars. Cheaper, I was told, that paying the body guy to repair originals.

Has been shared once or twice before in other threads and discussions

[Burgundy66]

Thanks guys for the responses.  All understood on the date coding. Also interested to hear any insights of maybe a crisper edge here, or a radius there, a different way certain holes might be punched, etc. down into the minutia. And I realize that as the tools wore over time things changed.

Turns out the black parts sold before I could get there (4hrs away).  So now, I am back on the hunt. Might?ve just located a pair of red oxide ones, though. We?ll see how that goes.

Thanks again,
Kevin

[jwc66k]

Years back, in a Mustang magazine, I remember reading about what happened to the stamping dies used by Ford to make sheet metal parts, fenders, hoods, body parts, etc. (A side note: It takes several different dies, a dozen perhaps, both male and female, to form the bends needed in a fender.) At the end of a production years' run, most were sold as "scrap" - aka worn out. The good ones went to companies that contracted to make service parts. For some reason of other, Canadian stamping companies comes to mind. After the dies wore out again, they went overseas, like possibly to India, Indonesia or Taiwan. Somehow, these dies were "repaired" (welded?) and continued to make parts that were not quite acceptable to Ford, but "sell-able" - to you and me. The date codes were a step, using a removable stamp/die set.
Jim