Topic: "Brass Plate" Cars - Ford Exec Cars

[Carl]

In the latest Mustang Monthly, they talk about a '70 convertible with a 428 SCJ that was an "executive" car.  Kevin Marti's ". . . by the Numbers" book notes that one "executive" 'vert was built in '70.
The article talks about the car having a brass plate affixed to the radiator support, and the car being coded as "300-L-062 J Burns".
My car, indicated as a "Company Lease Plan" car (not as an "executive" car)  has the same type of coding, i.e., "196-L-156 G Anaston," (delivered to Ford Motor Company, but in Palo Alto, CA) but no brass tag.  Most likely, the brass tag was only on the exec units (4 for 1970, 2 hardtops, 1 fastback, and the 'vert), but never having seen (or even heard of) one, I have no idea where I'd look to see if there was an extra hole.  Has anyone seen one?  Have a picture of one?  Biggest question is where the tag would have been located.  Second question is anyone have a similar coding?  Any idea what the 196-L-156 meant?  In all probablility, no brass tags on anything other than "executive" cars, but it was interesting enough for me to ask.

  Carl

[jwc66k]

The Palo Alto plant was Ford Aerospace and Communications Corp, Western Development Labs, also known as Philco-Ford, WDL. There was a building at the facility that was dedicated to the preparation and service of cars leased by Ford to employees of a certain pay grade and up. They could lease a Ford or Mercury product for dirt cheap rates and the lease included insurance. A fully loaded 1969 428 Mach I leased for about $70 a month. That was called the "B" plan. Almost all the leased cars were special order. There were some restrictions, only so many Pantera's were available, no van conversions, no F450 or larger trucks, etc. Directors got their cars at no cost. The VP/General Manager of the facility got his two cars at no cost. The lease was good for one year, and the party that leased the car could buy it or turn it in. Lease car turn ins could be tagged by any employee and bought. Non-tagged cars went to dealers for re-sale. I don't know if any other identification was used other than the DSO. I remember a Jim Burns that worked in the satellite division but I don't know if he was that high up on the charts. I don't remember a G Anaston.
All workers could buy a Ford or Mercury car, van or pickup at 2 pct under dealer cost. It was called the "A" plan.  My "K" Fastback was purchased under the "A" plan. Retired Ford employees can still buy a new Ford under the"Z" plan.
Jim

[Bob Gaines]

In the latest Mustang Monthly, they talk about a '70 convertible with a 428 SCJ that was an "executive" car.  Kevin Marti's ". . . by the Numbers" book notes that one "executive" 'vert was built in '70.
The article talks about the car having a brass plate affixed to the radiator support, and the car being coded as "300-L-062 J Burns".
My car, indicated as a "Company Lease Plan" car (not as an "executive" car)  has the same type of coding, i.e., "196-L-156 G Anaston," (delivered to Ford Motor Company, but in Palo Alto, CA) but no brass tag.  Most likely, the brass tag was only on the exec units (4 for 1970, 2 hardtops, 1 fastback, and the 'vert), but never having seen (or even heard of) one, I have no idea where I'd look to see if there was an extra hole.  Has anyone seen one?  Have a picture of one?  Biggest question is where the tag would have been located.  Second question is anyone have a similar coding?  Any idea what the 196-L-156 meant?  In all probablility, no brass tags on anything other than "executive" cars, but it was interesting enough for me to ask.

  Carl

Ed Meyer brought the 70 SCJ convert to the Chicago Muscle car nationals a few weeks back for it's new owner. I saw the brass tag mounted to the radiator support.  Bob

[Carl]

Hey, JWC, thanks for the information.  I had heard of the Philco plant, so I wasn't particularly thinking this was an "executive" car, but was more curious as to whether the cars designated to individuals, such as through the lease plan, could have received the brass tags as well (I'd bet $100 against, but wouldn't complain if I lost.  :^))
It sounds like you were at Philco in the time frame, do you by chance remember the champagne gold '69 convertible, 428 equipped, that was also a lease car at Palo Alto (and presumably through the Philco plant as well)?  It was featured in the December '05 Mustang Monthly, as well as several other magazines.  One of the curiousities I had tried to look into was whether there was any connection, owner wise, between that car and my car.  One interesting coincidence was that Bill Hamilton also owned that car at one point, although he didn't have any records identifying who received it at Palo Alto.
Bob, where on the support was the plate attached?

  Carl

[Bob Gaines]

Hey, JWC, thanks for the information.  I had heard of the Philco plant, so I wasn't particularly thinking this was an "executive" car, but was more curious as to whether the cars designated to individuals, such as through the lease plan, could have received the brass tags as well (I'd bet $100 against, but wouldn't complain if I lost.  :^))
It sounds like you were at Philco in the time frame, do you by chance remember the champagne gold '69 convertible, 428 equipped, that was also a lease car at Palo Alto (and presumably through the Philco plant as well)?  It was featured in the December '05 Mustang Monthly, as well as several other magazines.  One of the curiousities I had tried to look into was whether there was any connection, owner wise, between that car and my car.  One interesting coincidence was that Bill Hamilton also owned that car at one point, although he didn't have any records identifying who received it at Palo Alto.
Bob, where on the support was the plate attached?

  Carl

On the driver side of the rad support about midway up just to the right of the rad opening. Bob

[Carl]

I'm "safe."      The only extra hole on the driver's side is just above the knock-out plate for the AC lines, all the way at the top.
That just leaves the question of the coding.

  Carl

[jwc66k]

This is the answer I got about the tag from a Ford Aerospace program manager -
"I don't remember any brass tag on the radiator related to the lease program. However, there was a brass tag on one of the tanks identifying the particular radiator part number. I still have a '66 Mercury and most of the original radiator. Unfortunately, over all the years and replacement cores that tag has been lost. My particular model had a separate surge tank, and that just might have a tag on it. Next time I go into the attic, and if it is important, I might dig that tank up to see if it's tag is still there."
Jim

[Bob Gaines]

This is the answer I got about the tag from a Ford Aerospace program manager -
"I don't remember any brass tag on the radiator related to the lease program. However, there was a brass tag on one of the tanks identifying the particular radiator part number. I still have a '66 Mercury and most of the original radiator. Unfortunately, over all the years and replacement cores that tag has been lost. My particular model had a separate surge tank, and that just might have a tag on it. Next time I go into the attic, and if it is important, I might dig that tank up to see if it's tag is still there."
Jim

I regularly pick up the surge tanks at swap meets for Cobra use. I don't remember seeing any brass tags hanging off of them or soldered to them. I think he might be referring to the larger steel tags that are soldered onto some of the radiators on top that identify their application  (mostly SJ cars). There are brass or copper tags that radiator shops add to recores to identify their work too.  The brass tag that Special Ed pointed out to me on the convert was a small brass colored tag.I didn't get a close enough look to read if letter or numbers or a combination of both. I remember thinking it reminded me of a smaller dog tag.Bob

[TLea]

Funny you ask about brass tag cars. I just received some 69 Shelby inter office meeting notes in which they discuss the brass tag program. I haven't had time to them yet

[specialed]

Funny you ask about brass tag cars. I just received some 69 Shelby inter office meeting notes in which they discuss the brass tag program. I haven't had time to them yet   Tim do you have same info as i just got? The brass tag article i worked with jerry was done to flush out new info on this topic as it was never discussed before.

[specialed]

Carl the brass tag has a hole on each end oval 2'' x 1'' or smaller and was screwed in hole for horn on lh side upper rad support as the other hole a/c condenser hole has upper oil cooler bracket hole and the inner hole uses 1 screw same as starter solinoid screw. WHere did you get info 4 cars in 70 and 1 convertible as when i showed marti a photo of tag he said he never seen it on car before? I have seen this same tag on 69 b9 cars above lh door id plate and stamped in brass tag was kk# of car were silver sticker should be and i just thought the sticker got lost or put on wrong car and they only made 1 for each car so brass tag was hand stamped kk# and that was how they did it as i have seen this on more than 1 car. The quote about these cars having brass keys was just a guess as i have original old brass keys from that era i got from a guy who specialized in old car locks and keys and he said they were for ford top brass execs cars. I read in a ford book about ford top brass people and their cars years ago in ford book store in detroit years ago doing research for the blue 69 photo studio car we had at saac but dont remember what book it was in. I looked at a loaded 69 cj convertible brass tag car recently but it was partially disassembled and no tag on rad support but it had a/c and horn there so no empty hole but had 100 L 235 R Bradley on bottom invoice same area as the 70 scj car and the 69 even had factory cruise control with a/c and smog with shaker and tilt a real mess under hood with p/s and p/b. The name J Burns is not on brass tag like jerry says in story but on invoice beside 300 L 062 as these #s are hand stamped in tag from top to bottom in that order. There were mistakes in jerrys article after i proofread it and jerry had already sent it to donald farr but they never got corrected in time as donald needed a rare finds rite away. I want to see if tims info is same as mine as i got 2 letters from ford people trying to explain the tag issue as my dyno don boss 429 cougar also has these group of #s on invoice but a D where the L is on the 70 scj

[Carl]

In his book, Mustang . .  by the Numbers, Kevin lists "70 Option Production" on page 119.  According to the table,  2 hardtops, 1 fastback, and 1 convertible were "executive cars", since there was only 1 convertible, follows that this is it.  That wasn't a verification of 4 cars receiving brass tags, just four cars coded as for executives.  Curiousity on my part how far the brass tags went (actually, if at all, as this 'vert seems pretty special.)
As noted, my car was a company lease plan, but has 196-L-156 G Anaston on the invoice.  I'll have to go verify that the holes in the radiator support were never threaded, but I don't remember them showing marks from screws.

  Carl

[specialed]

Carl i think tags may have been removed before being resold to public at auction or used car lot as they were for inventory id and could be on lh A-pillar or rocker just forward of scuff plate or radiator support. The first 3#s are organization car was assigned to then L for lease usually 1 year T was for test car it had (manufactures plate) and E for executive car and D courtesy car? Last 3#s are serial # of that particular car in that particular organization and these #s have nothing to do with VIN just for accounting. These cars were sold at discount when done at ford and not always maintained carefully as a test car could be disassembled and reassembled several times in experimental garage to tryout various test components. I think this may be reason a rev-limiter was installed on this car or ford did it because of 4:30 gears in car to try and protect engine as when we rebuilt the scj the oil pan was full of nylon teeth pieces off the timing chain gear and a pile of metal fileings off the metal teeth that were under the broke off nylon teeth and timing chain was very loose.  The rev -limiter was only used on 4-speeds and this is only automatic i ever heard of with rev-limiter factory installed. Carl your post about bill hamilton also owning the gold convertible is incorrect as boston bob brisbois owned and restored that car and it was on display at carlise when bill talked to bob there about owning this 70 scj back in 1973 and bill tracked the guy down he sold it to in 77 and the guy still had the car but was not for sale and that was 5 years ago.

[Carl]

You're probbaly right on the ownership of the champagne car issue.  I had been trying to track info on it, since it also went to Philco, the year before my lease car went there, both being loaded convertibles.
As far as L standing for lease, is the SCJ convertible a lease car or an executive car?  The article has it as 300-L-062, no?

  Carl

[specialed]

Perkins has gold car now. J Burns on invoice is still not known as someone at ford thinks he died years ago and was involved in prototype testing dept. what i would like to verify is why the rev-limiter installed at factory? The L means lease dept. from what i have been told but dont know why a W-code scj loaded convertible even has intermitent wipers an bumper guards.