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Michael, I realize you are more knowledgeable than I, but I have to respectfully disagree. The box is definitely in the rear of the coupe. There are two photos on the page; a hardtop and the coupe. These are sequential cars on the line. Hardtop was first and then the coupe, as you can see the hardtop just ahead of the coupe in the top photo. The box is very evident in the coupe photo. However, look at the same place in the photo of the hardtop, which would have been taken moments earlier from the exact same vantage point. The shelves behind the line are much more visible in this photo, and there are only plain brown boxes on the shelf behind the cars. Plus the KH box is sitting at about a 45 degree angle to the line, whereas all of the boxes on the shelf are neatly stacked perfectly parallel to the line.
As far as visibility of the job number, I guess it depends on where you are at. The guys on the line in these photos would have a clear view of the rear bulk head, with the car raised over head.
Searching the archives, there is a reference to a job number with the letter "A". This particular car was a radio delete car (rare non-option), so the assumption was that this was to inform those on the line not to cut the hole for the antenna. Since this is such a rare deletion and the rarity of having an "A" in the job number, it's a pretty safe assumption that there is a correlation. Therefore, it does seem likely that the letter designates something along the body line. Obviously, most options would have no impact on the body line, thus the rarity of the letter designation. The radio delete would require a different procedure on the body line. If the P48 wheels were to be put in the body along the body line (as is shown in the photo), then it makes sense that there would be a similar designation to let someone on the body line know to put the wheels in the body.
As far as the wheel and tire assemblies being in a separate building, you would know far better than I how that was handled. However, with the rarity of the P48 option, it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch that this process would be handled differently.
Something interesting on my car. I checked the jack board again and the knock off instruction sheet is glued on. You can see the random glue swirl marks where it is starting to peel back. The repro knock off sheets that I have seen are peel and stick, so mine appears to be an original. I realize the jack board is not definitive, but it's certainly a good indication. Given the rarity of the P48 option, and the rarity of having a "Q" with the job number, it just seems like too much of a coincidence to ignore that both of these situations ocurred on the same car. Also, there aren't any other rare options on my car other than the probability of P48. The original options are L79, red on black vinyl, hardtop, soft top, 4 speed, 3.55 posi, and radio. Pretty standard option package. If any of these options or any combination thereof triggered the "Q", then we would see a lot more job numbers with the "Q".
We really need to find some documented original P48 cars and compare the job number. Given the rarity, we may never be able to confirm.
Thanks Dave! it's looking more and more like they did use a marker in addition to crayon!
Dave, is this an A.O. Smith body? Can you provide the options on the car? If we can get enough cars with a letter designations and compare options and body origin, we might be able to find some correlations. Would be a great mystery to solve!
Only things I can think of that would relate to a "T", would be T01 Goldline tires. Or perhaps teak steering wheel? However, I can't figure out why either of these options would need to be noted in the body line.
All,
In response to the black magic marker alpha numeric character on the rear bulk head, our 66 has the same number on the firewall below the heater box. I believe AO Smith numbered the BODY job numbers in black magic marker A1, A2..A500, B1, B2..B500, etc. If the Smith bodies were intermixed with the St Louis bodies at final assembly, the vin would be approx twice the actual body job number (B500 is actually the 1000th body). Ours works out very close.
Dan, you may be correct. I might be reading way too much into the letter designation. It may be nothing more than part of the sequential job number for AO Smith bodies. Especially in light of the input from Michael. Might just be wishful thinking that there is more meaning to it. Still would be interesting if we can get some verification.
Joe, our cars were built around the same time (my VIN is 1174xx). My estimated build date from the VIN would be 5/13. My Q189 job number probably means mine was about 200 cars ahead of you on the line. Since both of our cars would likely have been on the same of job numbers (1-500), it does give credence to the theory that it's nothing more than part of the sequential, perhaps unique to AO Smith bodies.
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