Pat Marshall
09-25-2011, 09:34 AM
THE MARK II FORUM
HOW DO I TRANSLATE THE SPECIFICATION CODES ON THE MARK II DATAPLATE?
New Members continually ask how to translate the Serial Numbers and Specification Codes on the Mark II Data Plate rivited to the Driver's door post. (See picture of Dataplate in the first attachment below)
Below in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Attachments are the original Continental code numbers for production dates, paint codes and interior trim specifications . In reality, Continental subsequently manufactured cars with specifications not listed below. Lowell Domholdt has done considerable research in this area and has developed additional codes. Those codes appear in the Registry History for some cars, but are not yet explained in the below attachments.
In the future the specification code lists will be augmented to include the additional codes developed by Lowell. These will be clearly identified so as not to be confused with the original Continental Division compilation.
Additionally, this section will be expanded to include other information such as Engine Numbers and Body Tags.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE II-60A ON THE DATA PLATE?
II-60A was Ford Motor Companys STYLE CODE for the Mark II. It simply means "Continental Mark II" and is found on all Mark II Data Plates.
I TRIED TRANSLATING THE SPEC CODES ON A 1957 MARK II AND CAN'T DO IT
In 1957 the Mark II Spec Codes did not follow the above rules. The coding was very inconsistent and frequently not translatable. Attachment #10 below provides examples of the various coding sequences we have documented so far.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE INFORMATION FIELDS USED IN THE REGISTRY HISTORY?
This is the format that we use to present Mark II information in the Registry Histories. An explanation of those fields is presented below in the 5th through 9th attachments entitled EXPLANATION OF THE REGISTRY HISTORY FIELDS (1-5).
VIN: C56 (1)
SPEC: (2)
PROD ORDER NO: (3)
ENG#: (4) BODY TAG NO: (5)
DSO NO: (6)
DSO DETAILS: (7)
NAMEPLATE: (8)
OWNERSHIP HISTORY: (9)
HISTORICAL INFORMATION: (10)
OTHER INFORMATION: (11)
SOURCE CODE INDEX: (12)
(C) Continental Mark II Owners Association/Buddy Holiday
(D) Lowell Domholdt
(F) FoMoCo Records
(I) Internet Search
(L) LCOC Records
(M) Mark II Forum
(O) Owner Supplied Information
(R) Automobile Registration Records
WHY ARE THERE THREE DIGIT AND FOUR DIGIT SPEC CODES?
Some early cars used three digit spec codes. The reason this was done has note been determined. Those cars were Prototype 9502F, Cobbled Car 999, Pre-Production Cars 985, 977, 982, 983, & 984 and Regular Production Cars 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1012, 1015, 1016, 1017, 1022, 1023, 1025, 1026, 1027, 1028, 1030, 1036, 1167, 1180, 1286 and 1362.
The three digit code layout was:
1st Digit - Letter - Material Type
2nd Digit - Number - Bolster Color
3rd Digit - Letter - Biscuit Color
To illustrate the 3 Digit Spec Code - INTERIOR: White Leather Seat Biscuits, Medium Green Leather Seat Bolsters w/Medium Green Welts was written as A2B.
In comparison the four digit code layout was:
1st Digit - Number - Material Type
2nd Digit - Letter - Biscuit Color
3rd Digit - Number - Bolster Color
4th Digit - Letter - Welt Color
In the 4 Digit Spec Coding system the above interior was written as 1B2E
HOW MANY MARK II'S WERE MANUFACTURED?
PROTOTYPES: Total of 3 Cars
SEQ . VIN
1. . . .#9500 (Destroyed After Testing)
2. . . .#9501 (Destroyed After Testing)
3. . . .#9502 Became Privately Owned
COBBLED CARS: Total of 2 Cars-Made with production dies, but used 1955 Lincoln Drive Trains:
4. . . .#1000 Became Privately Owned
5. . . . #999 Became Privately Owned
PRE-PRODUCTION CARS: Total of 11 Cars-No difference from Production Cars, all became privately owned:
6. . . . #975
7. . . . #976
8. . . . #977
9. . . . #978
10 . . . #979
11 . . . #980
12 . . . #981
13 . . . #982
14 . . . #983
15 . . . #984
16 . . . #985
Therefore 16 Mark IIs were manufactured before regular production began with #1001
REGULAR PRODUCTION CARS: Total of 2,989 Cars
EXPLANATION - Regular Production began with Chasis #1001 and continued through #3989. The formula for calculating the number of Regular Production Mark IIs is 3989-1001+1 which equals 2989 Mark IIs. Adding the 16 units produced before #1001 to the 2,989 Regular Production Cars gives a total of 3,005 Mark IIs produced!
WHY IS THE NUMBER OF CARS PRODUCED DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS LCOC CALCULATIONS?
Over the years the LCOC has reported various production numbers. The number most frequently reported was 3,015 calculated by LCOC President, Bob Davis. Recently Mark II authority Lowell Domholdt and Mark II Forum Historian Pat Marshall recalculated the number of units produced as the above 3,005. It was determined that the reason for the difference between the LCOC and Forum numbers is that Continental originally assumed more preproduction cars would be made than were ultimately produced and issued more chassis numbers than were actually assigned. Previous LCOC calculations had assumed the entire block of preproduction chassis numbers had been assigned to cars that had been manufactured. Domholdt and Marshall determined that there is no documentation that Continental produced preproduction units after chassis#985.
HOW CAN I DETERMINE WHAT WAS A CAR'S NUMBER IN THE PRODUCTION SEQUENCE?
For the Prototypes, Cobbled and Preproduction Cars see the listings above which indicate their production sequence.
To determine Regular Productions Car's production sequence subtract 984 from the car's VIN.
Example to determine car #1001 sequence subtract 984 from the VIN - 1001-984 = 17, the 17th Mark II manufactured.
HOW MANY 1957 MARK IIs WERE MANUFACTURED?
Despite all the different numbers that have been reported - There were 572 "1957 Continental Mark IIs".
Of those, 439 were invoiced in Calendar Year 1957.
Here's the math:
The first Officially Designated 1957 Mark II was 3418
The last 1957 Mark II was 3989
3989-3418+1=572 1957 Mark IIs
The First Mark II invoiced in Calendar Year 1957 was 3551
The last 1957 Mark II was 3989
3989-3551+1=439 Mark IIs Invoiced in Calendar Year 1957.
HOW DO I TRANSLATE THE SPECIFICATION CODES ON THE MARK II DATAPLATE?
New Members continually ask how to translate the Serial Numbers and Specification Codes on the Mark II Data Plate rivited to the Driver's door post. (See picture of Dataplate in the first attachment below)
Below in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Attachments are the original Continental code numbers for production dates, paint codes and interior trim specifications . In reality, Continental subsequently manufactured cars with specifications not listed below. Lowell Domholdt has done considerable research in this area and has developed additional codes. Those codes appear in the Registry History for some cars, but are not yet explained in the below attachments.
In the future the specification code lists will be augmented to include the additional codes developed by Lowell. These will be clearly identified so as not to be confused with the original Continental Division compilation.
Additionally, this section will be expanded to include other information such as Engine Numbers and Body Tags.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE II-60A ON THE DATA PLATE?
II-60A was Ford Motor Companys STYLE CODE for the Mark II. It simply means "Continental Mark II" and is found on all Mark II Data Plates.
I TRIED TRANSLATING THE SPEC CODES ON A 1957 MARK II AND CAN'T DO IT
In 1957 the Mark II Spec Codes did not follow the above rules. The coding was very inconsistent and frequently not translatable. Attachment #10 below provides examples of the various coding sequences we have documented so far.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THE INFORMATION FIELDS USED IN THE REGISTRY HISTORY?
This is the format that we use to present Mark II information in the Registry Histories. An explanation of those fields is presented below in the 5th through 9th attachments entitled EXPLANATION OF THE REGISTRY HISTORY FIELDS (1-5).
VIN: C56 (1)
SPEC: (2)
PROD ORDER NO: (3)
ENG#: (4) BODY TAG NO: (5)
DSO NO: (6)
DSO DETAILS: (7)
NAMEPLATE: (8)
OWNERSHIP HISTORY: (9)
HISTORICAL INFORMATION: (10)
OTHER INFORMATION: (11)
SOURCE CODE INDEX: (12)
(C) Continental Mark II Owners Association/Buddy Holiday
(D) Lowell Domholdt
(F) FoMoCo Records
(I) Internet Search
(L) LCOC Records
(M) Mark II Forum
(O) Owner Supplied Information
(R) Automobile Registration Records
WHY ARE THERE THREE DIGIT AND FOUR DIGIT SPEC CODES?
Some early cars used three digit spec codes. The reason this was done has note been determined. Those cars were Prototype 9502F, Cobbled Car 999, Pre-Production Cars 985, 977, 982, 983, & 984 and Regular Production Cars 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1012, 1015, 1016, 1017, 1022, 1023, 1025, 1026, 1027, 1028, 1030, 1036, 1167, 1180, 1286 and 1362.
The three digit code layout was:
1st Digit - Letter - Material Type
2nd Digit - Number - Bolster Color
3rd Digit - Letter - Biscuit Color
To illustrate the 3 Digit Spec Code - INTERIOR: White Leather Seat Biscuits, Medium Green Leather Seat Bolsters w/Medium Green Welts was written as A2B.
In comparison the four digit code layout was:
1st Digit - Number - Material Type
2nd Digit - Letter - Biscuit Color
3rd Digit - Number - Bolster Color
4th Digit - Letter - Welt Color
In the 4 Digit Spec Coding system the above interior was written as 1B2E
HOW MANY MARK II'S WERE MANUFACTURED?
PROTOTYPES: Total of 3 Cars
SEQ . VIN
1. . . .#9500 (Destroyed After Testing)
2. . . .#9501 (Destroyed After Testing)
3. . . .#9502 Became Privately Owned
COBBLED CARS: Total of 2 Cars-Made with production dies, but used 1955 Lincoln Drive Trains:
4. . . .#1000 Became Privately Owned
5. . . . #999 Became Privately Owned
PRE-PRODUCTION CARS: Total of 11 Cars-No difference from Production Cars, all became privately owned:
6. . . . #975
7. . . . #976
8. . . . #977
9. . . . #978
10 . . . #979
11 . . . #980
12 . . . #981
13 . . . #982
14 . . . #983
15 . . . #984
16 . . . #985
Therefore 16 Mark IIs were manufactured before regular production began with #1001
REGULAR PRODUCTION CARS: Total of 2,989 Cars
EXPLANATION - Regular Production began with Chasis #1001 and continued through #3989. The formula for calculating the number of Regular Production Mark IIs is 3989-1001+1 which equals 2989 Mark IIs. Adding the 16 units produced before #1001 to the 2,989 Regular Production Cars gives a total of 3,005 Mark IIs produced!
WHY IS THE NUMBER OF CARS PRODUCED DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS LCOC CALCULATIONS?
Over the years the LCOC has reported various production numbers. The number most frequently reported was 3,015 calculated by LCOC President, Bob Davis. Recently Mark II authority Lowell Domholdt and Mark II Forum Historian Pat Marshall recalculated the number of units produced as the above 3,005. It was determined that the reason for the difference between the LCOC and Forum numbers is that Continental originally assumed more preproduction cars would be made than were ultimately produced and issued more chassis numbers than were actually assigned. Previous LCOC calculations had assumed the entire block of preproduction chassis numbers had been assigned to cars that had been manufactured. Domholdt and Marshall determined that there is no documentation that Continental produced preproduction units after chassis#985.
HOW CAN I DETERMINE WHAT WAS A CAR'S NUMBER IN THE PRODUCTION SEQUENCE?
For the Prototypes, Cobbled and Preproduction Cars see the listings above which indicate their production sequence.
To determine Regular Productions Car's production sequence subtract 984 from the car's VIN.
Example to determine car #1001 sequence subtract 984 from the VIN - 1001-984 = 17, the 17th Mark II manufactured.
HOW MANY 1957 MARK IIs WERE MANUFACTURED?
Despite all the different numbers that have been reported - There were 572 "1957 Continental Mark IIs".
Of those, 439 were invoiced in Calendar Year 1957.
Here's the math:
The first Officially Designated 1957 Mark II was 3418
The last 1957 Mark II was 3989
3989-3418+1=572 1957 Mark IIs
The First Mark II invoiced in Calendar Year 1957 was 3551
The last 1957 Mark II was 3989
3989-3551+1=439 Mark IIs Invoiced in Calendar Year 1957.