[leeburch1]

I have a '73 with a Top loader tranny and the data tag attached to it has a weird date on it. On the lower left corner of the tag where there should be a date (like 3A) mine has AB for a code. Can anybody decipher this code and tell me what this means?

[Veronica]

Hello. Don't take this the wrong way, but are you certain that this is a Ford built, 4-speed manual transmission? Every tranny tag that I ever saw on a top loader had an ID code on the top row, like RUG-N, for example, and the bottom row was the tranny's serial number, which is not the serial number of the car, but a 6 digit number.

[leeburch1]

Thanks for the answer and Yes. It is a Ford. Tag looks like this:


_______________________
( \
( RUG BJ1 \
( O )
( AB J5466 /
(_________________________/ =



RUG = Model
BJ1 = Suffix and Service level
AB = Build date (yr,mo)
J15466 = serial number (the 'jay' is barely visble and might be a one or different number

I think the date should be 3A or B but I have triple checked. It is clearly AB. What could it mean????

[leeburch1]

Veronica...That tag got all juggled when I hit send.
The / & \ &) are supposed to reflect the rounded end on the tag and the O represents the attach hole in the tag. And the numbers are supposed to be spaced out across a 2 1/2" tag. Sorry I dont have a pic. Maybe you can tell based on your knowledge of the tags.

[Veronica]

Hi again. The Rug-BJ1 is a 4 speed with a 2.78 first gear ratio, and was used on the 351 4bbl cars in 72/73. That 'J' is almost certainly a very faint zero. I'm not very familiar at all with the nuances of the 71-73 cars, the 65/66 cars are what I mostly know about, but, if that AB thing is supposed to be a date, like on the earlier three speed manual cars, that 'A' would just about have to be a 2 or a 3. It could be some kind of a mis-stamp by someone at the factory, or, it could be a tag that someone has had made by Marti Auto or somebody, and they just told Marti what they wanted, and what they wanted was wrong. It really doesn't make any sense to me, either.

[leeburch1]

Thanks Veronica. I dont think Marti could keep his licence from Ford if he started printing whatever somebody wanted. Also, it looks like a legitimate tag otherwise. Do you know who made this transmission for them? Perhaps I could find some factory help.

If thats a zero, then this is a fairly low number mfg. The car is a Feb issue so that would track okay.

Ahhh, the mystery of the classics.

If I can figure out how, I'll send you a picture of this lady.

[Veronica]

Hi again. Now, this is a problem that I can be of some help to you. When you are typing a post, if you scroll down the page a bit, below the 'submit reply' button, you will see a place that says additional options. A little further down, you will see a button that says 'manage attachments'. Click on that and a window opens in which you will see a stack of buttons that say 'browse'. click one of those, and then you can upload a picture from your computer.

[binarybo]

leeburch1, The first line is the transmission code (which you already figured out) the second line is the transmission serial number. The "date code" is not used on this transmission's tag.

The transmission's serial not is not related to the car's serial number. However, the transmission's serial number would have appeared on the build sheet.

(source: The Mustang and Cougar Tagbook)

[MIL1ION]

Here you go.

http://thumb16.webshots.net/t/52/752...6WBIWdz_th.jpg

More info coming