Unusual 1965 trim tag?

[jmurrayent]

Can anyone tell me why the Date, DSO, axle, and trans are left blank on my 65 convertible. It looks like an "X" was stamped in its place.
Thanks!

[Dan Szwarc]

In what country are you?

There have been reports and posts of DSOs and blank plates on vehicles of special provenance from Ford (non-standard production).
Your VIN serial number is somewhat low (407381). It may be the 7381st Lincoln produced for 1965 (the rest being sedans), so it could be a very early convertible.

I just checked my older LCOC Membership directory of registered VINs for 1965 and the lowest one reported was 400209, so yours isn't that low at all. There are lots of mistakes in the list, though.

Anything unusual about your car that you are aware of?

[jmurrayent]

Hello Dan,

I am in Reno, NV. The car has been in Eastern Nevada since at least the late 60's, I found a bank account register showing checks written to local businesses in Ely, NV from that time period. So far, the most unusual thing I have found is that the ignition switch is not the spring loaded type in most 64/65's. It has a screw on bezel, which I think was probably factory. I believe this because I tried installing a 64/65 spring loaded switch back into it and the tin cup that holds the switch light bulb is different and will not allow the switch or light bulb to be installed. I saw another post on this forum of someone that has the exact same ignition switch on their 65 and assumed that it had been switched out. The current battery in the car is date coded 12/68 so I think it is pretty unmolested. There was a local Ford/Lincoln dealer in Ely, NV at that time, perhaps it was an early demo car or executive owned car, I don't know.

Thanks,
Allen

[jmurrayent]

This is the exact same ignition switch in my 65 vert.

https://www.thelincolnforum.net/phpbb3/ ... 75#p401075

[Lee]

The current battery in the car is date coded 12/68 so I think it is pretty unmolested.

Are you saying that the car has sat for the last 50 or so years? If so, please post some pictures!

[jmurrayent]

The current battery in the car is date coded 12/68 so I think it is pretty unmolested.

Are you saying that the car has sat for the last 50 or so years? If so, please post some pictures!

Yes, believe it has been off the road for almost 50 years, unfortunately it spent some time outside in the Nevada desert. It is virtually rust free, but the interior looks like a Nevada Ghost town and kids busted out most of the windows, odometer shows about 80K. I'll post up a few pics. I"m looking for rear door glass, I know I can have some cut fairly easily, but I prefer the original Ford logo glass if possible.

[frasern]

Cool find, my '62 was also last driven in about '75, but it's a Canadian car, so has some rust.
As for glass, '61 used FoMoCo glass, '62 & 3 used PPG Herculite, and I think Carlite was used in '65, but not sure what '64 used. I think '64, '65 conv. used flatter glass than '63, but not as flat as sedans? Anyway, John Brewer in Denver can help you find it.
Best of luck with the project, if the body's solid you're half way there!

[Stuart M. Cohen]

My 63 sedan was a "home office reserve" meaning it was build for a Ford executive and not for a dealer. The DSO code is 84. Don't have the book in front of me, but I think DSO code 83 was for governmental use.

[Lee]

My 63 sedan was a "home office reserve" meaning it was build for a Ford executive and not for a dealer. The DSO code is 84. Don't have the book in front of me, but I think DSO code 83 was for governmental use.

Yup.

[frasern]

Looking closer at the tag, the numbers are stamped from behind, but the X appears to be done with a chisel, from the front. I would speculate the guy stamping it made a mistake and marked it as void, but somehow it got installed anyway.
74A is correct, A is black, and 86 is black leather, so the only thing left is the serial no. Have you compared that with the one stamped on the inner fender?

I guess it could also have been stamped accidentally, before all the data was dialed in, so he voided it and made another, but the wrong one got discarded, but really I could guess all day and still not know for sure.

[Mike]

Looking closer at the tag, the numbers are stamped from behind, but the X appears to be done with a chisel, from the front. I would speculate the guy stamping it made a mistake and marked it as void, but somehow it got installed anyway.
74A is correct, A is black, and 86 is black leather, so the only thing left is the serial no. Have you compared that with the one stamped on the inner fender?

I guess it could also have been stamped accidentally, before all the data was dialed in, so he voided it and made another, but the wrong one got discarded, but really I could guess all day and still not know for sure.

That makes sense especially since the X is where it ends.