Matching Numbers

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Had an exciting discovery this morning as I was stripping the upholstery and springs off the wood base for the front seat of my 1918 Model 48. As you might see in the photo, the factory wrote the serial # (16158) of the car on the inside of the frame. Also note they wrote 48 HP to the right. The R on the left corner means this is the right front seat bottom. I love finding more and more matching numbers on these cars !!!

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Is that oak? I thought the “better”” cars used ash.

Great Find!”

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You will find the serial number as well as other numbers in several places on these cars.On Series 3 and earlier,the engine number and serial number are the same.On my car this number is on the engine,body plate,floor boards and is painted on each of the felloe bands on the wheels.It is even written in chalk or crayon by hand on the bulkhead under the dash along with the color.In my case,this reads “35370 Blue” so as to tell the paint department the car was to be finished in the Blue Group.

On the bottom edge of the left front door,there is stamped “385-38T” This denotes that my car is the 385th C-3 Five Passenger Touring Car.The numbering system changed some with Series 4.

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Yes, the wood is OAK. Clear grain, good quality, but not ASH. Can anyone decipher what the other numbers are all about. In the middle there is a V 117 and something like MM ?? I also have the serial number and color written in chalk on the front right fender, inside and behind the headlight reflector.

Lots of fun finding matching numbers…….

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I noticed some of the wood in your photo looks new.I suspect those numbers are there so the assemblers would know where each part had to go.

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just found this today

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