Anyone live near Moorabin that can look at a car for me?

[Pep]

Hi Frank, it was picked up on Friday, they say 5 working days, so hopefully Thursday, maybe Friday, right on time for my wife's birthday, but I get the present!.... I have already got the custom car cover waiting for the car to go under it. Ordered a workshop and wiring manual.....Here is a question for everybody, I know the answer but I wonder who else would know....the VIN starts with Q and ends in P......so what does that indicate?

[Twin Spinner]

Police interceptor engine

[Pep]

Close....

[Harv]

I thought the Bullet Bird "Q" codes were the ultra-rare hi-zoot 428 V-8's?

Not sure about the "P" though.

Cheers,
Harv

[FRANK BASILE]

Pretty sure that number does not sound like a Ford VIN for that era . They are formatted typically with a Letter for engine code ,then model year , then a plant code ,body style indicating /sedan/convertible/coupe, or variant and then a sequential number ,no letter on the end . This can be found on the vehicle data plate alongside the transmission/axle/ trim/colour codes as well as build date , good info for what left the factory when checking "matching numbers" . The serial number[VIN] itself can be stamped elsewhere . Mustangs have it on the inner fender panel , that's where the number provided to me looked sus on my Mustang convertible when I got the numbers provided to apply for import approval to import it ,I contacted the seller to re check ,he took it to the police and got me a Maine Police report indicating that the original rego papers were wrong , they then gave me what I wanted ,after the Police cleaned up the numbers. I have a Falcon convertible here newly upholstered completely with a bench seat , yet the data plate has it coded as a sports convertible ,indicating that it left the plant with buckets ,and indeed someone had swapped them . The number with a "Q" starting and ending with a "P" sounds more like an engine number . Many US vehicles did not have them and it could be as a guess if not an original , that this number was allocated here when first registered in OZ . In Victoria the numbers started with a "V" and ended with a" P " issued by the Police . This vehicle without knowing when first registered here ,may have been done in QLD . .

[Pep]

Frank has it. Its most likely a Queensland police allocated number. When a car is presented for rego and they can't determine the chassis/body number, they will refer you to the police scientific section to try and determine the chassis/body numbers . If they can't and they are satisfied its not stolen, they will allocate one of their own. I had to go through the same with my 34 sedan. In the end I had a NP number ( NSW Police ). So even before I have the Tbird, I have found out it s first registered in Queensland.

[FRANK BASILE]

Looks like you will have fun getting to know it Pep . Alongside the cruising of course . One thing I did not look was to see if the warranty plate was on it, as it was on the hoist . Should be on the LHD door near the lock mechanism or on the door pillar . They can go missing when vehicles are colour changed . One of my Mustangs has it missing .

[Pep]

I think i'll have fun, fun, fun till my daddy takes......er, you know the rest...

[woody28A]

Nice buy "Pep". Hope you have fun with it.

[FRANK BASILE]

Has it turned up Pep?

[Pep]

Yeah Frank, picked it up from the trucking yard last Thursday. They were only 2 kms from my place so we drove there and drove it home. It is as good as you said and what I hoped for. It is such a stunning car. I thought the 37 drew attention but the T Bird has people from all ages giving their thumbs up. You can tell it was built very well. The RH conversion is just about invisible. It drives, stops, turns and looks great. I have already had the mufflers replaced as it was just too "rapppy". Sound nice now, a good rumble. The 390 is sweet and certainly recoed recently. I will get a bit of body work ( rust ) sorted and that will make it near perfect. I know I'm biased but I believe the third gen T Birds are the most beautiful car Ford and arguably any car that came out of the USA. We are looking forward to taking it to Chromefest at the end of October.

[FRANK BASILE]

Good Pep . Getting it just in time for the beginning of real good cruising weather It certainly would be a crowd pleaser ,red with the white interior looks classy . Those bubbles on the rear qtr looked to be the only real blemish . It is one vehicle where you would not want to have to pay a chrome plating bill . That is one aspect that impressed me .

[Shabby T]

Nice one Pep, also glad to hear you are still enjoying the 37, say hi to Marg for us.

[Pep]

Hi Terry, hope you and Tanya are doing OK, I see your adventures on FB, enjoying life as it should. Yeah the 37 is going great and still enjoy driving it. Say hi to Tanya and hope we can converge on a run somewhere soon. Not sure what we will be driving but Marg is keen on the T Bird right now.