C2 - #4 Shim Mark on '63 Bulkhead

[Gordon Peterson #4961]

Hi all -

This weekend, I decided to replace my replacement antenna with a nice original I've had laying around. This is one onerous task, but I've been putting it off long enough. I had the lead disconnected and the ground clip undone when I realized I was also seeing three yellow (old white?) slashes on the bulkhead behind the antenna. So I grabbed the camera.

Eventually, I figured out these are just above the #4 body mount. So this is the number of mount shims for that mount, I figure.

I'm no markings expert - the marks on my car's frame disappeared years ago. But I've studied the pictures in Nolan's book showing the frame markings, and I always thought that the shim counts were marked on the frame adjacent to each mount. These are not on the frame. Maybe that's the way they did it for this mount back in '63 before they realized that it was better to have them all marked the same way - on the frame. I didn't find any on the passenger side, but access to this area is just awful. They're probably up there somewhere.

Pete

[Stephen L.]

Re: C2 - #4 Shim Mark on '63 Bulkhead

The shim amounts were decided when the frame was on a jig and being assembled as shown on page 316 of Nolan Adams. Therefore I don't think the shim marks would have appeared on a body panel. There may be a possibility that there was damage to the vehicle in that area, during its life, and a body person put shim marks there to remind himself of how many shims were there when he took that area apart......

[John H.]

Re: C2 - #4 Shim Mark on '63 Bulkhead

Yup - the body was still way back in the Trim Shop when the frame was gaged and marked with the shim count during the midyear era.

[Gordon Peterson #4961]

Re: C2 - #4 Shim Mark on '63 Bulkhead

This is one area of the car that hasn't been damaged. I can't see a body man painting shim marks onto the bukhead in any case. They are adjacent to the #4 body mount, and they look like shim counts I've seen in pictures, But I really have no idea what they represent. Only pointing it out as an interesting find.

Pete