Dodge ID Tags in Australia

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Hey everyone,

A friend of mine sent me this link for a supplier that has replica ID tags / plates for my 34 ( and other ) Dodges. I'm particularly interested in the Budd Body plate. Does anyone in the States have one of these on their car and if so where is it located ?

http://www.roadsiderelics.com.au/catalog/15/id_badges?page=3

[1930]

Thos are nice plates, we all ( alot of us anyway ) have Budd body tags on our cars, located almost dead center on the firewall, see attached pict.

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Thanks for the pic. On mine there is a hole there where the coil goes. Its nice to see one of the plates on the car. This guys prices seem reasonable. One of the plates on Ebay is $65 and he has the same thing for $35.
Cheers
Ian

[1930]

If you need a closeup no problem, theres no numbers there that mean much

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Would you know if the 34's had this plate ?

[1930]

I would not but I bet someone else will

[Manuel]

Does your car have a Aussie/Richards body Ian?
If so it should have TJR stamped on the firewall.
Don't know if our cars had tags on the firewall.

Manuel in Oz

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Hi Manuel,

Mine is an all steel body. It has a little badge down the bottom near the front door on the outside and the radiator grill surround also has stamped near the crank hole cover " Made In USA ".

I suppose thats why I'm interested in trying to find out about my car. I've tried the Chrysler Historical section in Detroit but my serial number is missing from their records. Numbers 3736751 to 3736925 ar the numbers that are missing. This accounts for 174 cars. I'd like to find someone that can tell me how many were shipped to Australia as Right Hand Drive.

One of the books I have says " Canadian Dodge Production totaled 6108 passenger cars. From Canada there were 289 Series DR cars sent overseas".
I was wondering if mine was one of those. I just can't seem to find out if and how many DR Series were sent overseas from Detroit.

This is harder than finding my family history !!!

[Manuel]

Hi Ian,
My car has made in USA on the grill as well but it has a TJR body. Everything from the dash forward was imported.
Is there any TJR ID on your body?

Manuel in Oz

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Hi Manuel,
Nope no ID on mine. No timber in the body either. Check my pics and thats basically it. The little badge say "All Steel Body"

[1936 D2]

Hi guys,
Here are a couple photos I have accumulated of '36 Dodges in Australia. Is it possible that the manufacturing style of the bodies from '34 and '36 would be similar? If so, the photos show that the original firewall metal on both the RS Coupe (location circled) and the 4Dr Touring Sedan (closeup) have the "TJR" reverse stamped into the firewall metal. The closeup also shows a special sequence number (D2 1318) die stamped into the front of the firewall. This number does NOT seem to relate to the floorboard "Serial Number Tag" from Chrysler, the "Serial Number Tag" from Harden & Johnston, nor the "Stamped Engine Number". All numbers are different.
Just some food for thought and discussion.

[Manuel]

Hi 36D2,
This number does NOT seem to relate to the floorboard "Serial Number Tag"
Would that be a H & J or TJR tag?
the "Serial Number Tag" from Harden & Johnston
H & J were Dodge and Peugeot dealers in NSW. That may be the dealers stock no?
"Stamped Engine Number" That would have been stamped in the USA. Does it have D2 in it?
All numbers are different.
I am not an expert. Just what I have learned from my own vehicle.

Manuel in Oz

[1936 D2]

Hi Manuel!
1) It was an H&J brass tag in close proximity to the common black Dodge (Chrysler) "Serial Number Tag" on the floorboards.
2) Yup. I agree that it was probably the body builder's series number (that was stamped into the firewall) - used to track that body through production and then also to match it up with the correct frame / engine at the assembly plant.
3) The car WOULD have had a "D2-000000" engine number if it still had its original engine but alas, it did not, so I have no "proof" of that part. I sort of wondered if that stamped firewall number MAY have been the same as the original "Engine Number" but I think not. How would the body builder have known the engine number?
The only way to know this for sure is if the Australian owner of the 4Dr Touring Sedan would be able to get "Chrysler Historical's" "Build Card Records" for his Dodge "Serial Number Tag" and see if the listed original "Engine Number" is the same as this stamped firewall body number. (I don't think that was done.) The frame of this car should have the original "Engine Number" stamped on the outside of the LR frame rail from the USA's manufacturing plant.
4) I am no "expert" either, just building up info as I go, telling others, and seeing what comes of it.
G'day!

[1936 D2]

So, would it be then that "T J Richards" made the body and "H&J" built the car using an imported Dodge/Chrysler frame and engine with the "TJR" body?

[Manuel]

I think H & J were distributors/dealers. Not sure how many states they covered but they were in NSW.
Did u get any old rego papers/evidence of previous ownership/ID/Owners Manual? They should have the eng no at least. The eng no is compulsory here.

Manuel in Oz

[1936 D2]

All info I gave here is from two other people's cars. This is just info - or like I say - food for thought. So, If this really IS a big issue that you would like to follow up on, I can try to get you in touch with the 4DR owner. I am pretty sure that the current papers for the 4DR's owner is for a newer engine. Not sure if he had any info (like a "Build Record") from earlier in the car's time. I do not know who owns the Coupe.
Sorry I can't be of more help. (Wasn't even sure if I was helping at all because all info I gave is from '36 Dodges - not "34.)
Any Down Under '34 owners out there that can be more model specific?

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Just to throw a bit more info in the pot, these are the numbers on my Dodge :


Body Number ( stamped on the firewall ) – RH 38240
Engine Number ( on the side of the engine block ) – DR-01303

Top of head of engine – 620027-2 I think this may be a part number but I could be wrong.
Serial Number is 3736886
Written in paint on the inside of the body, right side near the rear window is Empire Maroon, RHD, DR
This is a Budd Body not a Richards Body.