Build Date Narrowed

Took dash out to paint and removed speedometer to clean. Speedo is the newest component I have found on car. Unit is marked "May 4 1955". Always thought the car was a late production car but can't get exact build date.

Also while taking the dash off I found out why I could never find Morgan Buick(dealer plate riveted to trunk says"Morgan Bros. Selma").

Found a pencil in a defroster duct for "Morgan Bros. Desoto-Plymouth Selma".

So someone traded in a Roady for a Desoto!

Paul,

Pretty sure Sean can even tell you what time of day your car was built . He will probably check this thread since it implies "numbers" question.

That would be cool. Numbers are: B6053563 Body #BA-3023

Unfortunately I don't have that information, just the serial number ranges for each plant.

Thanks Sean, I got it narrowed down to the last couple of months of production.

That would be cool. Numbers are: B6053563 Body #BA-3023

Detailed records showing exact production dates tied-in with your 1955 Car Serial Number nor how many 1955 Roadmaster 4-door sedans were built in each of the eight Buick Assembly Plants haven't surfaced and probably don't exist.

You might run across some data reporting a start and final production number for either a specific month or for the entire production year run. Sean mentions in his Post above, that he has the serial number ranges for each plant. I'm guessing that it might be for Atlanta, Georgia's Assembly Plant production year run. (The prefix 6 in your Car Serial Number matches the BA on your BODY BY FISHER Number Plate, both identifying Atlanta.)

Here are a couple ideas that should give you an idea of whether your Buick is an early or later-production Model.....

1. It's well documented that Atlanta's Assembly Plant Car Serial Number's range started with 001001. Yours is 053563. Three items are unknown: how many more 1955 Buicks after 52,562 were built in Atlanta; how many more Model 72's were built in Atlanta after your 3023rd one; and what was Atlanta's final serial number for the production year run. Sean can probably provide us with the final serial number, or better yet, if he has detailed monthly records, he could pinpoint the month for us. FWIW, you didn't state the first of three prefaces of your Car Serial Number.....it should be a 7 denoting a Series 70 Buick.

2. If you have the OEM glass, the LOF two-letter glass bugs on the windshield and side glass can give you an idea when the glass was manufactured. What are the two-letter codes after the AS-1 on the windshield and the AS-2 on the side-glass pieces? Keep in mind that the glass could have been made a month or two before your Buick was built.

3. There are other areas that could confirm your early vs. later-production question.....OEM Delco-Remy starter and generator tags showing a Part Number followed by a build date.....comparing Engine Serial Numbers.....comparing other information with other Model 72 owners built in Atlanta.....etc., but I'll leave it at that.

Good luck on your research.

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

This is what I have for 1955:

[TABLE=class: grid, width: 405]

<tbody>[TR]

[TD]Plant[/TD]

[TD]Body Tag Code[/TD]

[TD]Serial # Code[/TD]

[TD]Start[/TD]

[TD]End[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Flint, MI[/TD]

[TD]G[/TD]

[TD]1[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]244927[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]South Gate, CA[/TD]

[TD]BC[/TD]

[TD]2[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]087498[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Linden, NJ[/TD]

[TD]BL[/TD]

[TD]3[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]093179[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Kansas City, KS[/TD]

[TD]BK[/TD]

[TD]4[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]094934[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Wilmington, DE[/TD]

[TD]BW[/TD]

[TD]5[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]068057[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Atlanta, GA[/TD]

[TD]BA[/TD]

[TD]6[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]070979[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Framingham, MA[/TD]

[TD]BF[/TD]

[TD]7[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]037771[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Arlington, TX[/TD]

[TD]BT[/TD]

[TD]8[/TD]

[TD]001001[/TD]

[TD]049469[/TD]

[/TR]

</tbody>[/TABLE]

There are also a couple of items in the 1955 service bulletin book. Configuration of fins on the rear differential housing, oil filler caps in valve covers.Connecting rods changed from clinch bolt to press fit pin in pistons.UOTE=1953mack;1386600]Detailed records showing exact production dates tied-in with your 1955 Car Serial Number nor how many 1955 Roadmaster 4-door sedans were built in each of the eight Buick Assembly Plants haven't surfaced and probably don't exist.

You might run across some data reporting a start and final production number for either a specific month or for the entire production year run. Sean mentions in his Post above, that he has the serial number ranges for each plant. I'm guessing that it might be for Atlanta, Georgia's Assembly Plant production year run. (The prefix 6 in your Car Serial Number matches the BA on your BODY BY FISHER Number Plate, both identifying Atlanta.)

Here are a couple ideas that should give you an idea of whether your Buick is an early or later-production Model.....

1. It's well documented that Atlanta's Assembly Plant Car Serial Number's range started with 001001. Yours is 053563. Three items are unknown: how many more 1955 Buicks after 52,562 were built in Atlanta; how many more Model 72's were built in Atlanta after your 3023rd one; and what was Atlanta's final serial number for the production year run. Sean can probably provide us with the final serial number, or better yet, if he has detailed monthly records, he could pinpoint the month for us. FWIW, you didn't state the first of three prefaces of your Car Serial Number.....it should be a 7 denoting a Series 70 Buick.

2. If you have the OEM glass, the LOF two-letter glass bugs on the windshield and side glass can give you an idea when the glass was manufactured. What are the two-letter codes after the AS-1 on the windshield and the AS-2 on the side-glass pieces? Keep in mind that the glass could have been made a month or two before your Buick was built.

3. There are other areas that could confirm your early vs. later-production question.....OEM Delco-Remy starter and generator tags showing a Part Number followed by a build date.....comparing Engine Serial Numbers.....comparing other information with other Model 72 owners built in Atlanta.....etc., but I'll leave it at that.

Good luck on your research.

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

All glass is either JX or KX which would be April and May of 1955. So using Seans numbers, there were 17000 odd more cars made in Atlanta after mine. I'd venture an educated guess late May or June 55 with glass and radio dates. Don't know what other dated components I'll come across but May 55 is the latest so far.