On the front left side by the Rad ,,,and whats up!!! with the punched out F (I figured out what a few mean)
Wow - this is one I can help with. This tag is called a "BUCK" tag, which was applied only to those Pintos that were Canadian built (in the case, at the St. Thomas Ontario plant). This tag contains information about the car (obviously in code numbers) that tell you something about options, color, trim, body style, VIN, etc. It IS in addition to the VIN plate and the sticker found on the door jam. Check all of them and see what you find in common. Some codes are indecipherable; Mavericks also had them, and the guys on the Maverick group have just as little information about all the codes as we do.
What is neat about the buck tag is that it distinguishes your car as Canadian built. Mine was as well. Hope that helped.
Chris
I have had a few non-Canadian Pintos with that tag. Sometimes it is located on the upper right of the radiator support like in the photo, sometimes it is on the lower part below the radiator on the right side.
Bill
That is a surprise! I had read that no other cars were equipped with them but Canadian models.
Chris
Thankyou very much Bill and Chris for your time and knowledge....
i read that all the very first pinto`s came from the (canada plant) then later not sure when,,, they started in the u.s.a plants... ie:one in California....
My 71 sedan was built in San Jose.
maybe just the 70 models where built in canada in the begining
No, I have a 1976 wagon with this tag. I have also seen a 1970 Maverick with the tag. The St. Thomas plant (was)? in operation building these for many years.
Chris
Bill 77 turbopinto says he`s had a few america built pinto`s with this tag so they must have applyed it there too....
Someone likely has answered this already, but just in case. The St-Thomas plant, near London Ontario, is still around. They build the Crown Victoria, the Grand Marquis, the big Lincoln (I forget what they call it), as well as the Police Interceptor and the taxicab version.
Even before the sky fell in the fall of 2008, the St-Thomas plant's future was in doubt, as they had no replacement model when these large rear-drive cars were at the end of their run.
I regularly drive on highway 401 betwen London and Windsor, and I used to see multiple ca haulers with these cars on them. They unfortunately have become a rarity.