Generator/starter ID tags

Wyn... My mistake... I did not see the serial numbers and letters correctly. Must have been the stroke I had last year about this time during triple bypass. Its effected my short term memory. so. The first id label is corrected as the GCO generator made in February 1938 and is the 625th unit made that year. The second GCO is also made in February of 1938 and is the 615th unit made that year. At this point all I can suggest is these 1938 generators were not original install on these cars. After so many years nobody has any idea how many times something may have been replaced. I will attempt to post my information so everyone can share it. Three different people verified the date and month and number history with me. Sorry to have goofed up my post. I still have never seen a black tag except what you have posted. In all honesty I believe judging is not going to take points away for a black tag or a red tag. But being upside down I recall is something looked for. Georg Arakelian sure would know as would Mark Tomie. Maybe even Brad Waken..


Gary Parsons
 

I don't think so, Gary.  Here is another GCO tag (this one is was red) from an extremely low mileage 1937 Cord (Serial #32294A), still with all original paint and interior.  The ID number is GCO 4804 A 2 - R000615.  This ID pattern follows exactly the pattern as the black one, except this is 615 instead of 625.  Compare the exact relative heights of each stamped number on the two plates.  The second 0 is raised slightly above the others.  The 6 is slightly lower than the others.  And the next number after the 6, which is a 1 on the red tag and a 2 on the black tag, is at a height just in between the preceding lower 6 and the final higher 5.  It seems clear that these two plates were both stamped by the same machine and nearly the same time (same set up). Maybe they changed from red to black tags somewhere between 615 and 625 that year, which I presume had to be 1937.

Wyn Thanks for posting the picture of the black Autolite GCO4804-A tag. I believe its incorrect from all my years of collecting color information. My GCO that came from the Czech  Republic with very low miles on it because one brush wire only had 2 of the 16 copper strands still connected flowing power but so low it did not supply enough to keep the battery full had a red id label. Every west coast meet I have attended only red tags show up. Something is wrong with this black tag. It only has the year of make with is 1938 and its the 625th generator made that year. After the R there needs to be a number of 1 thru 12 for the month made. This tag is missing that number. No zero month was part of the identification from Autolite.


Gary Parsons

I have seen both red and black Autolite GCO generator tags that I am 99% sure are original.  Also, for what it's worth, all the of the original tags I have seen have been mounted so that they seem upside down when mounted in a Cord. 

 

Thanks Gary,

That explains the traces of black on the starter tag

I have gathered every piece of information on this I can find. I've asked many judges and others famous in these cars. My conclusion is EVERY generator had the red tags. I have seen black but they are NOT correct. But nice looking too. The starters were always black. In my years of studying these colors I have never seen a red starter tag on any Cord. Finally, the id tags on the TC and the other firewall mounted  Autolite voltage regulator tag has always been red.  .if anyone can dispute these finding please post up with pictures so we all can learn.
 And finally, The color of the Stratix has several different colors other than black. I have seen them. But black is the ONLY color I have seen on the Cord cars. The serial numbers on the Autolite generators can be interpreted by me. I can tell you what years and month it was made no matter what the generator numbers are. I can even tell you what a particular generator was OEM on the make of car.


Gary Parsons

Hello All,

We are working on the hand built Phaeton Sedan restoration.  The color on the generator and starter ID tags is completely gone.  We have red on the regulator tag. There are traces of black on the starter tag. That could be residue from an old rebuild.  Can anyone confirm the ID tag colors for the hand built cars?

Thanks,

Mitch