not when it left the factory, but when it was sold to a dealer from one of the two distributers (one in california, the other on the east coast). if it were stamped in japan, it would most likely have japanese print vs english
Calling All FJ25 Experts. Need help.
- Thread starter Indygbd
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Archie 1962 FJ25
Autocrat
But see chassis is always stamped in English and if just the year was stamped overseas than “type style” / ‘font” would have been quite different to the rest of the data plate. If not Toyota factory than whole data plate was done at the same time at same place.
that would be my guess. while i do know they used distributors, i have not ever seen anything that the distributors did the data plates, but it does kind of make sense.
oregon fj
Serial rescuer of old vehicles
I didn't think there were any real "distributors" of Toyota cars in the US before 1963. I'd understood that prior to that handfuls of rigs were imported by small resellers. Am I misinformed?
by resellers, are you talking dealers? i don't know what year distributorship started. i have read carroll shelby turned down and opportunity and a friend of his bought out the gulf states distributorship in the late 60s. and i think it was mid 74 when toyota got rid of all but 2 distributors, but history is a bit sketchy back then.
Toyota did the importing and had port facilities on the west/east coast. Vehicles were stored and port-installed options were completed. Data plates were stamped and attached to the vehicle at the port facilities immediately prior to the vehicles being sent to dealers.
Last edited:
Bear
SILVER Star
Bill,
Thank-you for researching this. My understanding was that the very earliest vehicles were delivered first to the Long Beach West Coast port, that there was not a simultaneously opened East Coast port in the beginning. From reading only, and could be incorrect.
Could you share your source of information on USA plate stamping and the years during which this was done--are you referencing a Toyota document? Curious to know if this was Toyota's delivery requirement worldwide at each country's port of entry and when this ceased. The few foreign non-Japanese assembly plants seems to explain the variances in those "VIN" plates through the years.
Individual stamping would be awkward when the very first few vehicles early started trickling into each country--some must have come directly from Japan with the information pre-stamped, if not in Japanese, then perhaps in some native language if that was an import requirement.
Interested to learn more from your research.
Thank-you for researching this. My understanding was that the very earliest vehicles were delivered first to the Long Beach West Coast port, that there was not a simultaneously opened East Coast port in the beginning. From reading only, and could be incorrect.
Could you share your source of information on USA plate stamping and the years during which this was done--are you referencing a Toyota document? Curious to know if this was Toyota's delivery requirement worldwide at each country's port of entry and when this ceased. The few foreign non-Japanese assembly plants seems to explain the variances in those "VIN" plates through the years.
Individual stamping would be awkward when the very first few vehicles early started trickling into each country--some must have come directly from Japan with the information pre-stamped, if not in Japanese, then perhaps in some native language if that was an import requirement.
Interested to learn more from your research.
