Early Tow'd

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 6:23 am

The Tow'd just added to the classifieds was made in Oct 68. According to the register, that appears to be the first month Tow'ds were produced and tagged. There are 4 other Tow'ds on the register made that month. The first Tow'ds had ABS plastic bodies, which almost all, Meyers had to replace. I've never heard whether the ABS Tow'ds had tags and if they did, whether they swapped the ABS tag to the new fiberglass body. http://www.meyersmanx.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=306

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:25 am

I've spent some time looking at the registry and believe that after 10 plus years of gathering data it has some pretty solid data regarding Towd serial numbers. The first thing I noticed was there are zero registered Tow'ds with tags issued any month before October 1968(J8). However, five Tow'ds have been registered which have October 68 tags. They are; T0/108/J8/22S, T0/109/J8/22S, T0/114/J8/13S, T0/115/J8/31S and T0/117/J8/31S. I also noticed there are no production numbers lower than 100. There are zero Tow'ds registered from November 68. However it was also the month of the 1968 Mexican 1000 Race, in which the factory sent a whole team of Towd's to Baja with factory crews and also when Bruce crashed. There are four Tow'ds registered from December 68. There are eight registered from Jan 69. I believe a statistician would tell you that, based on the data in the registry, the odds are extremely high that the first tags were put on fiberglass Tow'd bodies in October 1968, and also, that the first production number in the sequence was #101. If you look at the 4 digit serial numbers with no prefix or suffix, that the company issued after Bruce left, they did the same thing. They started with #1001. All the 4 digit numbers are 1XXX. There's no 3 digit, 2 digit, or 1 digit serial numbers. Its a common practice with automobile and motorcycle serial numbers to start with 1001 or 10000001, depending on how many they think they'll make. Serial numbers can tell a lot. In WW2 the British were worried about the new Tiger tank. They knew it was better than the allies' tanks but they didn't know how many the Germans had. The British got some economists to analyze the serial numbers of captured German tanks and they figured The Germans had much fewer Tigers than intell said they had. After the war they checked the actual German records and found out the economists had been dead on accurate. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1824525,00.html To be continued...

Vealmonkey · Post by **Vealmonkey** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:09 pm

I have a Dec '68 Tow'd. TO/213/L8/43r and it is an ABS tub with the orange color. It is not in the best of shape as it is cracked up in too many places and a previous owner had actually pop-riveted the tub to the frame! It has had several backyard metal reinforcements added which some have been removed and other will soon be removed. I've purchased a tow'dster hood for it and hopefully will have it street worthy next summer. I don't know if anyone has restored a ABS bodied Tow'd or if anyone even can repair the ABS bodies. I know I wouldn't mind purchasing a replacement body and putting the ABS body aside for safe keeping. If all the other Tow'ds have fiberglass replacement bodies, maybe that makes mine rare? Also in trying to follow your numbering system, if they started with number 101, does the first number stand for the first production month or is it just an arbitrary number? I guess to make the question clearer, since my Tow'd is 213, does it make my Tow'd the 113th body to be made or is it the 13th body made in the second month of production? I guess there aren't many or aren't any records showing exact numbers. More information please. I've been curious about such questions and now you're making me even more curious. Have you talked to Bruce Meyers about this? Anxiously awaiting the next installment.

Siggymanx33 · Post by **Siggymanx33** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:36 pm

I just put Tow'd #1630 into the registry. (red metalflake fiberglass) Winnie had an explanation on the 4 digit serial numbers after Bruce left the company. I believe she said that most everything after Bruce left the company was moved to the simple 4 digit identifiers.

CairoManx · Post by **CairoManx** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:02 pm

Pat, Last night I went through the register and copied down and organized the serial numbers of all the Tow'ds made every month, from Oct 68 to Aug 70, (when the long serial numbers quit). From the way the registry serial numbers are tightly clustered, its pretty obvious that the company made Tow'ds in batches of 20 or 30 and that sometimes there were gaps in the serial numbers between batches. The production numbers jump to T02XX in Dec 68, T03XX in Jan 69 and just one, T04XX in Feb 69. Then also in Feb 69, the TF Tow'd numbers start, but they roll back to TF1XX. I'm still working on it but I'm going to make a spread sheet of what the serial numbers were for each month and also make a guesstimate of how many Tow'ds were made. It looks like two batches of around 30 Tow'ds were made in Dec 1968. Your Towd is in the middle of the first batch. The registered Dec 68 Towd's are 207, 213, and 222. Then it looks like a second batch was started with just 2 Tow'ds from it registered, 270 and 296. I think the first Dec 68 batch went from 201 to about 230. I think the second Dec 68 batch went from 270 to 300. As far as getting a replacement body, I believe Dennis Long has the Sand Hopper body molds. Also Dave Barrett from Fresno used to make Towd bodies but I think he got out of the fiberglass business and makes tube steel Manx frames. You might ask him where his mold went. I think his Manx mold went to Texas. http://www.manxchassis.com/ Dave, I haven't gone through all the 4 digit numbers yet but I totally agree with the explanation that they were issued after Bruce left the company. That's what the note on the back of the registry says about 4 digit numbers on Manx 2s. However, if you look at the 4 digit note regarding Tow'ds and SRs, it says 4 digit numbers are early!!! What Winnie told you and what's on the registry don't agree.

Siggymanx33 · Post by **Siggymanx33** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:08 pm

I just had this conversation with her last week and truth be told, I am not 100% sure .....but I believe she was changing her stance on what was written on the register. My 4 digit tow'd is late.

Vealmonkey · Post by **Vealmonkey** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:21 am

I'm just bumping up this post for any follow-up. I've been waiting for the next installment.

tat99 · Post by **tat99** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:54 pm

when i bought my 68 manx a couple of years ago from the original dealer he gave me a file with all his old paper work. i have original meyers paperwork on 17 manx and 1 towed the towed meyers paper work has a serial #TO279L833S and says it is green. just thought it might help those on this thread that are doing data research with toad numbering

1MINT86 · Post by **1MINT86** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:00 am

When I bought my Tow'd it came with the original sales receipt, It's dated 7/30/1971 the serial number is 1679. The cost for a complete Tow'd kit including hood, fenders and windshield was a total of $916.85.

Mr Towd · Post by **Mr Towd** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:43 pm

Here is a head scratcher for you. I had an issue with my number. When I submitted it to Winnie, She says there is another Tow'd in the mid west with the same number as mine. I had to send her photos to prove what I have.

Siggymanx33 · Post by **Siggymanx33** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:24 pm

Just an idea, but since Winnie doesn't ask for "proof" mistakes can be made. I know becasue I submitted mine as 1635 and then had to call her back when i double checked 1630......

Mr Towd · Post by **Mr Towd** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:17 pm

It is a real conundrum. I know my numbers are right.

Gene-C · Post by **Gene-C** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 1:18 am

Mr Towd, what's your #, maybe the other one is registered with the wrong number. I am the knucklehead that listed my Early Tow'd for sale. Call it a mental holiday, I decided to keep it. Wew, that was close!

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