Editorial & Verification Standards
Every technical claim needs a source
Specifications, production years, horsepower, part numbers, paint codes, serial-number ranges, and compatibility are never asserted from memory or repetition. Each is tied to a cited source, or it does not get published as fact. Claims we can’t yet source are held back or shown explicitly as unverified.
Our source hierarchy
Not all sources carry equal weight. We rank them, and the rank is visible on the data we publish:
- Tier 1 — Build/production records (e.g. factory ledgers held by historical societies).
- Tier 2 — Archival (museums, established collector clubs and registries).
- Tier 3 — Print references (recognized books, factory literature, magazines).
- Tier 4 — Aggregated databases (reputable online compilations).
- Tier 5 — User-generated (forums, anecdotes) — used only as leads, clearly labeled.
What our status labels mean
- Verified — confirmed against a cited source at the indicated tier.
- Conflicting sources — credible sources disagree; we present each side with its citation.
- Verification pending — in our queue, not yet confirmed, and therefore not asserted as fact.
Language we use on purpose
When the record is incomplete you will see phrasing like “factory literature indicates,” “commonly reported,” “collector reports suggest,” and “verify against your serial number and parts book.” That hedging is deliberate honesty, not vagueness.
Sources & Verification Notes
Substantive articles and reference entries carry a “Sources & Verification Notes” section so you can see exactly where the information came from and check it yourself.
Corrections
Found something wrong? Send a documented correction via our contact page. We update the record and the citation.