Thank You very much

 

My serial number on the frame is 97 HC 193933 the number stamped INTO the firewall is: 5 218061 Could you provide a history of my truck please? TIA! Oh, it's a 1949 F1
AND>>> I would love to be able to save this little gem near the top of the fire wall:

 

I'll try to help you out BUT, we already have a long running thread specifically for this HERE https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/4...n-cut-off.html


9- 1949 or 1950
7H- 226 cu in flathead 6
C- F1 1/2 ton
193933 - sequential production number - this low makes it a 1949

Your firewall stamping doesn't seem to conform to the normal standards, they normally contain a number or letter for color, one or two letters for plant, combination of number(s) letter for date and production number which could be 1-4 digits.

 

Oops, sorry Joe, I should have done my research! I went out and took a pic of the stamping, here's what it looks like



The one in between the 8 and the 6 is a zero

 

Looks like something in front of the 5 and the 2 is not a 2, they never used a 2 stamp like that. I'd try to clean it up a little better. A hint that Ross gave me, don't use sand paper or steel wool, as it tends to cut down the edges of the stampings and fills them in, making it harder to read them. Use one of those green scrubby sponges.

 

My serial number is, "98RD *317588* DI". Although it is an F2, I was told that the serial number sequence (317588) was in the same production numbering with the F1. If the 281,000 is "pretty close," to the 49-50 change, my number is either in the last days of production in 1949, or, the F1 and F2 had different production series numbering. Can anyone help me with this?

 

Welcome to FTE!
All sizes of trucks went down the assembly line and were stamped like all the rest. So yes, Your F2 is likely an early 1950 produced in Dallas along with F1s, F4s and F6s, etc..

Plants received batches of serial numbers from Ford and used them consecutively until used up.
The other wrinkle in the process is some states assigned the model date to the year the truck was registered. Some built in 1949 are titled as 1950.

 

So, the "9" in "98RD" means nothing?

 

It was used for both years - 1949 and 1950

Unusual but normal. Ford had a tendency to use a number indicating the beginning of production and continuing until some major change took place.
Example: Ford tractors 9N models ran from 1939 thru 1941
2N models ran from 1942 thru 1947
8N models ran 1948 thru 1952.

 

Thank you!