Here's the breakdown for what little I know;

9 = 1949/50 model year
8R = 239 V8
T = F4-6 truck
374957 consecutive unit number, which being that high would indicate 1950.

LU = Louisville assembly plant.

Someone else will have to fill in the rest. It does look cool, though.

 

Congrats, Doc! love that door art...

 

Finally got some time to look at the firewall more closely...Found the stamping under the seam: 7RH9B941.

As I understand it:
7...Meadow Green
RH...Richmond
9B...Feb 9 build date
941...941 off the line that day.

Thanks to this forum for helping me find the info.

 

I have a 1949 F1, the VIN is
98PTH397604

 

The "P" should be a "R"

 

Moe,

Thanks! I was wondering about that. Unfortunately, the title shows it as a "P".

I bought this truck out of Texas with a Florida title. I titled it in Michigan and have been driving it for 3 years. I would like to get the VIN corrected on the title, but I have not found the VIN stamped on this truck anywhere.

It has a GM front frame clip, and a Ford 5.0l/AOD powertrain. The is a tag on the firewall just below the passenger-side hood hinge, but it is painted black and I can not see any numbers stamped on it (truck is yellow). There is no tag on the inside of the glove box door.

Can you tell me where else on the frame I might find the VIN? If we put an "R" instead of the "P" in the VIN, what can you tell me about the truck from the VIN?

Thanks,

Walt

 

Hi Walt. I may be wrong, but I am pretty sure the only frame VIN in '49 was on the passenger side frame rail above the front axle (that is where mine is). Since your frame was cut off for the front clip you probably have no VIN unless you can read the plate on the firewall.

 

IMHO, the best thing you can do is leave well enough alone. As noted, the frame stamping on US production trucks of that era is typically found on the right side frame rail, just forward of the front axle. If your frame has been cut in half and a foreign stub attached in front, it appears the legal half is long gone. That could be to your benefit, since the number on your title decodes to be from an F6 truck (the TH part), not an F1. From the info you've provided, it seems someone sold you a truck with an incorrect title. Sometimes it's better to live in blissful ignorance.

 

Last time I have record of that truck it was listed as 98RT out of Texas and it was noted as an F5.

As Wayne said, 98RTH would be an F6. There are no other vin locations than noted above. It sounds like somebody pieced together a couple of trucks to make one. If you have a valid title I'd agree to let go as is.

 

52merc, mtflat,

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. When I bought it in 2008 it came with a Florida title and on that title it shows that the truck was previously from Georgia. It was in Texas when I bought it, near Dallas, but still had Florida plates.

There are some numbers stamped into the firewall, just to the left of the blank ID tag, below the seam. These numbers are
3 9J1013
Do these mean anything? 1949 December unit #1013?

Thanks,
Walt

 

3 is Black
9J is September 9, 1949 assembly date
1013 is plant code for the vehicle down the line

Where did you find the 1949 December unit #1013? Stenciled on the firewall/cowl? Yellow paint perhaps?

Doesn't fit with the month code, but it does square with the unit code. There was a lot of individual variation among the plants so anything is possible.

Out of GA/FL, it probably came from the Atlanta plant. Check the serial numbers/firewall stampings for AT or ATL to verify that.

 

mtflat,

Thanks once again!

A lot of magic in that September 9th build date, but that is another story.
I got the December 9, 1949 unit #1013 info from some old papers that came with the truck when I bought it. Info was written by hand, on an old piece of notebook paper, along with a phone number that has no area code. The notes appear to indicate that the individual purchased a complete Ford F1 truck without an engine or transmission.

I just got to ask; Is there any way to go from the September 9, 1949 build date and the unit# of 1013 to get the VIN # of my truck?

Also, if the cab was built in September of 1949......does that mean it is a 1950 cab?

Thanks again,

Walt

 

Hello all. I know the thread started several years ago, but I thought I'd put my truck's info into the mix:

VIN: 97HC230432
Firewall Stamping: 7SP18H1417854
Raised Sides on Box

I got the truck with no engine or transmission, but believe it was a flat 6 with floor shifted manual trans.

I was told it was a 1950 when I bought it (without a title) so I had it titled it as a 1950 with the state of MN. I've come to believe since then that it is a 1949 based on the production sequence. If someone can interpret the firewall number, it may say for sure. The VIN is the same on the frame (passenger side forward of the front axle), the glove box door, and the fire wall plate. The plate also has the letters "SP" in the area labeled "Branch". My assumption is that this means it was built at the St. Paul plant (where they currently build the Ford Ranger pickup)? If anyone has any insight, I'd be much obliged. Thanks!

Jim

 

Just FYI, the bed on my truck has raised panels. Cab date code is September 9, 1949, unit number 1013, and on the list of items that the builder said he purchased purchased, most all are trim items, the only body parts are the bumpers and some used running boards, so it could be that the balance of my truck is original sheet metal.

 

In a word, no. We can't back track to figure out the original serial number based on date and unit number. For a couple of reasons.

1. Ford issued serial numbers in blocks to assembly plants so you might have two trucks with consecutive serial numbers, one with an earlier date of assembly at one plant and the other with a later date of assembly from another plant.
2. the data we've collected isn't complete enough to assign missing numbers based on date of assembly even tho we've collected several hundred numbers.

You have a 49 truck - at the time Ford was using the calendar year as model year..... that said, some states didn't assign a title until it was purchased. Your's appears to have been purchased in Dec '49 so it is a '49 truck. I'm not aware of Ford selling trucks without engine/trans, but I suppose its possible - just haven't heard of it.

And to answer your last question, I can't say for sure but you probably have a complete truck where somebody lost the title and substituted one from a larger F6 truck. Michigan didn't care and issued a current title without investigating what it really was. This was common a few years ago, but doesn't fly now.