Tim, it is true the earlier Fords did have more than one frame vin stamp location. Here's a diagram from Vanpelts site that I can attest to its correctness. It is also correct for more than the stated years in the image too.

 

Wayne I agree, but I have never had my hands on one so my info is from the books. I would guess early ford trucks (pickups at least) had the same stampings as the cars because they used the same frame up until the 1942 pickup trucks got their own frame and open driveline.

 

In my lifetime I have worked on several (at least a dozen or so) Ford cars and trucks from the 35-41 era, and they all had the triple stamping as shown in the diagram. Model A's have a vin stamp on a crossmember (iirc, over the rear axle), and I can't remember how many places the 32-34's were stamped along the frame rail, but they're there, too. That's all I know.

 

OK, tonight I just bought another 1949 F1 pickup. It is a basket-case sitting in a field in PA, pretty rusty, but it is a flathead V8 with what appears to be a floor shifter original trans. The flathead has been replaced, apprears to be a 254 Merc motor.
Serial number is one the title is 98RC343229. Buy the time we got the hood open, it was too dark to read the numbers/letters on the cowl, or the serial number tag on the firewall.

 

That vin number is well within the 1950 range. 1950 F1 with an orginal flathead 8.

 

Doc,

Thanks for the info. Seller claimed it was a 1949, but his PA title, issued in 1957, just states that it is a Ford Truck, no model year. It was his farm truck, he put the Merc motor in it back in the 60's, when the driveshaft broke he just parked it.

Walt

 

Congratulations on your new truck, Walt. It will be interesting to see if the title matches the underhood/firewall tag or glove box tag if you have one. There might also be 2 or 3 letters after the serial number on the firewall tag, which would identify the assembly plant. That code may also be stamped on the firewall. Let us know what you find.

 

Wayne,

Thanks! No glove box tag as the glove box door is missing, but the cowl tag is on the firewall. I will post those numbers as well as the cab date code info as soon as I get it home and cleaned off.

The seller provided a bill of sale stating that it is a 1949, so it will be interesting to see what the state of PA puts on the new title. I am not sure they can tell from the serial number that it is a 1950 since the 1949 and 1950 F-1s all stated with the 98RC.

I will keep you all posted.

 

Yeah keep us posted. If you can get the seller to do it, I would definitely ask him to write out a bill of sale for 1950. But if not, I wouldn't fret too much because, you're right, nobody at the local DMV is gonna be able to know the difference. Heck that very question is why the guys started this thread several years ago. To give you an idea, off the top of my head, my 49 F1 is 98RC24xxxx and my 50 F1 is 98RC 324xxx as best I can remember. And don't let anybody tell you that it HAS to be a 49 because it had a floor shifter. Quite a few 50's (including mine) had floor shifters. Only the LATE 50's had column shifters.

 

Just to clarify the shifter thing, it was only the light duty 3 speed that got the remote shifter, sometime during the 1950 model year. The heavy duty 3 and all the 4 speeds were still floor shifted.

 

Although the changeover to column shifter probably happened at different times depending on the assembly plant, my truck (97HC312907 / DAH37) built in Dallas, TX on 8/8/50 came with a light duty floor shift.

 

Keep in mind Ford was using the calendar year as model year for these trucks at this point, so your Aug truck was near mid-year.

 

I didn't realize that. Good point. I was thinking that August was fairly late in the production run for 1950.

 

OK, got some time to investigate this truck this morning. The firewall tag is there, and readable. It shows *98RC*343299*C8. The firewall just below the cowl vent has this series of letters/numbers; 4C3L2D388. I found the serial number on the passenger side frame rail, starting at the 2 large rivets for the frame corner brace. So far I can see the RC and the 343299 but not yer found the rest of the digits or the stars, got to get better access.
This truck is a floor shift, small window, and it does have the raised bed panels. It appears to have a factory heater.
Can you tell me the assembly plant, original color (has green paint in many places) and the cab build date?

Walt

UPDATE: the last three digits of the serial number are 229, not 299, sorry, my typo.

 

Hi Walt,
8's and 3's look a lot like "S" on these stamping so I'm giving it an educated guess here - on the serial number the C8 should read CS especially given the PA title.

I think the firewall code should read 4 CS L2 D388

4 is the color code and I have a note showing Chester PA plant using the 4 code for Meadow Green.

CS is Chester PA assembly plant

L2 is November 2nd

D388 is vehicle down the line.

I don't have much info for Chester built trucks - the ones I do have tend to be fleet or special use trucks. This is the first one with a firewall stamping so I'm grateful that you took time to post it.