I recently looked at an old 1978, F150, 4x4 with either a 400, AND it looks to have a stock PTO winch. Is this possible - stock PTO winch?????
The truck starts, sounds and runs okay, with some minor tranny & oil (around Distributor) leaks. But what worries me the most is, the truck doesn't have the door or door jam information tags. The registration has one VIN (for a F100, 2x2) and the insurance has a different VIN (for a F150, 4x4). And, there is no VIN tag on the dash, at the base of the windshield.
So, that's my request for advice - concerning the PTO (stock?) and the issue with the VIN number.
thanks for the help.

 

Do you have a title? What ever is on your title should be used. Either the truck is "HOT" or someone has replaced parts and took off the VIN info.

There is a couple of places the VIN is stamped on the chassis, on the passenger side between the cab and core support and under the cab on the same side. Very Hard if not impossible to look at without taking parts off. Also, it may be rusted away like mine was. But that would be the "true" VIN of the truck no matter what else was swapped out.

Here is the one spot I found on my 77 F250. Not sure about the winch.

 

is there a ford part number on the pto? As for vin tags, the 70's were good candidates for vin switching. Most thieves would steal a truck, swap vin tags, paint it real quick, and call it their own. Nowadays, it's a matter of building a truck and keeping your own title as you replace doors, etc... that said, if there isn't any tags, I'd be weary. But like buck said, check the frame and compare with the title. the title has to match the vin, and the insurance has to match the title and truck, or a picky insurance adjuster will disqualify any claim.

also, it's illegal here in MN to fail to display vin, so getting pulled over, the plates don't seem right, they shine their flashlight at the dash, don't see it, you tell them it's on the door, they don't see it, etc... I guess all in all, it would make a good parts truck, IMO. I'm not trying to discourage the buy, just giving ya my 2 cents.

 

You also might wanna check on the firewall behind the motor that's where mine is, its on a tag there, on the frame behind the tranny cross member, on the door, and on a tag behind the dash assembly. Try those places first like the other members posted.

 

It's possible. The NP205 has a PTO plate where a PTO could attach. But a factory PTO winch, no way.

Is the driver's door different than the rest of the truck?

Other places where VIN would be:

Passenger side frame rail between battery tray and firewall
Buck tag on passenger side firewall
Buck tag between cab and bed on the bottom

 

Thanks for your responses - the Title is in the guy's name, but it'sa VIN for an F100 (F10HNBNH2114) where as the truck is evidentally an F150, 4x4 (9" rear; D44 frnt) - the insurance has a VIN # of F14SNBF1347. I poured over all the pictures that I took and there are no VIN tags in any of the normal places.

 

The guy could have put an f-100 body on the 4x4 frame at some time. Mabye the original was rusted or wrecked.

 

right, but if he did, he would have two titles. one for the original 4x4 body, and one that came with the f100 body. Without knowing which is which without any vin plates makes it more suspicious.

 

You guys any tag that can be removed is NOT the verfiied VIN #

The only VIN# that should be on the registration is the one on the frame.

The Door tag can be bogus
The Buck Tag on the firewall can be bogus.
Any other Buck Tag can be bogus

To the OP... These trucks DIDN'T Get/Have a VIN Plate on the dash like GM's did.(That changed in the 80's.)



The Truck HAS to be registered to the Frame/Chassis VIN#

In a lot of places ..If one builds a truck from scratch..they can make their OWN VIN# and Title it that way.

 

Ive been reading this thread and now it got me curious so i went out and looked for a vin plate on my truck 78 f150 4x4 and there is NOTHING on the drivers side bottom of the windshield. This is normal??

 

Yes , that's normal.
They didn't start doing that until the 80's

Because .. it was now fastened to a spot where it wouldn't need/get removed.

 

Yep that is normal....73-79 did NOT have a VIN plate on the dash like the later built trucks. See the previous post by Dennis. He explains all the places where the VIN #s are located.

 

Regarding the VINs you posted:

F14SNBF1347 is a valid number...'78 F150 4x4, 400 engine, Norfolk assembly plant, assembled in January of 1978. This may be its true VIN.

F10HNBNH2214 is an invalid #. Are you sure it's F10HNBH2114? F100, 351M engine, Norfolk assembly plant.

They are a little shady - the VINs are eerily similar.

Ask the guy about what happened to F14SNBF1347's title.

The thing left to do is to wipe the passenger side frame rail and shine a flashlight on it. It should be there unless it's been grinded off. In that case, run!

 

You can buff it off and stroke some welders chaulk over it to see if the characters become highlighted for easier observation.

 

I took a steel wire brush to the frame on my 77 just to see where the vin is exactaly, and found it with no problem, so IF I go see it again I know where to look.

I can try asking the guy if he has the title for the 78 F150 4x4, b/c the title he has has the vin #: F10HNBH2114 and says the truck is red and white.
The vin shows it's a 78 F100 2wd w/ 351M
Now that I think of it and look alittle more, he had a parts truck that fits that exact discription way behind his house.