Hello all,


My new (to me) 1977 f150 4x4 seems not to have the vin number on the drivers door frame, it has the top number, but not the bottom.


Someone help tell me that this is okay and the VIn is located somewhere else.

 

 

The door mounted plate isn't actually a VIN plate, Ford calls it a "warranty plate". In most states the door mounted plate isn't valid for title purposes, it's too easy to change a door. The VIN needs to be on a permanent structure.
Montana highboy has shown you where the two "legal VIN's are located. Sometimes they are lightly stamped or covered with decades of crud and grease and can be hard to locate/read.

 

Only the VIN, nothing else? Does the truck have a salvage title? VIN only* would have been stamped on a plate by the DMV or polizei as the vehicle was likely a theft recovery at some point.

Possible scenario: Hidden frame VIN(s) ground off, so when truck was recovered, CA issued a new VIN / Original 11 digit VIN would have begun with F14 = F150 4WD Pickup.

This is what was there originally:

Warranty Plate riveted to left door face below the latch. 1st line has the VIN / 2nd line has the W.B. (wheelbase in inches), codes for the COLOR, Type/GVW (or MODEL code depending on the year), BODY, TRANS, AXLE.

3rd line: GVW in lbs., actual year (on some), DSO code. Some Warranty Plates have this printed on it: WARRANTY VOID IF MAX GVW EXCEEDED

Warranty Plate VIN is not for title purposes, one reason why: People replaced damaged left doors with used doors, 99.9% of the time, they failed to install the original Warranty Plate on the replaced door.

When this occurs, VIN on Warranty Plate will not match VIN on title (Pink Slip here in CA).

Then, there's this:

Beginning 1970, Safety Standards Certification Label (SSCL) glued to the left (drivers) side B pillar below the striker plate. 1970/79: Has the Production Date at the upper corner, VIN and misc other codes printed on it.

Is this also missing? Wouldn't be surprised if it was, because when it got wet, the clear outer layer peeled off on its own, taking some/all (pick one) of the inner layer codes along with it. Or, the entire SSCL fell off.

Just like the Warranty Plate, the SSCL is not for title purpose. CA DMV/Law Enforcement (usually the CHP) go by hidden frame VIN(s).

* I've never seen a Warranty Plate with just the VIN on it, but who knows, someone at the assembly plant could have forgotten to stamp the codes on it. Post a pic of what the plate on the door looks like.

 

Maybe it made a pit-stop in Juan's Shop
It's called Juan's Chop Shop
You want it, We got it.
We don't got it, We can get it.
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