Hey y'all,

I'm hoping to join your ranks soon as i'm looking at a a 59 F250 to purchase, but I'm having a difficult time decoding the data plate. I've decoded most of it, but the Transmission and the Axle are still not confirmed...

The Trans is "A": while some of the decoders indicate that this should be a number? From looking at listings in the Registry on this subforum though, it appears that "A" is that standard 3-spd that came in so many of these trucks.

Meanwhile, the Axle is "06" - i found a decoder that indicated this is a 2.91:1 - which seems like an oddly high ratio (low number) for a 3/4 ton truck. I didn't find anyone listing an 06 Axle in the registry here after searching a number of pages... Can y'all confirm this axle?

Here it is data plate:


thanks for the help!
~Jake

 

F25 = F250.

J = 223 1V I-6.

9 = 1959.

N = Norfolk VA Assembly Plant.

11698 = 1959 Numerical Sequence of Assembly.

118" Wheelbase.

R = Red.

F25J = F250 2WD .. 7,400 lbs. GVWR

28K = Assembled October (K) 28, 1958.

A = Ford 3 Speed Manual Transmission.

06 = Spicer/Dana 60 Rear Axle / 4.88-1 / 5,200 lbs. Rear Axle Capacity.

7,400 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

126 net HP @ 4,000 RPM

 

thanks so much, Bill!

Is this decoding information available online somewhere?

 

Not that I'm aware of, I used the 1957/63 Ford Truck Parts Catalog to decode it.

This catalog is available on a C/D from hipoparts.com

This truck was assembled in Norfolk VA .. so it was probably sold new in MD, NC or VA .. It was not sold new in AZ

If sold new in AZ, it would have been assembled in San Jose CA

 

I've got another one for you, Bill:

This one is a flatbed, but I'm not sure if it came that way or not.
F25J0H53065

WB: 118
Color: L
Model: F251
Date: 21F
Trans: 1A
Axle: 06
GVW LBS: 4900 (why is this so much less? What is different than the other one?)
DSO: 5054 (What does this mean?)




Thanks so much for your help!

 

There's no way to know what "back of cab" equipment these trucks came with (if any) until 1972.

F25 = F250.

J = 223 1V I-6.

0 = 1960.

H = Lorain OH Assembly Plant.

53065 = 1960 Numerical Sequence of Assembly.

118" Wheelbase.

L = Dark Green.

F251 = F250 2WD .. 4,900 lbs. GVWR

21F = Assembled June (F) 21, 1960.

1A = Ford 3 speed manual transmission.

06 = Spicer/Dana 60 Rear Axle / 4.88-1 / 5,200 lbs. Rear Axle Capacity.

4,900 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.

126 net HP @ 4,000 RPM

5054 = Domestic Special Order number, the truck was ordered special by the original purchaser, not "bought off the lot."

MODEL code defines GVWR

 

Thanks again for the info! The transmission that it's in now is a 4 in the floor - so I'm guessing it's not original. It is a different transmisison code (1A) than the '59 (A) - do you know what the difference between the two Ford 3 Speeds that these represent are?

Why does this F250 has such lower GVWR than the '59 above? Do you know what actually equptment/spec differences this would equate to between the trucks?

Thanks again!

 

The Ford 3 speed manual installed in F100/250's prior to 1963 have a non syncro (crash) 1st gear.

1957/60 F250 2WD's were available w/a 4,900 or 7,400 GVWR

The number of front and rear leaf springs would be the difference.

 

Thanks again! it's a huge help!

Both of these were pre-1963. Does the Parts book differentiate between TRANS "A" and TRANS "1A"?

Makes sense with the GVWR.

 

Ford added the 1 to the A .. why I dunno, but the trans is the same.