Hi, I recently bought a 1950 F-1, so says the previous owner and the Title. But I believe it may be a 1949. Cowl VIN# 97HC262537 Cowl Tag Serial 4SP3A10008. Can anyone help decode so I know for sure which it is?
Thanks for any help.
PIPER

 

Just from looking at the numbers I can't tell. But every state was a little bit different when it came to first registrations and a lot of time it depending on what part of the year it was registered. Its not uncommon to have a 49 listed as a 50.


Hopefully one of the number gurus will be along and can decode that for you.


Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the board
Bobby

 

Thanks for the reply Bobby.
Don

 

Mine was registered, as shown on the title, as a 1948. In fact, it is a very late, flat bedsides and serial number, 1949. I have no idea where the initial mistake occurred, but was accepted in two different states.
1948 trucks had serial numbers that started with 8. The 49 and 50 trucks both had sn's that started with 9. There is a very long thread, in here, that will help you decide how deep into the 1949 model year your truck was built. If it's all original, for certain, and the sides of the bed have creases, it's a 49. If the bed does not have any creases, it could be a 50.

 

Yeah, model year can be a tough one to determine. Unbeknown to me, for decades I owned a 1979 Ford F2. Found out about it when I went to get tags on Gertie and they did a database check since the truck had not been tagged for a few years. Was told my title was wrong. I told the lady that it was my understanding that the title I held in my hot little hands was the ultimate proof of ownership, and trumped anything her computer said. She agreed, but went on to say that my title was still wrong. SO I said "It hasn't been wrong since 1983 when the the document was issued, except for now. Ergo, in the intervening years between 1999 (the last year the truck was tagged) and 2012, BMV did something within their system changing the year, Thus my title was correct, your records are wrong."

Nope, she says, my title was wrong regardless.

After getting a manager involved, I was able to get the mess straightened out. I still had to apply for a new title. At least I got to keep the old one, and it didn't cost me anything.

 

OK first for clarification, there was no VIN back then. Both numbers that you posted appear to be from the firewall.
97HC262537 would be the Serial number, it is referenced in 3 locations
1. The Legal location is on the pass side frame rail near the motor mount.
2. The Rating plate, located on the inside of the glove box door.
3. The Patent Data plate located on the passenger side firewall.
Here is what the SERIAL number tells us.
9= 1949/1950 based on your number it is a 1949, the 1950 break point was about the 375000 #

7H= 226 ci L (flathead) 6

C= F1 (1/2 ton)

The other numbers that you posted are assembly plant information stamped into the upper firewall.
4SP3A10008

4= color code ( I don't recall right now which color that is)
SP= Twin Cities ( St Paul/ Minn) assembly plant
3A= build date Jan 3, 1949
10008= misc internal plant code

 

Joe,
I thank you for taking the time and sharing your knowledge. I questioned if the truck was really a1950 because of the low sequence number, the truck does have a 4speed on the floor and the box sides are smooth. Did they have smooth sides in 1949? ? It currently has a newer homemade wood bed but no tailgate.I am trying to keep it original, if I can figure out what that was. Thanks for any thoughts.

 

AFAIK the change to flat bedsides was a mid-'50 change.

 

4 = Birch gray


The 10008 if I remember right is the 8th vehicle down the line. Which sounds right with it being Jan 3rd.

 

Pictures would help.

 

That's pretty cool that your truck was built on the first Monday of the year!

JB

 

Thank you Joe and Moe for the data. I had forgot what the numbers designated.

On my truck, the cowl numbers are non-existent, no trace of them ever being stamped. I suppose I could estimate when the truck was assembled by comparing my serial number with known trucks with serial numbers close to mine, and with their cowl numbers in evidence. I at least do know from the firewall data plate that it was assembled in Highland Park.

 

Does the truck have a small back window or the big back window. As Ross said the typical changeover from the raised bedsides with rounded stake pockets to the flat bedsides with the square stake pockets was mid 1950. At about the same time they went from the small back glass to the larger back glass.


Bobby

 

Pics please

 

Thanks for all the input regarding my truck. So it sounds like I have 1949 rather than 1950. It does have the small back window, smooth side box but the square stake pockets. So maybe the box was replaced with a later box? I will have to figure out how to upload some pics. Thanks Again All.
Piper