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New guy here, I've been busy researching where to find the VIN number for my 1954 F100. I have the entire front end removed from my truck and have found numbers located by the steering gear on the left frame rail. The question I have is the numbers there do not seem to match any type of VIN number I've been able to look up. Also the rating tag that should be in the glove box is missing. The numbers on the frame appear to be 85A R 17320* below those numbers on the frame are the letters FAE. I've tried to take a picture of this on the vehicle but they don't ever turn out. Here is a picture of the only tag still attached to the truck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
That plate is definitely not the VIN. You should be able to find it stamped into the top of the frame on the right side, just in front of the transmission cross member.
Your truck is Canadian, and that is your vehicle/chassis VIN, or serial number, located near the steering box. Based on what you've posted, it could read BAE85AHR17320.
Ford of Canada changed their codes frequently back then and I don't have all the info for 1954. (most of my stuff is earlier) and some of what you posted doesn't correlate to what I do know, so I'm going to defer judgement to some of my other Canadian friends with better data, and hope they see this.
Your truck is Canadian, and that is your vehicle/chassis VIN, or serial number, located near the steering box. Based on what you've posted, it could read BAE85AHR17320.
Ford of Canada changed their codes frequently back then and I don't have all the info for 1954. (most of my stuff is earlier) and some of what you posted doesn't correlate to what I do know, so I'm going to defer judgement to some of my other Canadian friends with better data, and hope they see this.
Thanks for looking!! I'm confident that the second row of letters start with an F. It is a Canadian truck as I know the entire ownership history. I'm now the third owner but don't have any paperwork to actually switch ownership. If I can verify a Vin for the truck I can get the executor of the estate to apply for a lost ownership and get the ball rolling that way. I have never heard anyone reference two separate rows of stamping on the frame on that position. I will draw it out if it will make things clearer as a picture of that area never shows the stamping.
Your truck is Canadian, and that is your vehicle/chassis VIN, or serial number, located near the steering box. Based on what you've posted, it could read BAE85AHR17320.
Ford of Canada changed their codes frequently back then and I don't have all the info for 1954. (most of my stuff is earlier) and some of what you posted doesn't correlate to what I do know, so I'm going to defer judgement to some of my other Canadian friends with better data, and hope they see this.
I have notes on a couple of FAE trucks and both are listed as '54 F100
85A would be Chassis W/S and Cowl - However 81A is Standard Closed cab conventional pickup (body style on the tag)
R is code for 1954
17320 is vehicle serial number
This is the best I can do. Any pics of your truck?
Tim
Thanks for looking!! I'm confident that the second row of letters start with an F.
Sorry, that was my bad. You wrote F but my brain typed B, since that's the code prefix I'm used to. Two row serial stampings would definitely be unusual. But these were hand stamped by humans on an assembly line, and there's always room for mistakes, errors, and just plain flubs that can happen when people get in a hurry or distracted. For sure, though, the FAE should have preceded the rest of the serial string.
Your user name might throw off some guys, 54 Flathead. But Canadian built tucks still got the Flathead and not the Yblock, like American built 54's.
Anyone know why Ford Canada put yblocks in their trucks in1954?
I think you meant to ask why Ford Canada didn't use the Y-block in '54? Best guess is the changeover wasn't able to be done in time. I have read that Ford US wanted the Y-block done for '53 for the golden anniversary, but it wasn't ready and production got put off for another year. That's also why there's so many one-off parts to use the flathead in '53. It was a last minute stop gap. It probably took another year after that to tool up for all of North America. Remember also that, at least in trucks, no 6 cylinder engines used. All trucks had V8 engines, so that may have added pressure on production, too.
I think you meant to ask why Ford Canada didn't use the Y-block in '54? Yes, that's what I meant! Thanks!
Best guess is the changeover wasn't able to be done in time. I have read that Ford US wanted the Y-block done for '53 for the golden anniversary, but it wasn't ready and production got put off for another year. That's also why there's so many one-off parts to use the flathead in '53. It was a last minute stop gap. It probably took another year after that to tool up for all of North America.
Yes, that's true about the Yblock not fully tested and ready for the 50th anniversary of Ford and the redesigned truck with the Million Dollar Cab Triple Economy. It's too bad. But it really makes 53 trucks with flatheads different and therefore , as you said, with a lot of one year parts under the hood.
Here are a few pictures of the truck. It has a Mercury hood but I have very little faith it's a Mercury as everything else on the truck is stamped Ford. Also the inside of the hood is blue where as everything else on the truck is green. Also I have tried running the licence plate with the ministry and they don't help, currently registered to a trailer.
Some, what were you looking for? The websites that used to have the best info are no longer up and running.
I have some of their stuff printed from 10-15 yrs ago and can look for specific details.
Usually you will find the serial string together like Wayne posted: Yours as best we could piece together should have been FAE85A(H)R17320
More so curious if that number sequence makes sense. From everything I've been able to find it doesn't match anything I've seen. I'm in the process of raising the cab off the frame to find the "possible" second stamping on the frame under the cab. Also curious of the appearance of the Vin on the frame, I do understand that they are hand stamped so things may be different from time to time but the VIN is in 2 separate rows. It appears like this
85A R 17310*
FAE
The lower line is more centered under the line with numbers but it won't post that way. It's just throwing me for a loop. Thanks for looking for me.
Try not to overthink this. The simple answer is it's an error stamping. They are rare, but not uncommon. Tim and I both gave you the sequence. I'll even share a pic of mine. There's nothing more to learn or say about the matter. Honest. It's not something worth losing sleep over. You've got a good looking truck and a nice, solid starting place for a great project. Enjoy!
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