hey ya'll,
i enjoy reading your responces on all the diff. topics. this is my first time writing in.my 14 yr.old son and i acquired a 55 ford truck.there are no papers on it and the only numbers i can find on the frame are:TAAD5078BMC would this be the vin number i've been desperatly looking for. there are no tags on the truck.it was previously stripped by someone else that gave up on it.thank-you for your help.

 

I am no expert on VIN numbers - someone will be along shortly to help.

But I did just find mine stamped on the frame - it was on the top of the right frame rail in front of the cab mount, readable from above. It matched the one on the back of the glove box door.

I am cleaning and repainting the frame - I intend to find a way to high-light the number stamped on the frame so anyone can read it. If that is the only number you have you might do the same.

 

From what I know (which isn't much) all VIN # are printed on the frame. I am not sure if they still do it or not, but once upon a time they were. More than likely that is the VIN you have been looking for.

 

Welcome to the FTE nut house, metal man. You've found the most informative and fun place to find out about your vintage Ford truck. The folks here are great and you don't have to worry about your 14-year-old son reading the posts - we insist on a family atmosphere.

Take some time and set up your gallery with photos so we can all ooh and ahh at your project! Since you've already done some reading, you probably have a sense of how FTE operates. Please read the guidelines at the link in my signature block below. They will help you understand the FTE forum rules and purpose.

As for the part number you found, unfortunately it's not the VIN. The 5078 base Ford part number in the middle of the number you posted is for a frame to body bracket.

***** has the right idea, the VIN should be stamped on top of one of the frame rails just forward of the cab. It might be covered in rust and/or grime. A little wire brush action and solvent (or dishwashing detergent) can help a lot in finding it. Sometimes you need to shine a flashlight or shop light across the frame at an angle to correctly read the numbers. The folks doing the stamping at the factory were not all that consistent when banging on the punches.

Once you find the VIN, you can post it and we'll decode it for you. If you'd like, there are VIN decoders at a number of places on the web. Try the Earl's World link in my signature block below. Go to the reference page there to find the information about the rating plate (VIN decoder).

We're here to help and encourage you and your son in your project. Just remember - there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers!

 

Jeff, I looked around at your previous posts, and it seems nobody has welcomed you to FTE. Sorry about that.

As I mentioned in my previous post to metal man, this place is a great source of Ford truck information and has members that are a very nice group of folks. All of us here on the 48-60 forum are pretty laid back and rarely get more riled up than an occasional animated discussion about putting non-Ford engines in our trucks. Let's not go there on this thread, though.

I see you have a gallery but have not had time to post pictures. It looks like you have a 1979 from your profile. Even if you don't have another 48-60 truck, we still like to have fun folks hang out here. See you around!

 

Thanks...I believe I was a member about 4 years ago when I had a 1968 Ford that I wanted to rebuild from frame up. Didn't work out so well. I don't have the 79 yet, but should be acquiring it in the next month or so. And I don't believe in putting other parts on Ford trucks either.

 

I don't know how to post pics...Can someone help me with that

 

I'll have a FAQ thread on posting pictures stickied at the top of the forum either tonight or tomorrow. Stay tuned ...

 

***** B,Jeff Rogers and Earl,thanksfor the info.we will start sanding tomorrow.

 

good evening folks,i'm still having trouble finding my vin #and thinking of sandblasting the frame. i bought a blasting pot from grainger for some iron and sheet metal work that we do in my business. has anyone done this? will i erase the numbers? good evening from south louisiana.

 

You'll be hard pressed to remove a stamped VIN with a grit blaster unless you have a HEAVY-DUTY commercial unit. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

I know several of the members have grit-blasted their frames and I have as well. There is a discussion of the process I used here. http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Page04.html
Just make sure to take the proper safety precautions if you are using regular sand (SiO2 or Silica). Breathing in the fine powder that grit blasting with Silica produces can damage your lungs pretty badly. Make sure you use a proper respirator or clean-air hood - NOT a simple dust mask.