When did Ford change over from using the serial number on the engine block to having the serial number on the body/chassis?


Russ

 

Bobby, while not all trucks have a stamping, the ones that do seem to be fairly consistant. Here's what I've scrounged up for your stamping.

7 is the prefix for Meadow Green
DL is the Dallas assembly plant
16 day of the month
E is for May
Second row? I'd bet the 'C' is a 0 and would be the production # and is 1006

Russ, I'm not sure Ford ever did put a serial number on the engines - I don't know about model T's but Henry figured on the engine needing replaced before the rest of the vehicle wore out and put the serial number on chassis/transmission very early on.

 

mtflat: I don't know when Henry changed over either. I do know that my Model T serial number was on the engine block just above the water outlet. Same held true on the Model A up through 1931. I did have a 1936 two door sedan that had the serial number on the engine block. Newer than that, ???


Oh well.

Russ

 

Now that you mention it, I do recall that the T's and A's were marked that way. Was the '36 a 4 cylinder? That could explain the difference.

I understood that all V8's from 32 thru 48 had the serial number stamped on the bell housing that is part of the transmission and not on the engine block.

48 (truck) thru 53 didn't even include the serial # on the bell.

 

mtflat

Thanks for the help with the #'s
Thats great information

Bobby

 

My truck also has these numbers. Here they are: 10KC21C220

10- ?
KC- Kansas City?
21- Day
C- March
220- production number

So does anybody know what the 10 and KC stand for?

Thanks,
hotrod48

 

Hotrod48

Judging from the previous posts, I'm betting that the "10" will be the original color, and that you probably hit it on the head with the KC

Bobby

 

It has been about a week and just wondering if anyone knows what color 10 stands for? Also if KC does stand for Kansas City?

Thanks again,
hotrod48

 

the correct serial numbers for these trucks should be stamped on top of the left frame rail, in around the steering box. Some had it in front, others behind. As far as the transmission number goes this will only tell you if it is the original one that came with the truck.
I recall that the factorys that made frames for Ford and others, probably had to follow the guide lines set out by the Auto MFG. By this I mean they had to follow protocol, and place the numbers in the same location, whether for U.S., or CDN.
Starting in the production year 1946 in Canada, the ford Car/Trucks had a V.I.N. plate attached to the center of the Firewall, and the trucks also had one inside the Glove Box door. This made it easy for registering a Vehicle, should the paper work have disapered, over the years. Then again back to the Frame Rail, these numbers had to coincide, with the V.I.N. Plate.
I have been looking through different books for the Ford numbering system, and am still trying to figure it out.
Again once more I used to haul frames to G.M., and a lot of them came out of Chicago, into canada, and some from Ontario, went to the U.S.
So to wrap this up on my end, I would go the Frame Rail route for the correct I.D. As far as the Fire Wall Codes, they do for sure mean something, but it remains a mystery to me and I am sure others. Hope this helps in some small way.

 

Hotrod,

The KC is Kansas City best I can tell and it would conform with other abbreviations I've seen in this location for the other plants (CS = Chester, DL = Dallas, CH = Chicago, etc.). The 10 would be a color code for the original paint code. I'm not sure what color was assigned the number 10. Any chance you would know the original color?

Also, we are collecting VIn #'s and a few oither bits of information on the 48-50's. Wondering if you would be kind enough to add yours to the collection.

VIN#?
Big rear window or small? (Looks like a smal window from your gallery shots)
Original Transmission?
Original Column or floor shift?
Raised panel or flat side bed? (Looks like raised panels from the photos in your gallery)

Participation is voluntary but would really be appreciated. Nice truck BTW.

Thanks,

 

texan, I figured that KC was Kansas City but I don't know what the original color was (That's why I asked here ).

My truck is made of pieces from different years as far as I can tell (I have 51-2 doors, etc...).

Did they ever make a big back window for 48-50? I know 51-52 is a little bigger. I don't have the original engine/tranny (It was a 6 cylinder) but I still have the Flathead V8 and granny gear 4 speed that came in it when I bought the truck. I believe it was an original floor shift truck. It does have the raised panel bed sides.

hotrod48

 

I'd guess one of two possibilities - either the '10' is actually a '16' which isn't likely since sixes look like upsidedown 9's with a straight leg on one side

OR (since '48 only had 5 stock colors and we know the code for all of those......) More likely '10' may have been a special designation for a fleet color. Was your US Navy tailgate original to the truck? If so, you may never know the original color. Check behind the headliner, under the dash, under/behind the gas tank, etc. for traces of the original color - depends on how thorough a job was done when it was prepped for the current paint.

 

It is alledged that some of the late 1950's came with big back windows but I've never seen one. Part of what we are trying to do with this information is either debunk or confirm some of these rumors like the big back windows, flat sided beds, and column shift three speeds on the late 1950's. So far I haven't found any. We are also trying to locate the cut-off between the 1949's and 1950's. We are also collecting information on the 48's for a registry if nothing else.

I can't answer the paint code question yet, but the more information we get, the better our chances of being able to answer someday.

 

Is there a link to where the list of VIN's is? I don't know if I already submitted mine or not? ......
......suffer from that "some-heimer's" disease.......

 

Ant chacne we could get the VIN??