I Took another look at it This is what I got 7RHIIE574..I thought the 4 was a 1.. I was told this was a special order truck for the California Highway Dept. It was a F1 Body and Bed with a 3/4 ton suspension.

 

The plant code wasn't part of the serial number for the 48-50 models... It was put on the end of the Patent Tag under the hood behind it under the Branch.

Would be surprising if it was ordered by CHP and delieved from Highland Park, MI plant, unless that was the only plant that was building the '48 F1.

 

I could be wrong, but I believe 7 is the color code, RH is Richmond, CA, assembly, 11E is the build date of May 11, 1948, and the 574 is an internal code for which the true meaning has been lost.

 

That sounds about right to me...I really do appreciate your research on it. Thanks, Scot

 

to your collection of data

My Ford f1 registered as 1949
has flathead v8 4sp on floor
vin is 98rc156821
what does that tell you,
thanks

 

It tells us nothing you already don't know; year, engine, series, consecutive unit number. But if you see some letters following the vin stamped on the patent plate, found riveted to the upper corner of the firewall, that would tell you the build plant. If you see a group of numbers and letters stamped into the firewall itself somewhere near or about the upper center, that will tell you several more things. Post 'em if you got 'em.

 

vin 98rc156821
Registered as 1949 Ford F1
Flathead V8 (vin in glovebox said 98rc141101 model 9rc)
4 spd on floor
Regular box with Wood running lengthwise
cco after vin number found on plate under hood....later I figured it was cgo (chicago build?)
what do you figure?
Thanks

 

From previous post for vin 98rc156821
letters looked like cco afterwards...but maybe CGO for Chicago Build
would production number suggest early 49?
plate in glovebox has engine vin 98rc141101 model 9rc
cannot find any numbers on firewall except plate that shows vin...
Thanks

 

I think you're on the right track with the Chicago build. Based on my limited knowledge from reading the posts here (there are others here that have compiled the data and have better records for these answers), I'd say your truck is of mid year production. It's interestiing that your glove box plate doesn't match your firewall plate. AFAIK, those numbers should match. You may want to search the tops of the frame rails under the hood for the stamped vin there. Start with the right (passenger) side. Hopefully one of them is right. Do you have a title, and does it match either of these numbers?

It has been documented that some plants didn't stamp firewalls, so it may not be unusual yours wasn't. It's too bad because among those numbers is a date code and a color code.

 

truck had amateur restore so maybe glovebox door & plate from another vehicle...I will check rails....thank you for your posts

 

Ok, found vin 98rcI56821 near crossmember that goes to front motormount,so thats the same as the plate under the hood. The vin in the glovebox suggests is from another vehicle. also front crossmember to fron motormount has number 21C50868 ( or 863)
thanks for the help....

 

Two more to add to the database...

Mercury:
Engine - 9EE-973 (8 cyl/4 speed non synchro w/ reverse latch)
Trim - 16 (brown?)
Serial - MD83H49 - 28525 (1/2 ton, "home office", 1949)
Model - MD83 (1/2 ton, short bed)
Paint - 35 (Sea Mist Green)

Ford:
98RC-193777 (1949, 8 cylinder, 1/2 ton)
P3NP(?R) (Black, Norfolk?)
28F2762 (June 28th, 2762 sequence ?)
Raised panel original bed
3 speed floor shift


Ryan

 

Finally got my F6 home, and here's the numbers:

97H TH 238923 KC (Kansas city) It was mentioned some years ago, but now I got a better look at it. The frame numbers were easily found on the P-said forward of the motor mount bracket.

The stamped cowl is as pictured:

 

If I'm reading that correctly, it says 1C KC 15J 49. And if it's correct, it's color code 1C, Kansas City assembly, production date 15 September, production code 49. That seems to blow a hole in Ross' theory that that particular number is the number of the particular series built at that plant during the course of the model year. I would think in 9 months, far more than 49 F6's would have been built. Unless someone can show me some kind of actual evidence, I believe the significance of that number has been lost to time.

 

Are cowl stampings on 48-50's "the" serial number, or info that is in addition to it, like the color code?

Looking at Havi's cowl, I have to wonder how they stamped them. The cowl is badly distorted by the stamping, so done by hand on a completed cab with no backing? A really bad idea. Hard to believe that would even work.