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A few months ago, there was some serious confusion about Mercury truck numbers on this board.
Apparently, the Canadian made VIN numbering was quite different up into the early '60s - but how much earlier, I don't know.
Same difference with the Australian numbers - they are different, but similar enough to be confusing, and the books I have seen (and what others appear to have) don't reference anything outside the US.
That "F" might mean something to Ford Canada, but I have nothing to validate that possibility.
Try a search here using Mercury and VIN, or Canadian and VIN; you might find the old explanation.
Last edited by banjopicker66; Feb 16, 2007 at 01:14 PM.
I just decoded a Canadian VIN for a gentleman here via email. The cutoff date is 1965. After that year, plate and numbers same as US style VIN's. When I first saw the numbers I thought WTF? I told him..sorry, can't help...then I looked in the book and felt rather stupid.
While 1964/65 Canadian VIN's can be decoded using the 1964/72 truck parts book, the earlier 1957/63 truck parts book has no Canadian VIN info.
Sample Canadian VIN: 4991014L-195001A
4= engine size; 99 = Body Style; 10 = 100 Series; 14 = 114" wheelbase; L = Left Hand Drive.
195001 = Numerical Sequence of Assembly; A = GVW Range
BP: The only ref I could find was that at one time F refered to a Detroit (not Dearborn) Assembly Plant. This info came from the 1948/56 parts book.
Last edited by NumberDummy; Feb 16, 2007 at 01:47 PM.
I don't get on here as often as I should, just an update - Just added a 71 Sport Custom to the family in need of having the door tag decyphered for me.