I have a 79 f150. It is titled as a 86 (why I don't know). Its not a salvage title. the VIN on the truck has been removed. I checked the pass frame rail for the vin but found nothing. The truck all the marks, holes and parts that would tell me its a 79 but I'm not an expert.

Things I know

dana 44 and a 9 inch in the rear
np 205
rear drive shaft has a "slip collar" like my friends 78
5x5.5 wheels
351m with a 2bbl still hass a/c hooked up and complete
c6
body mounts in the same spots as friends 78

Things i found differant

has a large steering pump with a small fill neck (differant than 78) but looks like one in a 77
has dual shocks in the rear that look factory mounted
vin is only 8 numbers and letters long. titled in arizona before coming to virgina then i got it from 3 owner but who knows
has 4 wheels disc brakes
back glass is a slidding window with ford motors sticker in the glass
radiator is a 4 row with a factory oil cooler and trans cooler

I dont know if yall can help but anything is a plus right now. I drive the truck now its just titled as a 86. DMV says I can pay $125 for a reserch fee but I could be wasting money.

Thanks
Eric

 

Huge difference between a 79 and 86. There was a total remake of the F series trucks in 80. Nothing was the same. Sheet metal, frame, you name it. can you post a pic?

 

Pease read post #1 Item #1... in this thread.
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https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ease-read.html

Frankentruck !

There is another stamping under the cab on the same frame rail.

 

Pics are in the gallery.

sorry about that title OOPS!!!

 

77-1/2 to 79 trucks had verry little changes......something I find odd is in 1986 trucks had a 17 digit vin #.... my 85 does ...my 79 has a 11 digit vin....post your vin # minus the last couple of numbers and I'm sure someone can decode it for you.

 

That sheet metal is not from an 86, they used that style body from 73-79. The front grill assembly is from a 78-79 truck, but my 77 F150 had the wrong grill on it when I bought it, so it could have been switched. I was not aware they stamped the frame with the VIN. Mil1ion are you saying it's on the inside frame rail on the passenger side? I sandblasted my frame last summer and I think I would have noticed it, but stranger things have happened. Like last night I took by Wheelhorse tractor out to snow blow the driveway and during my first past down the driveway my tractor just stopped moving forward. The wheels were turning and there really was not that much snow for me to get stuck. I backed up a little and looked for some thing blocking my way, but saw nothing. i thought maybe it was just some ice under my wheels preventing me from getting any traction. I tried again and it stopped again, so I backed up a little farther and gave a running start at it and I finally got past the area that was hanging me up and I still could not figure out what the hell had stopped me. As I was backing up the driveway to take my second pass I noticed something on the driveway and to my surprise it turned out to be my compressor air hose! Now I know what was hanging me up. I had tossed my air line on the floor of my garage when I last used it and I had hung the blower gun attachment on some piping coming out of my paint filter and the other end was attached to an air hose reel. On the back pf my tractor i still had a tow bar/ball hitch attachment I made so I could tow my log splitter with my tractor, still attached. Apparently when i tossed my air hose on the floor behind the tractor one of the loops had hooked over the hitch ball and well you know what happen next! I could not believe i did not break anything doing this. The air hose was still intact and was still hanging over the pipe, and when i pressurized there not any leaks. I did turn my painting air filter about 20 degrees my pulling on the air hose, but I pushed it back into position by hand. My tractor is no light weight either, it's a 20HP Toro/Wheelhorse w/ wheel weights and tire chains, which must weigh well over a 1000lbs. I was not going very fast when the hose stopped the tractor the first two times, but the third time I backed up quite a bit and had a running start. So my point is, I could have missed the VIN# stamped on the frame rail.

 

There also could have been a mistake at the title office. VINs in the US went to the standard 17-digit (I think?) in 1981 or so - across all manufacturers. Until then, however, it was up to the specific automaker. Nowadays, someone can look at the VIN of any vehicle and the year will be in the exact same spot, with the same rules for decoding across all manufactuers. But with older VINs, it gets tricky. When I went to insure my '79, the lady would not believe that my VIN was the actual number because it's so short compared to modern VINs. So when it was titled, they might not have known what they were doing. You can't CARFAX older vehicles, either because of the VIN standard. Or, your truck was a part in some illegal vehicle registration activity, especially since the VIN plate is gone. No real reason to remove that unless you don't want someone to see it. Or the guy you bought the truck from gave you the wrong title. My '79, in addition to the dash and the door plate, has the VIN on a small metal plate screwed to the firewall, and it is also stamped on the passenger side frame rail between the core support and the motor mount.

 

1981 was the 1st year of standardization of the 17 digit VIN.

They stamped the VIN on the frame right where the cab covered it up as well as between the firewall and rad support.

I am pretty sure is was to help the line for Ident.

I'm also pretty sure the cab went on before the front clip did.

Then the box.

 

i guess the vin really isn't an issue then. I will just keep pluggn along at it until its done. I know that its at least a 73-79. I just was trying to figure out the year to put it back together right. No worries

 

The vin # will tell you the year

 

I really don't think this will help but....

az452155

that is the WHOLE NUMBER

 

I see what you are saying....looks like the title number from arizona...Might try calling them and asking...http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/contact.asp

One other thing to try....If the seat is still the original one, look underneath between the seat spring and the cushion there may be the original build sheet.
Thats where I found mine. It will tell you everything including the vin#
Good Luck Evan

 

I agree with awsmev; that sounds like a title number not a VIN.

 

When a truck is made up of several other trucks a person can go to the DMV and request a special VIN# for that particular truck.


This happens all the time with Hot Rods when there is a 53 body,a Mustang front end, etc, etc

The stamping on the frame is usually easy to see if a wire brush is used

 

I checked the frame today and found nothing. I have plans to remove the cab this summer so I will check under the cab.