my truck was stolen and recovered 20 years ago. we no longer have the title, and the vin has been removed from the glove box. i've got no idea what the vin is. is it stamped on the engine or frame anywhere? its not on the door or door frame, or under the hood that i can see.
i've got a parts truck with a vin. no title. i have no idea of its history. i could try and get a title with this but i'd rather use the correct vin if i could find it.

 

My 1952 had it stamped into the topside of the right frame rail just before the front cross member. VINS usually are stamped on right hand side top of frame anywhere from firewall area to front crossmember. If I were you I would try very hard to find the stamped VIN on the truck frame you plan to keep(register). Depending what state your in the police can get extremely picky about finding that stamped VIN. Try wire brushing or even paint stripper along frame rail to see it. If it was truely stolen the original VIN was probably ground off and may even had a new one issued to it without you knowing. If there are any license plates on truck have a cop run them and see if anything comes up. If you plan to register the truck and the VIN was ground off you will probably need to get a new VIN issued to truck by police.
Hope this helps

 

Mine's on the driver side on top of the frame rail next to the riveted engine mount. Also above the bellhousing's inspection cover.

 

no luck yet. i'll keep looking; it's gotta be on there somewhere. i'll check on the block too; it's buried in the woods but i'll find it. thanks.

 

You may have to unbolt the inner fenders to see it if it's there. CHP officer made me take frame rails in engine bay down to shiny metal before he was convinced. You may check on engne side of the firewall on the passenger side above where heater hoses go through for a small plate or it could be stamped into firewall. To the best of my knowledge the engine won't tell you much about the true VIN

 

I am not sure about NJ but here in CA the DMV can do a search on an owner to find the vehicles that are registered to him. Not sure if it goes back 20 years though.

 

Mine is on the front right frame rail just in front of the old engine mount holes. Had to use a wire wheel on the angle grinder and take it to bare metal to see it.

 

CHP - yeah they really love to "envoke the power." The California DMV has improved dramatically in the past 2 to 3 years, but I find that $47 I pay the AAA every year to be well worth not having to deal with the state agancies. They do VIN checks and are a lot more reasonable during the registration/title process. Less of a wait too.

Julie!

 

I looked all over the frame rails upside and downside in front of the firewall and all over the firewall and cannot find any numbers. My data plate with VIN and model code was screwed onto the inside of the glove compartment door.

The CHP told my wife all we need to do to get the title transferred to us is to bring in the data plate and the bill of sale. We do not need to do this 'till we paint it????????
Thats what he said, not untill we paint it.
He was not interested in seeing the truck, only the data plate and bill of sale and last registration from previous owner (pink slip)

 

Why he was interested in painting is a mystery. But your situation is different than FRock. You have a tag with a serial number and a bill of sale. He does not. Thus he needs to get a "VIN" (and these are not VIN Nimbers, they are serial numbers) check in order to put SOMETHING on his new title and registration when he applies.

In Calif. if you buy a vehicle, all you have to do is get the title and registration changed. This requires the old title, current registration, and bill of sale. If there is no title you need to have a VIN check. And they will take just about anything that looks official. They aren't really to up to speed on these old vehicles. They will probably charge you state sales tax as well as the registration fees. They use the existing serial number on the current title to issue the new one or whatever you have to verify the VIN - including a current registration (in Calif) which tie the plates on the vehicle, to the VIN.

In FRocks case he has no title and the glove box door plate is not on the vehicle. In 52 they may not have installed a patent data plate on the firewall. So he has to prove the serial number of the vehicle to get it titled. That's on the frame - it's there - somewhere - despite the location Ford says it should be in, which is (according to the 1951 Ford F1 Operators Manual) "...Located in three places, the patent plate in the engine compartment, the rating plate on the dispatch compartment door, and on the top of the right frame rail above the front axel." Mine is on the left rail.

Using the glove box plate is a shaky proposition since it takes about 30 seconds and removal of four screws to remove the door and replace it with another - patent data plate and all. Lot's of folks did this in restorations taking doors from Five Star Deluxe models - with the door lock - and putting it in their standard cabs which did not have the lock.

Paint?? Wow weird.

J!

 

i found the stamped number on the frame rail. the frame is very pitted, i dont think i have all of it. it wasnt stamped very deep.
i think its: f1r2cs233
but it could be: f1r2c6263.

 

1952 F1 half ton with 239cid. CS would be Chester, PA. There "should" be more than 3 digits for your actual serial number though...I think.

F1 stands for half ton, R stands for 239 v8, 2 stands for year, CS assembly plant, last digits are serial number...to clarify.

 

Yep, the top one sounds like the one, but as Havi pointed out, there should be 5 numbers after the CS. 1s and 7s were notoriously weak.

And shoot, even between us girls we know there are supposed to be five numbers, but I doubt they do. If you tell them that f1r2cs233 is the only serial number on the truck, and your official sees that and confirms it, then that's your new VIN. I can promise it will come up clean - tee hee!

After that, let me know and I can get you a new glove box rating plate made - with the numbers you have.

J!

 

It's seems so strange how and who we talk to, in order to legally register these trucks. As for my 1952. it came from Texas,with the Texas paperwork
(ie). the Texas Title, a stamped matching plate on firewall, clearly visable stamped matching numbers in frame and California DMV said only CHP could verify the truck before they(DMV) could accept it.

 

You were mis informed. The California DMV maintains inspection officers certified to "witness" VIN checks at their offices. And any (I forget the designation) official peace officer (CHP, Sheriff, Local Police, Military Police, etc.) can sign off the VIN certification form. But, they have to be able to actually see the truck and the number. So if it's not driveable and you need someone to come ot the house, you have to call and ask Law Enforcement to come out and do it.

AAAs DMV Department Personel are Certified by the State of California as Official Department of Motor Vehicle Representatives. If you can drive the truck to AAA they will walk outside, look at the frame rail or Rating Plate and be more than happy and legal to do everything required to issue you a new title. I know, that's how mine was done. No Problem.

The only thing AAA can not do, is Inspect/certify as genuine, YOM (Year of Manufacture) license plates. There are designated inspectors for that at the DMV Office.....Plan at least 4 to 5 hours for that debacle.

J!