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I can't seem to find VIN decoders for the larger F-600 series trucks. I have a 1953 F-600 with 15,000 original miles. The VIN is F60RN3N260XX and am trying to find out what that tells me. My 53 F100 VIN has 2 fewer characters, F10DA257XX. Any help decoding this would be greatly appreciated. I believe it had always been a fire engine water truck (no pump).
N3=... not sure. This is in the spot for the transmission, but I've never seen anything with N in it. They have a code thats just a 3, for a regular 3-speed, but that shouldn't be in an F-600. The heavy duty 3 speed is 3HD... someone with more knowledge than me will be able to tell you
N (second)= made in Norfolk
... and there is nothing for the paint code, thats weird. Numbers to my knowledge where never used for a paint code. Maybe they mis-typed it and it's supposed to be 3NN260...? Got me.
If thats the case it mean the original color was Vermilion
Your post matches what I thought to be the case. What puzzled me was the 2 extra letters before the last 5 digits of the VIN, and it definitely does not have a 3-speed transmission.
Hopefully some good ol numbers guru will have some more answers.
Thanks, Bill
P.S. to anybody who might know... I'm new here. How can I PM other users?
I believe you have to have something like 25 posts before you can PM another member.
It is a bit odd of a VIN, my F-600's vin was pretty straight forward, not sure if your's is something unique to '53 or something. There are a couple guys on here with A LOT of knowledge on the larger trucks, lol I just use a decoder, they could tell you without one, lol
Near as I can tell, you only have one extra letter in the 600 vin, and you may be missing a number in your 100 vin. The Ford parts catalog decode page lists the vin codes as being;
truck serial code
engine symbol
model year
manufacturing plant symbol
consecutive unit number
In the case of your F600, you have F60 for the serial code, engine symbol R, for 239 V-8, model year 3, plant symbol N, being Norfolk, and your unit number 260XX. It seems you have an extra N between the engine code and year code. It could be somethig as simple as a mis-stamping.
Where is this number found? Frame? Rating plate? Title? All of the above?
Not likely. Color codes have never been a part of the vin, and there is a specific place for it on the second line on the rating plate. I'd be more inclined to believe someone at the plant was N happy, and accidently stamped it before the three, realized his goof and said "ooops, oh well", and stamped it again where it belonged. ;-)
I think your inclination about the "N-happy plant worker" is probably right; one too many characters in the F-600 vin and 1 too few in the F-100 vin. That coincides with the vin of the 54 F-100 I recently sold, which was F10V4NXXXXX.
I know the F-600 vin in the original post is that way on the title; not sure about the other places. I will check both vins as soon as I get a chance.
Well the VIN tag is right and the title is wrong. The actual number is F60R3N260XX and not F60RN3N260XX. The first "N" doesn't belong. I will deal with the DMV and try to get the title fixed. I think they can pull the former titles and verify where they made a mistake. I think I'm only the 3rd owner.
Just in case anybody cares, I went to the Va. DMV and all is well. I went in with the title and the VIN tag uncrewed from the glove box door. I told the clerk "I needed to have this title transferred into my name. However, the title has one too many "N"s in the VIN" and I showed her the VIN tag as proof. She went into the back for about five minutes, came out and issued the new title with the proper VIN.
I was really expecting this to be a big deal. It wasn't. What a big SURPRISE, considering what I usually have to deal with at a DMV.
I do appreciate all the responses. Now go and work on something!
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