Hi Guys,

My name's George, newbie here. I've come across a '62 Econoline Pick-up
but the present owner has no title, plates, registration. I told him if I can
get the VIN cleared he would have a deal.

The owner is a 70 y.o. guy who seems honest. Says he got the pickup
over 2 decades ago but never transferred the title. Now, he thinks the
original owner may not be alive or available to sign off the vehicle. The
present owner says he will back up my efforts with a Bill of Sale, or sign
any documents, etc.

So, now I am seeking advice on how to find the truth on this thing!

In looking at the archives I found this Econoline has a 'different' ID Plate.
(the Plate is riveted to the A-pillar door jamb and looks old/original) I have
pics to show if I could post.

Data:
E10SH245158
090 (big space) E103 A 02
03600 079 4000 1428

Unusual notes- seems like the original color is a bright orange
which I cannot find for any 1962 color chips. There looks like there
was never a passenger's seat. Body is surprisingly straight.

I'm in California if the DMV process is different for me here.
There is no engine but a 3-spd manual trans is there. (I have a 200 I-6
at home ready for a project.)

Great Forum here!
Thanks in advance,
George

 

Procedures vary from state to state. Best thing to do is check with your local department of motor vehicles or whatever they call it in California.

 

Welcome to FTE

E10 = E100

S = 144 1V 1-6.

H = Lorain OH Assembly Plant *

245158 = 1962, assembled in December 1961.

090 = 90" Wheelbase

No COLOR code

E103 = E100 Pickup, 3,600 lbs. GVWR

A = Ford Light Duty 3 Speed Manual Transmission

02 = Ford Rear Axle / 4.00-1 / non Limited Slip / 2,300 lb. Rear Axle Capacity

3,600 lbs. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

79 net HP @ 4,000 RPM

1428 = Domestic Special Order number. The original purchaser special ordered the truck, did not buy it "off the lot."

* All Econolines of this vintage sold in the US were assembled in Lorain OH.

Call the CA DMV's 800 number, run the VIN to see if there's any paperwork still remaining in the system.

DMV tossed out the paperwork back in those days after seven years had passed by, if the vehicle hadn't been registered during that span of time.

But...if the vehicle was reported stolen, DMV might still have the info. Do NOT buy it until you've cleared the registration!

 

Hi GFW1985,

That's what I plan to do is call. Since our state is bankrupt, the DMV
is not open Fridays, Saturdays and never was open on Sundays. This
is true in our area anyways. I plan to call on monday.
I'll try to follow up with what they say on here as well.

Hi NumberDummy,

Makes sense, though we only had highways in California until the first
freeway opened in 1965 and Ronald Reagan started the forerunner
of CalTrans in 1972, I agree that whatever agency that did road work
probably special ordered the pickup. I was also thinking maybe an airport
would use something like that back in the early 60's ?

The color looks closest to "Safety Orange," a generic, or the 1962 Dodge
truck color "Omaha Orange" but toned down a bit.

I looked at another P/U today, this one has a title (but from Arizona) and
at least it drives. It was a '61 (E10TH278418, 090, F, E103, A, 01) but
it had a 200 I6 in it. Pretty peppy, I was surprised. My Falcons are not
that quick with good/solid 200's in them. My plan was to get a cheaper
engineless P/U like the first two I saw and use either a 200 I6 or 5.0L EFI
spares I got, oh well...

The '61 is driveable so of course he is asking almost 3 times as much for
it, making my decisions that much harder...

George

 

The world's first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway (Pasadena Freeway) opened in 1940. The San Diego Freeway aka 405 (It does not go to San Diego!) opened in early 1963.

I was one of the first to drive (in a 1950 Olds 88) the 405 the day it opened. Back then traffic was light. Today, it's the world's longest parking lot.

The Hollywood Freeway opened in the late 1950's. I don't recall when the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) opened, but it was over 30 years ago.