Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-09-2010, 10:05 PM   #1
joetx
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 31
Default '41 ford VIN question--help!

Hey guys, I have what I think is a '41 military 3/4 ton ford. Tag on it says it belonged to the conservation dept.

I'm trying to title it and found the VIN on the frame. I can't make it out completly. I'm seeing a star and maybe 971 a space or dash and then 430841 then ends with a star. star 971-430841 star. Does this look right or should there be 10 digits and no dash and I'm missing another number? Would this VIN in '41 contain any letters?? The last "1" could be a "1" or an "I". Thanks for any help you can give me. Thanks, Joe.
joetx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2010, 10:11 PM   #2
1950effie
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 16
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

My '41 Pickup has a VIN with two numbers, a dash, then four numbers. Stamped on the drivers side frame rail near the front crossmember.
1950effie is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 06-09-2010, 10:52 PM   #3
joetx
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 31
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

The 430841 or "I" are very clear. The first set--971 and dash are very faint. Very hard to see and can't get a pencil tracing. Thanks, Joe.

Quote:
Originally Posted by joetx View Post
Hey guys, I have what I think is a '41 military 3/4 ton ford. Tag on it says it belonged to the conservation dept.

I'm trying to title it and found the VIN on the frame. I can't make it out completly. I'm seeing a star and maybe 971 a space or dash and then 430841 then ends with a star. star 971-430841 star. Does this look right or should there be 10 digits and no dash and I'm missing another number? Would this VIN in '41 contain any letters?? The last "1" could be a "1" or an "I". Thanks for any help you can give me. Thanks, Joe.
joetx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2010, 05:51 AM   #4
KGS
Senior Member
 
KGS's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Schooley's Mountain
Posts: 530
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

At the top of the transmission bell housing, above the inspection plate, there is a flat machined area where the number is stamped. If your transmission hasn't been replaced, the same number as the one on your frame is stamped there . You may have to pull up the floor board to see it. This applies to the 1/2 ton and cars. I'm not positive that this applies to the 3/4 ton but it's worth a look see.
KGS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2010, 09:35 AM   #5
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Madison, NJ
Posts: 5,230
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

Yes, master serial number will be there on bell even on the trucks. That first set of numbers should include an 18 or 99 to denote engine type, or H if 6 cylinder.
I don not know much about specific 1941 practices for the prefix, or if any odd stuff entered the prefix on military vehicles, but the actual serial number would be in the 1941 series of either 221 or 239 engines and can be checked agains a list on Van Pelt site. Note that there is not actually a correct number of digits, number of digits depends on actual sequence numbers reached in 1941.
Bruce Lancaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2010, 10:05 AM   #6
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Madison, NJ
Posts: 5,230
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Your sequential # looks right for a 99T 239 engine. Something in the first bit should actually be "99". Stars mark ends of serial to prevent added digits.
Look on your trans bellhousing now...'42-48 Fords usually have an oval punch-out on toe board that can be bent up to see serial...maybe yours has some similar opening there.
Bruce Lancaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2010, 08:33 PM   #7
joetx
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 31
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

Thanks guys. Bruce, it seems that since I saw a "9" as my first digit and my sequencial numbers are 430841 (the last 1 changed by 1941 to look like a capital "i") , then according to Van Pelt, my complete number should be 99A-430841. I can see the first "9", can't really tell what the next two digits are, but I can see a "-"(dash) then 430841 and this sequence is right for a '41 according to Van Pelt.

I'm going to try 99A-430841 as my number and run it through Tx Dot and apply for a lost title. Hopefully it will come back to the last registered owner, my uncle. Sorry, but I didn't mention that I don't have the original engine and trans. Thanks, Joe.
joetx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2010, 08:23 AM   #8
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Madison, NJ
Posts: 5,230
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

Look at the one in the prefix...I think likely 99T, truck 239. 99A would be a Merc passenger car (or, less likely, a Ford special order like a cop car). Does not actually matter much since only one engine exists with that sequence number!
Bruce Lancaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2010, 09:22 AM   #9
joetx
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 31
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

Great! Makes sense. I just didn't know what to do with the info on Van Pelt. I saw the Merc pass car notation, just didn't know what would be "truck", but the prefix third digit does look like a one, so that might be the bottom of a "T" and the "7" I'm seeing could be a "9", so I'm using the prefix "99T". Thanks for all your help. Joe.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster View Post
Look at the one in the prefix...I think likely 99T, truck 239. 99A would be a Merc passenger car (or, less likely, a Ford special order like a cop car). Does not actually matter much since only one engine exists with that sequence number!
joetx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2010, 10:30 AM   #10
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Madison, NJ
Posts: 5,230
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

The way it worked was that all the 239 engines were in a single numerical sequence, but any given engine could have been dressed for and assembled into either a Merc or a truck. A few went into Ford cars on special order. Vehicle prefix designations labeled the various types of vehicle.
Bruce Lancaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2010, 10:47 AM   #11
55 dude
Senior Member
 
55 dude's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 359
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

post a picture of your truck.
55 dude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2010, 10:57 AM   #12
Capn John
Senior Member
 
Capn John's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: BIRTHPLACE OF SPEED, FLORIDA
Posts: 531
Exclamation Re: '41 ford VIN question--Van Pelt data

Eahttp://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_serialnumbers.htmrly Ford Serial Numbers
For Cars and Trucks Manufactured for the USA Market from 1932 to 1953

Model YearMake and EnginePassenger Car Model (note a)First Serial Nu
)1932V81818- 001 to 18- 203,126
1933V84018- 203,127 to 18- 457,477
1934V84018- 457,478 to 18-1,234,356
1935V84818-1,234,357 to 18-2,207,110
1936V86818-2,207,111 to 18-3,331,856
1937V8 - 60hp
V8 - 85hp74
7854- 6,602 to 54- 358,334
18-3,331,857 to 18-4,186,446
1938V8 - 60hp
V8 - 85hp82A
81A54- 358,335
18-4,186,447 to 18-4,661,000 (f)
1939Ford V8 - 60hp
Ford V8 - 85hp
Mercury V8 - 90hp922A
91A
99AContinued from 1938 to 54-506,500 (d)
18-4,661,001 to 18-5,210,700 (e)
99- 001
1940Ford V8 - 60hp
Ford V8 - 85hp
Mercury V8 - 90hp022A
01A
09A54-0,506,501 to end (g)
18-5,210,701 to 18-5,896,294
99A-101,701
1941Ford V8 - 90hp
Ford 6 - 90hp
Mercury V8 - 95hp11A
1GA
19A18-5,896,295 to 18-6,769,035
1GA-000,001 to 1GA-034,800
99A-257,101
1942Ford V8 - 90hp
Ford 6 - 90hp
Mercury V8 - 100hp21A
2GA
29A18-6,769,036 to 18-6,925,898
1GA-034,801 to 1GA-227,523
99A-466,701
1946Ford V8 - 100hp
Ford 6 - 90hp
Mercury V8 - 100hp69A
6GA
69M99A-650,280 to 99A-1,412,709
1GA-227,524 to 1GA- 326,417
99A-650,280 to 99A-1,412,709
1947Ford V8 - 100hp
Mercury V8 - 100hp
Ford 6 - 90hp (G)
Ford 6 - 90hp (H)79A
79M
7GA
---- 799A-1,412,708 to 799A-2,071,117 (i)
799A-1,412,708 to 799A-2,071,117
71GA- 326,418 to 71GA- 414,366
77HA- 0,512 to 77HA- 9,038 (c)
Capn John is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2010, 11:27 AM   #13
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

A 1941 truck could have been 19T prefix unless they continued 99T from 1939. The CCC or Civilian Conservation Corps may have purchased the vehicles on a contract basis which could have carried through from the year of the contract like the wartime trucks did. Most trucks for wartime were ordered on a 1942 contract until close to the end of 1944 and early 1945 when they had to start new contracts.

Also, Mercury continued the 99A prefix even after the war so it may be more likely the trucks bigger than 1/2 ton did as well.

Last edited by rotorwrench; 06-13-2010 at 11:51 AM.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-13-2010, 02:12 PM   #14
joetx
Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 31
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

All very good info. Thankyou guys very much. I am sure my first digit after the "star" is a "9" and the only digits I'm not sure off is the 2nd and 3rd. They look like a "7" and "1", and what I'm not seeing is the "top" of the digit, I can see the bottom, so these are probably a "9" and a "T". I'm going with the prefix "99T". Again, thanks a lot. Joe.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rotorwrench View Post
A 1941 truck could have been 19T prefix unless they continued 99T from 1939. The CCC or Civilian Conservation Corps may have purchased the vehicles on a contract basis which could have carried through from the year of the contract like the wartime trucks did. Most trucks for wartime were ordered on a 1942 contract until close to the end of 1944 and early 1945 when they had to start new contracts.

Also, Mercury continued the 99A prefix even after the war so it may be more likely the trucks bigger than 1/2 ton did as well.
joetx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2010, 11:47 AM   #15
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Madison, NJ
Posts: 5,230
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

Engine serials for 239 stayed as 99...19 was the model year designator for 239 vehicles. There would have been a 99 there regardless of year 1939--48. Later vehicles had a year designation added to the 99...my '48 begins 899A, meaning 1948 239 Ford passenger car, but I do not know the actual practice for 1941. You should have 99 in there whatever the extra digit is...
Bruce Lancaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-14-2010, 12:13 PM   #16
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Madison, NJ
Posts: 5,230
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

99T is the logical call here.
Bruce Lancaster is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2021, 07:22 PM   #17
Chill
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 10
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

I have a firetruck with a 99T engine number on the registration. The "T" denotes truck of 1 ton or larger, according to Van Pelt. But the list of numbers is for Cars.

Is the frame number the same as engine number?

Who is a good source for big truck parts?
Chill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2021, 10:15 AM   #18
rotorwrench
Senior Member
 
rotorwrench's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 16,367
Default Re: '41 ford VIN question--help!

There was no engine number unless it was stamped on in a location that required an engine number. Trucks had different designators depending on year of manufacture. Do you have any idea what year model year your truck is? Ford didn't build fire trucks but they sold a lot of cab & chassis vehicles for use as fire trucks and buses.

The ID serial numbers were stamped on the frame of the vehicle and the top of the transmission bell area near the inspection port there at least up until the post war period. The Frame number is the important one since engine and transmission combos could be easily replaced with other year model parts.

Get a Ford Chassis Parts Catalog for the year of manufacture or range of manufacture so that you can look up Ford part numbers. With trucks, there are only so many reproduction parts available so knowing the part number can help you find original NOS or good salvage parts when needed.

Don't hesitate to start a new thread on stuff like this. This is a very old thread and sometimes things get confusing when adding on to one like this.
rotorwrench is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:41 AM.