Vin number location

[Lefthander1930]

Where would I find the Vin number On my 30 Coupe ? Motor and frame My Vin starts With. SFA on the pink. I thought most started with the letter A follow with numbers.

[Will N]

There is no VIN number, just the motor and frame number.

[Bob Johnson]

The modern Vehicle Identification Number started in the 1950's. Before 1981 there were many different formats. In 1981 a 17 digit format was established.



Many state DMVs will use the engine (frame) number as the VIN. Some Model As have had engine swaps over the years. Also some engine re-builders would re-stamp the engine numbers when they rebuilt an engine.


However in your case I think the VIN on your title is actually the body assembly plant number. Specifically the one from San Francisco, SFA. That number was usually located on the body cross rail in front of the front seat.


By the way VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. So when one says VIN Number one is saying Vehicle Identification Number Number.

https://archive.mafca.com/downloads/...y%20Number.pdf

Bob

[Bob C]

Engine number locations.

[David in San Antonio]

Bob Johnson, thank you for pointing out the common “VIN number” error. In the same vein, despite everyone’s protests to the contrary, not a single home or apartment in the United States has a hot water heater. If the water was hot you wouldn’t need to heat it.
And they’re willing to bet a dollar they’ve used an ATM machine. But an ATM machine is the term for a machine that makes Automatic Teller Machines. And when they sincerely assert they use an ATM machine, they enter their PIN number. As in Personal Identification Number Number. I stopped pointing out these things as I am older, perhaps wiser, and certainly less able to dodge a fist aimed at my nose.

[rotorwrench]

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Vince's site has a lot of very good information on numbers and prefixes. Look this over at this link.
https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/ABenginenumbers.htm

The stars were used before and after the number. A, AA, and AF were common prefixes with the F for right hand drive vehicles and the other two self explanatory. Canadian stuff was different so that has to be checked as well.

Some titles are state issued due to unknown original numbers or changes that required it. Each state has their own regs on that stuff but there is usually a state issued tag that is fixed in accordance with their policy somewhere on the car where it can be seen.

Unfortunately, Ford decided to stamp the frames in a place that requires the body to be lifted just to view it. Plus the fact that engines were bound to be replaced at some point due to deterioration or damage to the block for one reason or another.

Ford also built model A engines for all sorts of agricultural or industrial uses clear up through 1940 and those could have numbers that don't jive with the standard policy.

[ModelA29]

The serial number for Ford Model As is stamped on a pad on the left side of the engine above the water inlet. That is the ONLY place it is located.
For some reason Ford also decided to stamp the same number on the frame and hidden by the body. MOST but not all cars got stamped. This only documents which engine was installed - it was not intended to be the serial number for registration purposes - or it would have been visible.
States can assign a number to a car they are unable to determine the correct serial number or VIN. These are AIN - Assigned Identification Number and generally start with the 2 character code for the issuing state.