1940 Ford Vin numbers

TJ said:
I think he was talking about convertibles and wagons only.
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That's correct. I've attached a photo of a plate (4848) from the current '40 convertible I am restoring.
I've also attached a photo of the plate (PC) on my Lyon Blue '40 coupe. This is an oddity perhaps attributed to the fact this Ford had a factory installed Merc engine. Some may find it interesting that the tag matches the serial number on this vehicle.
Lastly a photo of a '39 deluxe wagon I'd restored.

All firewalls have two to three small indents in the area of the tag. Those indents would offer a quick and accurate method of locating the tag's placement.
 

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Mike:
As stated later by Chris Tompkins in NZ the Convertible, Woody and Pickup frames have extra large holes in the heavier gauge x-member. These model frames also have a single thickness around the anti chatter holes. Your statement that after mid 1939 they all had "doubler plates" is absolutely wrong and I have many 1939 and 1940 examples here that differ..........Larry
 
I have noticed that most of the later 1939 Canadian chassis's that came down here to NZ seem to have that reinforcing plate around the anti-chatter holes.
It's certainly a good idea as it is a high stress point.
They were probably assembled at the Rouge plant then shipped across the river to Windsor Ontario.
 
40larry said:
Mike:
As stated later by Chris Tompkins in NZ the Convertible, Woody and Pickup frames have extra large holes in the heavier gauge x-member. These model frames also have a single thickness around the anti chatter holes. Your statement that after mid 1939 they all had "doubler plates" is absolutely wrong and I have many 1939 and 1940 examples here that differ..........Larry
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Larry, First and foremost, I have a ton of respect for you and subsequently your knowledge of these vehicles. I always appreciate your advice and insight. It's apparent we have both have a lot of different experiences. Keep teaching my friend, keep teaching. That being the case, I just went and checked the frames that I KNOW are either convertible, wagon or pickup. Here's what I found: '39 wagon, VERY early production has the extra holes you describe. 1940 pickup had the extra holes you describe. Three 1940 convertible frames, one has the three holes, the other two do not. One '39 convertible frame had the extra three holes.

Extra welded plates at the stiffener? All of the 1940 frames had them. Only the 39 convertible did as well. The 39 wagon, once again is a very early car and thus did not.
This teaches me, well, reminds me, once again that Ford did some strange things and did not always do everything (respective to a particular part) identically.
I make the mistake of using "always" way too often. This "lesson" was good smack in the head to not do that.
 
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I am pretty sure back in 1940 the Plant manager, if short of a convertible chassis or two, would not hesitate to use what he had on hand, rather than hold up production along the assembly line.
 
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To keep the pot stirred on a 40 wagon that I sold two years ago there was no body number tag on the cowl but there was a body number 10042 stamped in numbers about half an inch tall located under the voltage regulator The window glass bugs were May/40..Bill
 
Bill said:
To keep the pot stirred on a 40 wagon that I sold two years ago there was no body number tag on the cowl but there was a body number 10042 stamped in numbers about half an inch tall located under the voltage regulator The window glass bugs were May/40..Bill
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That's not stirring the pot at all. What you had witnessed seems to have happened on occasion. I am currently restoring a convertible that had a Mercury engine installed at the factory (I have documentation) and it has not only a body tag but "99" stamped in to the firewall. That dlx. coupe, mentioned in a previous post had only an :odd" body tag and serial number.
I have found very little documentation in regard to these special build cars. In fact, of the four I have witnessed with documentation only the two convertibles had similar traits.
 
My wagon has the number (10581) under the voltage regulator, June/40 glass. My 40 convertible has no body tag. I am the first owner of this car outside the family that bought it new (got it from grandson).
 
Mike:
I have not seen any of the open car style 1940 frames with a reinforcement but it appears that they have built them both ways. What more is there to say...............Larry
 
40larry said:
Mike:
I have not seen any of the open car style 1940 frames with a reinforcement but it appears that they have built them both ways. What more is there to say...............Larry
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Yeah, I really need to keep an open mind that numerous things were done outside of the intended methods. This thread, with your help, kind of "kicked me" back to that reality.
The book I am authoring is based on the premise of what Ford intended to be built. Backed by as much documentation as can be found.
Still, examples of "deviations" like this will be listed.
 
deuce_roadster said:
My wagon has the number (10581) under the voltage regulator, June/40 glass. My 40 convertible has no body tag. I am the first owner of this car outside the family that bought it new (got it from grandson).
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Deuce,
I am wondering if Ford made an official change in the method of identifying body number on the convertibles. Or if not official, perhaps there was a change that occurred and we (the'40 Ford "community") might be able to some how pin down an approximate date / body number when that change may have happened. Or, was it "haphazard"? With only one exception, every '40 convertible I have owned, has had a body tag.
 
Kube-When I get home Tuesday, I will check the VIN on the convertible and post it. I don't remember If any of the glass has dates but the VIN will give a rough idea of where in the series it was built.
 
Milt/Las Vegas said:
I have 2 convertibles and neither have the the vin number on the firewall,and one had the patent plate.
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Regardless of body style, none of the 1940 Fords had a vin on the cowl.
The only exception I have ever encountered was on a '40 deluxe coupe that had a factory installed Merc. engine. I have been unable to uncover any documents that may shed some light on this anomaly.
The convertibles were supposed to have a body number tag.

It appears wagons had the body number stamped in to the cowl at some point during the production run.
 
Kube said:
That's correct. I've attached a photo of a plate (4848) from the current '40 convertible I am restoring.
I've also attached a photo of the plate (PC) on my Lyon Blue '40 coupe. This is an oddity perhaps attributed to the fact this Ford had a factory installed Merc engine. Some may find it interesting that the tag matches the serial number on this vehicle.
Lastly a photo of a '39 deluxe wagon I'd restored.

All firewalls have two to three small indents in the area of the tag. Those indents would offer a quick and accurate method of locating the tag's placement.
Click to expand...
Kube,was there 2 firewalls in 40s?My coupe and the one convertible had a different firewall than the firewall in your pics,but my project 40 convertible has the same firewall in your pics.
 
Kube said:
Regardless of body style, none of the 1940 Fords had a vin on the cowl.
The only exception I have ever encountered was on a '40 deluxe coupe that had a factory installed Merc. engine. I have been unable to uncover any documents that may shed some light on this anomaly.
The convertibles were supposed to have a body number tag.

It appears wagons had the body number stamped in to the cowl at some point during the production run.
Click to expand...
I misunderstood I thought the body tag number was the vin number.All of my 40 s have the patent tags after all.
 
I have a 40 standard coupe with numbers stamped on the upper right portion of the firewall between two ribs. The number is 3937 in numerals about 1/2 inch high. I don't recall seeing this before on a 40.
 
TJ said:
I have a 40 standard coupe with numbers stamped on the upper right portion of the firewall between two ribs. The number is 3937 in numerals about 1/2 inch high. I don't recall seeing this before on a 40.
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TJ,
I have seen that on other '40 passenger cars albeit very rarely. I have never found out where / when this occurred.
 
deuce_roadster said:
TJ what is the VIN of that car? I am curious as to roughly where in the production run it occurred.
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Just "thinking out loud here" but I have to wonder if maybe the cowls in the closed cars I have witnessed with the numbers stamped were supposed to go in to a wagon and ended up in a closed car instead? that would explain why this occurrence is a rare one.
My gut tells me we may never know...
 
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