1932 VIN Numbers
- Thread starter Harrison
- Start date
Bruce Lancaster
Member Emeritus
B began as AB, started at 5,000,000 (extension of Model A numbering)...
V8 18-1 was first. All were numbered sequentially from there (talking USA production here) through end of '32 and onward in same sequence until the ends of production for B and 221 engines in the US.
First couple thousand V8's were factory owned demonstrators that were eventually rebuilt and sold as used cars, so earliest numbers probably never reached private owners.
V8 18-1 was first. All were numbered sequentially from there (talking USA production here) through end of '32 and onward in same sequence until the ends of production for B and 221 engines in the US.
First couple thousand V8's were factory owned demonstrators that were eventually rebuilt and sold as used cars, so earliest numbers probably never reached private owners.
The V8 serial numbers start with 18-1, but what is the last number for 32? A number of sources (such as Motors) cite 18-203126 as the last 32 serial number. With all things Ford however, there are many exceptions. There are bona fide 32's with higher numbers - up to 208,000 or so.
Richard (EV8G)
Senior Member
Here's some "nit-pickie" info...just to stir things up a little... (Things have been WAY too calm on the NEW Barn as compared to the old one...)
B's actually began with 5,000,001. Also if the motor was made for a
BIG TRUCK, the prefix was I think? ABB at first and then BB at some
point. Seems like I read recently that the A numbers ended somewhere in the 4,000,000's, so the NEW IMPROVED 4-cylinders jumped to the 5,000,001 and thereafter through 1934. Somebody knows about when the AB/ABB became B/BB.
Charlie Stephens
Well-known member
The new book from the Early Ford V8 Club ("The 1932 Ford Book") states "prior to engine #62387" for the earlier prefixes.
Charie Stephens
Charie Stephens
Hi Tub1
AB is very early 1932 4 cyl.
The 18 is USA V8 unless it has a C [Canadian] in front.
Do u have the actual sequence numbers. If so there are sites on the internet u can check the USA serials.
Not sure where else to look for chassis nos.
Cheers,
Manuel in Oz
Capn John
Well-known member
Canadian 1932 VIN Numbers, etc
[SIZE=+1]Canadian Ford Serial #s [/SIZE]
“Oh Canada!”
It’s a VIN - VIN Situation
by Frank Scheidt
Henry Ford kept it simple”— start with no. 1, and just keep going. Our Ford V-8s, made here in America, started with *18-1 and ran consecutively until February, 1942.
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) was introduced in its working form in 1983 as the result of a recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization ( ISO). This classification is used worldwide to identify motor vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, and mopeds. So we no longer call them “serial numbers”.
Meanwhile, in Canada, serial numbers were treated differently. First of all, they started with *C to indicate Canada, and to make it more complicated, they added another letter after the “18”. For example, in 1932 for the V-8 model: *C18D-1 through D-10000; then C18R-1 through R-5973. The letter was supposedly used to limit the numbers from getting too long. In America, the 1932 model V-8 went from 1 up to 203126. 203127 was used for the first 1933 V-8. And so on.
We received an email from the owner of a 1936 Coupe, who, for some reason, suspected that the frame was from a ‘35. It was Canadian, as indicatedby the “C” before the “18”. After the 18 was the letter “L”. I wrote back and said “give me a few days and I’ll find out for you”. Several months later, I finally got the answer. It was indeed the serial number of a 1935 Ford!
So why did it take me so long to find the answer and where did I finally find it? Well, I googled and googled and got nowhere fast! I found an interesting article somewhere that explained the “C” prefix and that the second mysterious letter was used to limit how high the numbers got. Good info, but not enough to answer my inquiry from cyberspace. I wrote to several Canadian Early Ford V-8 members and got maybe two responses - both “Darned if I know” answers.
One web site suggested that I contact the historian at Ford Canada. I was told she was very knowledgeable but also very busy. So I sent my question to her, not really expecting anything much in return. But within just a few shorts weeks, she sent me a treasure trove of information on Canadian serial numbers, going back to the Model T! I thanked her profusely and promised to share this wealth of information with the Ford world. I would give out her name and contact information, but I don’t think it’s fair to subject her to a rash of inquires like “how many ‘36 five window coupes were made in Canada and what month was mine built”, etc. The information she gathered doesn’t contain those kinds of stats, and besides, hopefully what I print here will answer your burning questions.
Note: The * indicates that these letters were also used on other model years. For example, C18L was used for part of the 1934 model year as well as 1935. Descriptions are given for each model year to identify which model the identical letters represented. “R, Z and X” were also used in different years. Weren’t there enough letters in the alphabet to avoid repetition??
Starting with 1937, it appears the “C18” was dropped. There is no reference to the 60 hp models after 1938, even though in the U.S. they were available into 1940. There is also confusion in Serial Number vs Motor Number starting in 1937. They state the Serial Number is on the frame and the Motor Number is on the clutch housing. Prior to ‘37, the Serial Number was on both the frame and clutch housing.
I hope this helps clear up the confusion with Canadian numbers. If anyone out there owns a Canadian-built Ford V-8, please let us know if any of this rings true! Oh Canada!
“Oh Canada!”
It’s a VIN - VIN Situation
by Frank Scheidt
Henry Ford kept it simple”— start with no. 1, and just keep going. Our Ford V-8s, made here in America, started with *18-1 and ran consecutively until February, 1942.
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) was introduced in its working form in 1983 as the result of a recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization ( ISO). This classification is used worldwide to identify motor vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, and mopeds. So we no longer call them “serial numbers”.
Meanwhile, in Canada, serial numbers were treated differently. First of all, they started with *C to indicate Canada, and to make it more complicated, they added another letter after the “18”. For example, in 1932 for the V-8 model: *C18D-1 through D-10000; then C18R-1 through R-5973. The letter was supposedly used to limit the numbers from getting too long. In America, the 1932 model V-8 went from 1 up to 203126. 203127 was used for the first 1933 V-8. And so on.
We received an email from the owner of a 1936 Coupe, who, for some reason, suspected that the frame was from a ‘35. It was Canadian, as indicatedby the “C” before the “18”. After the 18 was the letter “L”. I wrote back and said “give me a few days and I’ll find out for you”. Several months later, I finally got the answer. It was indeed the serial number of a 1935 Ford!
So why did it take me so long to find the answer and where did I finally find it? Well, I googled and googled and got nowhere fast! I found an interesting article somewhere that explained the “C” prefix and that the second mysterious letter was used to limit how high the numbers got. Good info, but not enough to answer my inquiry from cyberspace. I wrote to several Canadian Early Ford V-8 members and got maybe two responses - both “Darned if I know” answers.
One web site suggested that I contact the historian at Ford Canada. I was told she was very knowledgeable but also very busy. So I sent my question to her, not really expecting anything much in return. But within just a few shorts weeks, she sent me a treasure trove of information on Canadian serial numbers, going back to the Model T! I thanked her profusely and promised to share this wealth of information with the Ford world. I would give out her name and contact information, but I don’t think it’s fair to subject her to a rash of inquires like “how many ‘36 five window coupes were made in Canada and what month was mine built”, etc. The information she gathered doesn’t contain those kinds of stats, and besides, hopefully what I print here will answer your burning questions.
Note: The * indicates that these letters were also used on other model years. For example, C18L was used for part of the 1934 model year as well as 1935. Descriptions are given for each model year to identify which model the identical letters represented. “R, Z and X” were also used in different years. Weren’t there enough letters in the alphabet to avoid repetition??
Starting with 1937, it appears the “C18” was dropped. There is no reference to the 60 hp models after 1938, even though in the U.S. they were available into 1940. There is also confusion in Serial Number vs Motor Number starting in 1937. They state the Serial Number is on the frame and the Motor Number is on the clutch housing. Prior to ‘37, the Serial Number was on both the frame and clutch housing.
I hope this helps clear up the confusion with Canadian numbers. If anyone out there owns a Canadian-built Ford V-8, please let us know if any of this rings true! Oh Canada!
Byron Warwick
Senior Member
TomT/Williamsburg
Well-known member
OK, so if the VIN number for my 32 is 18-336728 (it's titled, registered and insured in VA), do I really have a 32 VIN number or is it bogus?
Capn John
Well-known member
http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_serialnumbers.htm
From VanPelt's web site with a full listing of VIN's
TomT/Williamsburg
Well-known member
Thanks for that - well, looks like for whatever reason, the VIN number I have for my 32 is a number that matches more for a 33. No problem here as I'm no where near original nor is DMV going to know the difference but I just wonder if I'm gong to have problems down the road ....
Mark from Australia
Senior Member
I know this is an old thread, but I remain confused regarding chassis numbers.
I have an ex-USA 32 chassis.
The numbers are "50292**" There are no stars and no letters.
Are these legit 4 cylinder numbers?
I have an ex-USA 32 chassis.
The numbers are "50292**" There are no stars and no letters.
Are these legit 4 cylinder numbers?
Dave Slater
Senior Member
Mark 50292 is not a 4 cylinder engine or VIN number. Canadian 4 cylinder numbers would be something like CBTF 1234. For example the CBTF range would start at CBTF 1 to CBTF 5000 it would not be six digits. In the US the engine number was to be stamped on the chassis rail ie 18-12345. There have been several cases where some of the assembly lines sometimes missed the prefix, therefore that is most likely why you have 50292 stamped on your rail OR somebody has ground off the original chassis number and re stamped this new number? Dave
rotorwrench
Well-known member
The US manufactured VIN number for most early Fords was first stamped on the transmission case just above the inspection port as part of an engine/transmission assembly number. When the engine was mated to the frame, the numbers were stamped on it in several places. The prefix would be for a "B" for a 4-cylinder vehicle in the 1932 time frame but it would likely only be stamped at the most forward location on the frame. The numbers stamped on the aft end would just be the sequential number with no prefix and likely no stars. Even though the stars and prefix were part of the VIN, there have been instances where things were omitted depending on what kind of day the stamper was having. F was commonly added to the prefix to designate right hand drive. Some right hand drive vehicles were manufactured in the US but were sent to non commonwealth countries or other countries that Canada didn't export to.
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V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
Looks like a legit numbering sequence to me (look really hard for the "AB") for an early 4-cyl. engine, as referenced in the quote below from Bruce Lancaster in post #2 above:
"B began as AB, started at 5,000,000 (extension of Model A numbering)..."! DD
Mark from Australia
Senior Member
Thanks guys,
I treated the areas where I believed the chassis numbers would be, then cleaned off the scale and rust, to find that in ALL 3 Places the numbers were the same, with the correct "9" type-face. There was no sign of any "stars" or "letters".
These rails are ex-USA rails.
I treated the areas where I believed the chassis numbers would be, then cleaned off the scale and rust, to find that in ALL 3 Places the numbers were the same, with the correct "9" type-face. There was no sign of any "stars" or "letters".
These rails are ex-USA rails.