AA Truck serial number .

john charlton

john charlton

Well-known member
Just moved the body across to get access to the frame number . This truck is an early 1930 . The number starts STAR A 285 which puts the truck as a Feb 1930 what I expected . Only one A not AA I wonder why , not fitted with heavy duty clutch on assembly ? The numbers are original and not been altered . Has anyone else seen this ?

John in cool cloudy Suffolk County England .
 
The truck has the heavy 131 1/2" chassis with heavy front axle and brakes .It has the bevel back axle with the 6.6 ratio . It has the 4 speed trans . It has the 82A cab and the bayonet gas cap and 30/31 headlamps . There is no way it could be "pieced" but it does have a 1936 Ford platform bed on it .

John in same place same weather
 
It may have to do with where it was assembled. Maybe in England they did not stamp the heavy commercial frame with the AA.
 
Maybe the original engine was stamped wrong with only a single A ?
things happen (Friday at end of shift)
Engine installed into frame and frame just stamped with matching # :confused:
 
English built trucks also have AA . This one I imported from sunny Chandler Arizona .

John in sunny morning Suffolk County England .
 
This is the problem it has an AZ VIN assigned title which my DMV will not accept hence me finding the number on the frame . The UK DMV will accept the original frame serial so I can get a UK title .

John in same place same weather .
 
Just get your UK title assigned with the frame #(star A285.....) put the body back on and enjoy. The single A is odd though, mysteries lost to time :)
 
Had to do with the clutch springs AA were heavier than the car and then Ford went to the same springs on all hence A and then went back to AA on the trucks?????
 
I think pj has got it. Maybe for a short period in 1930 all vehicles had the same clutch so only one "A" on my truck . Any thoughts ?

John in no weather today Suffolk County England .
 
I was going through my archives and found a note that corroborates what PJ and Bob said. This does not answer why a 1930 frame would have only one "A" though. These older trucks would have the worm drive rear axle.

"Note – For about 2-1/2 months, starting mid February 1928 (with engine ID A-26268), the AA’s used the same multiple-disc clutch spring as was used for the A chassis. Consequently, during this period, the engine ID had an “A” prefix. Refer to the “Indianapolis Service Letters” dated February 23rd and May 15th 1928. An AA with engine and frame ID of AA-98977 has been found. This is a late April 1928 number and helps define the end of the “A” prefixed ID’s for the AA’s."
 
john charlton said:
Just moved the body across to get access to the frame number . This truck is an early 1930 . The number starts STAR A 285 which puts the truck as a Feb 1930 what I expected . Only one A not AA I wonder why , not fitted with heavy duty clutch on assembly ? The numbers are original and not been altered . Has anyone else seen this ?
Click to expand...


According to the chart I have, *A285XXX* would be a July 1928. See below.

☆A256479☆ Experimental engine having no external oil return pipe, numbered July 16, 1928
A / AF 256001 295707 July 1928
A / AF 295708 384867 August 1928
A / AF 384868 419000 September

https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/ABenginenumbers.htm
 
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