Help decode serial number

R

RBaker

Senior Member
The 38 Ford truck serial number on my frame has a letter "I" as the last digit.

It looks exactly like this on the frame *18-464258I*

Would my serial number be 464258?

or

Would it be as the Vanpelt website list serial numbers such as 18-4, 64258I?

The "I" being a number 1 even though it is a definite letter "I"?

I was not reading the number correctly the last couple of months due to rust/dirt etc...
 

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There are several sources for engine build numbers. I used DeAngelis book "The Early Ford V-8 Book" You can also get the information from The 1938-39 Ford Book published by The Early Ford V-8 Club.
 
Milt/Las Vegas said:
How did you come up with the engine being built in aug.,38?
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Keep in mind that if an engine was built in August (example) it may very well have sat for a while before being installed in a vehicle.
In other words, an August engine does not necessarily mean an August vehicle.
 
The only info that can be gleaned from your serial number is that it has the 85 HP V8 engine (indicated by the 18- prefix; 60 HP vehicles had a 54- prefix), and the approximate month the engine was built. The number following the prefix is just a sequential production number for the engine/transmission unit. When the engine/ trans unit was bolted into a chassis, the number on the bellhousing was copied onto the frame rail. A higher numbered engine/trans may have gotten bolted into a chassis before a lower numbered engine/trans. There is no info about body style, etc. encoded in the serial number. 1/2 ton pickups and panels were built on the 112" wheelbase passenger car chassis and are in the same serial number series.
 
After removing my cab from the frame yesterday I found this......a circular date type stamp with the letter D followed by the numbers 37. Also the number 12 to the right of the date stamp.

Would this mean the block was cast in December 1937?

Also, when I had the heads and intake removed the aluminum intake had a date stamp of 11-16-37 underneath.
 

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Lamar Wadsworth said:
The only info that can be gleaned from your serial number is that it has the 85 HP V8 engine (indicated by the 18- prefix; 60 HP vehicles had a 54- prefix), and the approximate month the engine was built. The number following the prefix is just a sequential production number for the engine/transmission unit. When the engine/ trans unit was bolted into a chassis, the number on the bellhousing was copied onto the frame rail. A higher numbered engine/trans may have gotten bolted into a chassis before a lower numbered engine/trans. There is no info about body style, etc. encoded in the serial number. 1/2 ton pickups and panels were built on the 112" wheelbase passenger car chassis and are in the same serial number series.
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My 1/2 ton '34 Ford pickup has a BB prefix before the serial number on the frame. I guess that means it came originally with a 4 cylinder engine?
 
Oops! I misspoke. The prefix to the serial number on my '34 pickup is "B I8-".

I have heard of some '34 Ford serial numbers starting with a "40" prefix (presumably be they are a Model 40). Anyone actually seen that prefix?
 
B prefix denotes 4 cylinder. BB prefix is big truck (or a pickup that was equipped with the granny gear 4 speed instead of the 3 speed passenger car trans that was in most pickups).
 
bobmg53 said:
I have a BB pickup with the 4 speed. Is 4th as high as 3rd would be in a three speed?
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The forth gear was VERY low. Many called it the "Granny gear". Think of it a s a good gear for pulling tree stumps.
In a modern vehicle that first gear would rarely be used at all.
 
i believe that was misunderstood, high gear, 4th gear in this case, unless an overdrive, is always 1-1 ratio, same in the three speed. big power and low highway speed is achieved by the rearend ratio.
 
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