| 46coupe | -- 04-20-2019 @ 3:21 PM |
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I finally found the frame number which is 76 65 79 * Does that look correct as there are no other numbers around these which are hand stamped as stated in the 41-48 book. Can anyone interpret the numbers. If 76 is the body name I would have a convertible coupe which I don't. Any help is appreciated.
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| CharlieStephens | -- 04-20-2019 @ 3:27 PM |
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Where are you finding these numbers? On the top of the left frame rail or maybe on a plate attached to the firewall? How about a picture? Was the vehicle manufactured in a foreign country? All frame numbers should start with and end with a star. You should put your general location in your profile, you can never tell when it will help. Any chance you could post a picture? Charlie Stephens This message was edited by CharlieStephens on 4-20-19 @ 3:31 PM
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| 46coupe | -- 04-20-2019 @ 3:59 PM |
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I found the number on the top left frame rail right by the cross brace as stated in the 41-48 Ford book. The car is a survivor and is a Super Deluxe coupe. I'll look for the star at the beginning of the sequence. I'll also try to get some pictures if I can get a good angle around the trumpet horns.
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| CharlieStephens | -- 04-20-2019 @ 5:21 PM |
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Remember that LED flashlights are great for lighting and cell phone cameras fit into small places. The number will probably photograph better if you hold the flashlight at a low angle. Charlie Stephens This message was edited by CharlieStephens on 4-20-19 @ 6:02 PM
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| 42wagon | -- 04-21-2019 @ 3:48 AM |
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You don't tell us what year the car is. The number you are giving us looks like nothing from the 41-48 time period. All numbers start with a star then if it's 41 or 42 18- if it's a 46A 99A-if it's a 47 799A- and if it's a 48 899A-. The number will be in the millions and not as low as the number you have given us. Also the number is nothing more than a sequential engine serial number starting with *18-1* in 1932. There is no reference to the body type in the number.
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| TomO | -- 04-21-2019 @ 8:08 AM |
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You are missing the leading digit in the serial number, if it is a 1934 or later car. Here is a list of serial numbers by year. Give it a once over so you will know what you are looking for. http://vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathead_serialnumbers.htm Tom
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| 46coupe | -- 04-22-2019 @ 5:28 AM |
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Thanks Tom, I have this and my number is 99A 766 379. The car is a 46 sedan coupe. When I get time today I will clean off the frame to try and find the leading star so we will know the number is complete. As of now we don't know. I read somewhere that the hand stamped number on the frame is the engine number and is found in a couple of other places. Hopefully I've remembered correctly. The 99A number above was taken from the title. Based on that number can we determine when the car was built? So far my research is showing sometime in the summer or fall of 1945 as it has several features found in the earlier cars.
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| trjford8 | -- 04-22-2019 @ 6:46 AM |
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Sometimes those numbers are lightly stamped. Be careful when cleaning and do not use any harsh abrasives..
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| len47merc | -- 04-22-2019 @ 8:25 AM |
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Serial numbers listed for the end of a model year sequence many times finished manufacturing, were completed and titled as the following year model. Window bugs on original glass will tell the tale here. My '47's bugs revealed a Jan 47 completion date while the serial number correlated to a late 46. I've seen other such occurrences personally. Steve
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| 46coupe | -- 04-22-2019 @ 4:37 PM |
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I found the rest of the numbers under the paint and crud. The star is a strong stamp, the 99 looks very light as stated earlier and the A has a base line at the end of each leg and no cross bar showing. So the number is 99A 76 65 79 which is 200 numbers off what my title has. Does that make sense? Coming from manufacturing I know that parts get swapped around to keep the lines running. I also do not have any window bugs. Other than bugs how does one find out the manufacture date? Thanks to all of you for your help.
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| 51woodie | -- 04-23-2019 @ 10:04 AM |
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46Coupe. My '46 Super Deluxe Coupe has a higher S/N than yours, by a couple hundred thousand. Mine was built in late '46, which gives it a mix between '46 and '47. It has the horns in front of the rad instead of the trumpets, and the fuel pump has a glass sediment/filter bowl. The ignition resistor is up under the dash. I guess Ford was starting the transition to the '47 model year. None of my glass have bugs, so that info is not available to me.
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| trjford8 | -- 04-23-2019 @ 1:16 PM |
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Your title should have the same number as your frame. If you have the original transmission that frame # should also be on the cast boss just above the small clutch inspection cover. No window bugs means the glass has been changed in the car. Do you see any stamped numbers on the firewall?
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| 46coupe | -- 04-24-2019 @ 9:50 AM |
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The only number I can find on the firewall while facing the drivers side is L 980. The data plate on the firewall is a Carpenter repro. No other stampings were found . However, I can't see behind the engine to check there. 51 Woodie: I'm not surprised that your number is a lot higher than mine as I believe that my car was built sometime in 1945 as it has several features that were listed in a V8 article about a 1944-45 staff car. Henry was known not to waste anything including parts left over from 1942 -45 production as stated in several articles I've read in the times. My car has the trumpet horns, round knob hood release, clutch grease fittings, etc as were used on the earlier cars. I'm having as much fun researching this car as driving it, especially when I play 40s music.
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| 46coupe | -- 04-24-2019 @ 12:07 PM |
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Let me begin by saying how much I appreciate everyone's help and that I'm not usually lacking in detail research. However, I had some time to kill since this morning's post and went back to check my frame. I was very troubled with what I thought I had discovered in the mismatched numbers. So I took a different style brush and begin working on the one number that wasn't coming out clearly. I FOUND the line that is the rest of the 3 in the 379 section of the number. It was so faint that I missed it initially and mistook a scratch for the top of a 5. Whoever hand stamped this wasn't too consistent. Anyway I hope I haven't wasted too much of your all's time. Moving forward now that I know the numbers match, how can I get to the month and year of manufacture? Obviously, I'm a little excited about this. I get that way when researching other antiques also, which is surprising since I'm older now.
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| CharlieStephens | -- 04-24-2019 @ 1:02 PM |
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Did you check the club's book for your car? https://shop.efv8.org/collections/ford-books/products/1941-1948-ford-book-softbound I don't have one that covers '46 or I would just give you the information. Charlie Stephens
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| trjford8 | -- 04-24-2019 @ 1:25 PM |
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I second Charlie's comment about the V-8 Club's '41-'48 book. if you are a new owner of a '46 Ford the book is a must have to continue your research. you can purchase to book by going to the "Online Store" in the left column of this website.
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| 42wagon | -- 04-24-2019 @ 2:01 PM |
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I second the recommendation that you get the 41-48 Ford book. Appendix D lists the running changes by year. You can compare your car to the list of changes authorized by Big Brother in Dearborn. Unfortunately this will only tell you that your car could not have been assembled before a certain date. Ford did not keep or they got lost along the way the daily production figures for each assembly plant. Also this list only tells you when a change was authorized. It is perfectly possible that certain assembly plants did not have the parts on hand to make the change until sometime later than the authorization date. Happy hunting. Let us know what you find.
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| 46coupe | -- 04-24-2019 @ 4:23 PM |
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I had gone to appendix D, but didn't find too much. My car is Navy Blue. No mention of interior other than adding brown upholstery to what was being used at the time. The oil bath air cleaner and filter were added, which I have. This happened Aug 9 of 45. In Sept they changed the paint on the grill bars to match the body color. My grill bars and related parts are painted an orangey red color which goes with the Ford word on the bumper. What do you all think? Was the car built somewhere around July/Aug of 45 given the early frame number and early items that were installed on the first run of production cars? Or am I being over zealous? Are there any other references I can check that you all know about? I understand about running changes and long time lapses which means this could be for naught. The hunt is fun though, agreed? This message was edited by 46coupe on 4-24-19 @ 4:31 PM
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| 46coupe | -- 04-26-2019 @ 7:31 AM |
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Does anyone know anything about the paint trim in the grills, and other trim pieces? The change was made to paint the parts with the same body color. What was the color prior to the change order? Any help is appreciated.
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| trjford8 | -- 04-26-2019 @ 8:31 AM |
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If you are intent on finding out all the facts about your early '46 you need to contact the Benson Ford Research Center. They are located in Dearborn, Michigan. They do charge for their services. This message was edited by trjford8 on 4-26-19 @ 8:36 AM
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| 46coupe | -- 04-26-2019 @ 8:45 AM |
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Thank you. I'll see what they can tell me and let you and others know.
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| 46coupe | -- 05-14-2019 @ 8:17 AM |
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I contacted the research center as suggested. They had an answer for me within a week. Here is what they said. automobile specialists who has provided the following answer: The Benson Ford Research Center does not have production records for the year and model of your vehicle. A fire in 1970 destroyed most of our production records leaving only a limited range of years and models. Additionally, we do not have vehicle assembly plant records from most Ford plants. In early manufacturing years it is known that the Ford plants did not track their vehicles by serial number (frame number) and no information is known to exist about 1946 assembly records. The V8 Ford engines were built on two production lines at the Rouge Engine Plant in Dearborn Michigan. After successful testing they were stamped with a numerical serial number on the top front of the transmission case. They were then shipped to the final assembly plants, where they would be placed on a partly assembled vehicle frame. At that time the engine/ transmission serial number was stamped on the top of the frame rail near the front cross member with two or three prefix digits added such as 99A in 1946. This number is referred to as a “frame number”. The Benson Ford Research Center does have production records from the Rouge Engine Plant. The records indicate engine serial number 766379 was one of 1761 engines built on one production line December 18, 1945. The serial number range for the day was 764812 to 766573. It is generally believed that an engine would have been installed at the final assembly plant within 3 months of shipping by the engine plant. Would my car, assuming it was assembled in Dec at the earliest, still have the early parts installed from the 1942-45 time frame, which it does. I guess they had more NOS stuff laying around than I imagined. Anyone have any other thoughts?
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