I need some help finding a V.I.N.number on my car. I have a 1947 ford four door. I have looked all around the doors and under the hood, cant find anything. If anyone knows where it is please let me know. Thanks.
aw jeez, not this shit again! Are we gonna have to teach each and every person in America, one at a time?? Do a search and learn that those cars never had VINs
The old Fords did not have a VIN as used today. The vehicle identification number for an old Ford is the serial number stamped into the top of the left frame rail somewhere between the cowl and front cross member. It is not the newer type number that contains a lot of information about the car such as paint color but it is nevertheless the number used to identify the vehicle. Charlie Stephens
VIN, V-ehicle I-dentification N-umber, for early Fords from 32-48 is found on the original transmission bellhousing above the inspection cover(pull floorboards to see this one), on the top side of the frame rail rail near the firewall on 32-36, near the front crossmember rivets on 37-48 cars and 37-47 Pickups. The number can also be found on top of the rail under the post at the back of the front door and at the rear crossmember on top of the rail. In several states this number was added by the dealer to the top deck of the engine if required by State law. The stamped number is preceded by a five pointed star, then a prefix such as B, 18, 99A folled by a dash(-), the sequence number as many as 8 digits, a dash(-), and the five-pointed star. Back when these numbers were known as sequence numbers and serial numbers but in modern times they are all called VINs.
The location of the serial number varies because they were stamped by hand rather than machine. The serial number was assigned to the engine/transmission unit and was stamped on the bell of the trans case above the clutch inspection window. When that engine and trans was bolted into a chassis, they literally had a guy there with a big hammer and a set of number stamps who copied the number of the trans case onto the frame in the 3 places already noted. The one at the front can be anywhere between the firewall and front crossmember. On my '38 Ford pickup it is right beside the steering box. Another thing: depending on the practice of individual assembly plants, the number on the frame may or may not have the stars and prefix. My '38 has the full number *18-4461076* on the bell of the original trans case but only has 4461076 on the frame. Mine has something else I've never seen on another one--it has 81C (model designation for '38 85 HP commercial) stamped under the serial number on the frame. One other thing to note--Ford's number stamps used a capital I for the numeral 1, so any I's in your number should be read as 1's.
On your car, you would be looking for (assuming 8 cylinder) *799A-sequence number of your engine* Sequence will be in the 1 1/2--2 million range. If you look at top center of car's toe board, there is a long oval punchout that can be bent up to view the main number on trans without pulling the 8,000 rusted screws holding toe board in. the 799A translates into '47 100hp V8 passenger car, number tells that it is the Xth 239 engine made since the intro of that size in 1939. That's all they wrote... Patent plate on the wall MAY have a tiny box left empty to be stamped with 2-letter code for assembly plant.
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