1940- 46 Ford Pickup, I need to find the vin numbers. Also are they stamped on the Flathead V8 engine block?
40's dont have a vin number. There is a serial number stamped on the top of the frame near the steering box.
The serial number was not on the engine. It was stamped on the bell of the trans case at the top just above the clutch inspection window. When the engine/trans unit was bolted into a chassis, they had a guy there with--I kid you not--a set of number stamps and a big hammer who copied the number off the bell of the trans case onto the frame. That is why the location of the stamping on the frame varies and why the numbers are usually not in perfect alignment. The stamping on the frame can be anywhere between the firewall and the front crossmember but is usually right beside the steering box. Obviously if the number on your trans case matches the number on your frame, you have the original trans (or at least original trans case), if the numbers don't match, the trans has been swapped out. The reason it's not on the engine is that Ford discouraged dealer shops from rebuilding engines and promoted engine exchange with engines provided by Ford-authorized engine rebuilders. Ford anticipated that people would exchange their worn out engines for a factory rebuilt one rather than building the engine they had.
My 40 frame out in the yard has numbers stamped on top of the rail at the front crossmember by the rivets, at the mid-point where the rear of the front door would be and at the rear crossmember by the rivets. So did my old 40 Coupe.
Yes, the number should be stamped on the top of the left frame rail three places, where pasadenahotrod stated.
Thanks everyone, That explains why I can't find vin numbers on the blocks I have looked at. I did find one set on frame rail by the cross member,
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