Hey has anyone seen a '32 serial # that has an A after the star instead of 18 or B ? It sure looks original to the frame but there also seem to be too many #s it's *A9503xxxx* according to the search I did the longest '32 # would be 18-203126 I tried to get a good pic. with my phone but didn't come out good, I'll try with a camera tomorrow, I didn't see any welds or evidence of grinding and it's lightly pitted so you'd see if someone had screwed with it. Thanks for any help.
I had a really early B frame that started with an A..... was *AB500xxxx* Look to see if the first digit 9 is really a B. Does the K member have legs? Does the rear axle kickup have the stiffeners inside or outside the frame rails?
I think the second one could be a B it's the only one I can't read very clearly. It's a doodlebug frame so no kick up in back and the K member does have legs. Thanks for the feedback.
I had an original 32 frame for my 32 Henry Ford cabriolet that read clearly F18 after the star with a 4 digit xxxx number and ending with another star.
According to "The 1932 Ford Book" the F indicated the engine was for a RHD vehicle, the 18 said it was a V8 (although it should have been 18F) and the number was a sequential serial number. Was the car RHD? Charlie Stephens
I guess the right hand drive frame was correct( sold it because original body was on aftermarket Speedway frame).The other peculiar thing is no mounting holes for steering column(on dash) for left hand drive; mounting holes(2) are "punched" on passenger side only proving right hand drive dash is matching to the original 32 cabriolet body.
If the "3" was a "B" it would make sense. My guess would be the "B" stamp was held at an angle resulting in the "3". I have one with a "T" that is obviously a "1" stamp held at an angle. The "T" is on the flywheel housing but it becomes "1" on the frame rail. Have you checked both places on yours? Charlie Stephens
I've got a '32 Ford Pickup with a AB 5million serial #. It was first titled in August of 1933. It has a 25 louver hood that was only made in October of 1932 - as with all the Sedan Delivery's. All were produced late in the year, to help with over heating problems that happened with the 20 louver hoods. My frame had outside reinforcement riveted in place, much sturdier than "late" inside reinforcement. I contend that the 5million serial numbered vehicles were all made LATE in the year.
The serial numbers for the four cylinder 1932 Fords began with five million and one. This was probably done to not duplicate the Model A serial numbers that were slightly under five million. The AB prefix was changed to B starting with serial number 62387. The outside reinforcement was installed at first by dealers and later by the factory. The inside rivited reenforcement was eventually included in the production frame. A previous owner could have added the 25 louver hood if the vehicle was running too hot (usually a problem with the V8 engines). What makes you think it was first titled in August 1933? Using XXX for the last three digits, what is the serial number of your truck? Where do you see the number? It should be on the flywheel housing stamped into a pad, on the frame near the steering box and on the paperwork for the truck. Charlie Stephens
I have the voided California pink slip from when I bought it in San Jose in 2007. It says "date first sold" 9/22/1933. So it's licensed as a 1933 to this day. The serial # is AB50056xx. It had a 283 Chevy and a '36 trans adapted into it when I bought it. It was primered over some original paint that matched from the cowl to the hood tops. There may be things that would determine if was a B or V-8 but I'm not sure what they are. See my albums... Do you have any other source than "The 1932 Ford Book"? When were the first 25 louver hoods produced? How about the external frame braces? I'm interested to know - but I'm a hot rodder, not a restorer - so I won't loose any sleep over any of this. theBo'B
I would chalk the date first sold up to a mistake by the DMV. The main thing that would tell if it was originally a 4 or V8 is the vehicle number. The number for the 4 started with *AB or *B with the serial number starting at 500001 and the V8 number started with *18 and serial number 1 and up. The * is a 5 pointed star that appeared before the prefix and at the end of the serial number. With your number the truck started with a 4. Another thing is that very few (about 10 if I remember correctly) V8 trucks were produced. The V8 would have had the fuel line running down the left side of the frame and the 4 was on the right. As far as other sources in addition to “The 1932 Ford Book” I don’t know of any other single source with that much information. Everything else comes in small pieces. I have been in the Early Ford V8 Club since 1972 and read with interest everything that their magazine (V8 Times) said about the ’32. There were a lot of good articles and answers to technical questions but it is difficult to retrieve the information. All of my magazines are stored in the attic. “The Early Ford V8 As Henry Built It” is an excellent book but it covers 1932 to 1938 so it doesn’t go into a lot of detail on the ’32. The Books and magazines (Ford Life) by Lorin Sorenson in the seventies were excellent but again they cover several years. I am sure glad “The 1932 Ford Book” is available. Were you aware there is a running errata for the book maintained on the Early Ford V8 Club site (earlyfordv8.org)? I checked the index in “The 1932 Ford Book” for information on the frame braces and 25 louver hood and didn’t find a quick answer. I am sure the information is in the book but it would take time to find it. You might post the question on fordbarn.com. The author or “The 1932 Ford Book” posts there under a screen name. Charlie Stephens
Thanks for the info. Over the years I've owned over 90 vehicles, 27 were '32 Ford's since they are my favorites. I'm down to 6 - it's a bad disease - that Deuce Disease! Many were parts cars, but I've had my 5W, 3W, and Roadster since 1970. I've found many details on cars I've owned that contradict things I've found in print. A restorer friend of mine [RIP Bud] told me about how his low mile Tudor was judged at an event. He was told TEN things, including the shift lever, sun visors, license brackets, etc. were "incorrect". Who would have changed out those parts on a car with less than 30k miles? I'm glad I think any car is just a starting point, to be tuned to personal taste. Charlie, I'm nominating you to take up the quest to publish the Defining Deuce Directory, with sources quoted - right or wrong - to help us sort this all out. Seriously - us '32 addicts need to know... Thanks again, theBo'B
What event was your friend’s car judged at? A national event put on by the Early Ford V8 Club usually has knowledgeable judges. It is interesting to note that the 3 things you mentioned specifically all had at least two configurations and their use depended upon when the car was built. Was there anything about your friend’s car that might throw people off like being extremely early production? Thanks for the nomination but I think the most qualified person is Dave Rehor but he pretty well summed everything up when he wrote “The 1932 Ford Book”. He is now retired and I expect/hope we will see a lot more from him. Charlie Stephens
Duffey, your truck with the serial number in the 5,000's is really early for a 32. Those frame stiffeners on the outside of the rails must have been added later by the dealer. I'd bet the hood sides were added at the same time. As for the sale date, who knows, but it sure would be odd for a dealer to have the truck on his lot for over a year. My red Tudor has a similar number, but in the 50,000's if I remember correctly. Chris bought a big truck a couple years ago with an early number similar to yours, and bought a five-window last summer with a number in the 20,000's I think. I have frame with a 5,000's number in the V8 range, which is kinda early for V8's. I've been collecting early 32 parts for almost a decade now. You think the Deuce Disease is bad, try catching the Early Deuce Disease!
Hmmm...I've always been deeply thankful none of mine are very early! It's hard enough finding the regular stuff. I do have an early pickup frame somewhere with the outside braces...it was being parted out and nearly everything else was gone, so I don't know anything else about that one. Serial is a mass of rust pits. On numbers...V8 engines were in tight supply for most of the year, so probably went straight to an assembly plant as soon as they had the numbers stamped on. B's had no production problems, and a considerable number of B engines were built, numbered, and stored before Henry OK'd assembling cars...he would not allow B sales until V8's were in the salesroom. These early B's thus were probably in random sequence by the time they came out of the warehouse and shipped out for assembly, so dating them is not very reliable.
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