I originally tried to send this in a PM to Bruce Lancaster, but his mail box is full. I hope Bruce is doing OK. Anyway I'll post this out to the forum to see if someone cab set me straight: Hi Bruce, hope all is well with you. I was doing a thread search trying to find some info on a '32 bellhousing I have and the closest I've come is a comment you made back on a thread in 2009. The bellhousing has an engine number stamped in as *BB18-824XXX*. On the thread you made comment about the "rare" V8 BB18 VIN series. Could you explain the "rare" part and if this would have been used in a car or truck? I've been told that the B and BB series were 4 clyinder trucks, but would be in the 5,000,000 plus range - and also that the 18 was the 1932 V8 series but only went up to about 230,000 in 1932. So I'm real confused as to what I have, but hope you'll share your wealth of knowledge to set me straight. Thanks,
It would be nice to see a picture before speculating on questions but my take is this is from a 1934 truck.. BB for truck, 18 for V8, 8------ for serial number sequence
Ford didn't put the V8 into the BB series until October of '32, but when they did, they did use the 18 series numbers for the trucks. They are rare, as the 32 truck was never intended to have the V8: it was customer demand that made that change. The 4 cylinder 32 trucks had a number that started with 50, the V8's 18. My 32 BB's were all early and had an AB prefix on the paperwork, as they used the number on the bell housing. The BB should have been on the frame before the the V8's were intalled in October. All the big trucks had the BB prefix by 33.
Thanks guys. I'd never run into the "double prefix" if you will, but it all makes sense now. So I think Dick hit it on the head saying I've most likely have a '34 bellhousing from a V8 truck. I'll post a pic later when I get home.
The BB designation was used on trucks at least through 1934 as far as I know, even though most were eights after 1932, and I believe that BB18 was a normal prefix...I have heard of lots of these. I have never owned or closely examined one of these trucks myself, so this is second-hand info. I assume bellhousing means the separate casting for 4-speed here. BB of course refers only to big trucks...there is some common confusion because Ford called the pickups and such that used regualar chassis "Commercials" and only the big trucks with the entirely different running gear "Trucks." The 50 is not really the start of the '32 truck seial...all of the fours were in the 5 million range, so there was a 50 there, but the prefix for big truck was I think AAB early in the year, BB later...pickups got the passenger type serial, AB or B. I've never seen a real '32 commercial or truck V8 but apparently they existed. 50 nwas a model prefix for later '30's trucks, 1935 or so
If it was only that easy Bruce! Around here they focus on the frame to determine registration year etc., so a piece of frame rail with this number stamped into it would get you a lot closer to a title. I've been thinking that my next project might be a flat motor, so this just might be the piece to get me headed that direction.
That piece is often used as the start for an adaptor, flathead to T5, etc. And it carries a close equivalent of the rare '32 lever, so you are WELL on your way to a deuce roadster...only need a few more bits.
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