The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk engine and tag serial numbers on a late '40s pickup

Found a late '40s frame, that is the leftovers of another person's S10 conversion. They lifted the cab off, and rolled the complete frame and drive train out from under it. New project will be titled as an S10.

I'm thinking of saving the complete old frame/running gear, and finding a cab for it at a later date, but want to make sure the paperwork is in order. Here's the question...was the late '40s engine serial number the same number as the serial number found on the door frame tag?

no

...click...

The door tag only gave information about the truck, size, weight, model, color, etc....

The VIN number is the engine serial number. No where on the body or frame will you find this number. Up to or around 1955 the VIN was this way, after it was changed to what we use now with the number stamped in many places on the truck.

The door tag only gave information about the truck series, body serial number, size, weight, model, color, etc...., depending on the year, up to about 1957


Through the end of the Advance-Design series (1947 to 1955-st series of trucks), and maybe later, there was no model information, or wheel-base information, or equipment-specific GVW information, or exterior/interior color/trim information on any identification code/tag.

The title/registration code "VIN" was often the Engine Serial Number until 1957; but, the cab/Vehicle Serial Number was also used before to 1957 in some states (sometimes inconsistently). In 1957, the engine code did not contain a serial number (or a date code). From 1957 until an "official" VIN was used, so the Vehicle Serial Number was the only useful title/registration code/identifier.

I stand corrected, I thought it was 1955. Did the second cowl tag have color and model? Seems like my '37 had two tags on it, one could not be read.

Joe

1937 & 1940 are outside of my first-hand experience, Joe

There is no mention of two tags in the 1937 Specifications Manual.

Two tags are referred to in the 1940 Specifications Manual. One tag is for Fisher Body information.

Car & truck serial numbers/locations are shown on the same page/drawing in those years.

Were truck bodies made by Fisher Body in 37&40? I do not think that Fisher Body made the 47-55 Advance-Design truck bodies (Fisher Body plants made car bodies in those years, I think).