Ford Model B Serial Numbers
The engine number was also the serial number of the car. Engines were numbered when they were completed,and for the most part went into a chassis within a day or so.
However, some engines were assembledand numbered at branch assembly plants.
MODEL ‘A’&’B ENGINE/CHASSIS SERIAL NUMBERS.All Model ‘A’ engine numbers were stamped on the left side of the cylinder block abovethe water inlet.The engine serial number is separate from the pre-fix letters, the number is followed by a star(.). The number is unique to eachengine. In the USA Rouge Plantwhen an engine was installedinto a chassis the same number was stamped on the left hand side rail justbehind the fire wall where it is inevitably covered once the bodywork is added.
At the Canadian plant they stopped stamping the chassis frame in May 1928 or thereabouts. We have no information as towhether chassis frames were stamped at the UK plants and neither do we know if chassis was stamped at foreign assembly plants such as those in Australia.Pre-fix letter.A signifies a car,.AA signifies a truck; the inclusion of ‘F’ in a US produced engine indicatesa 3288cc (aka 24 hp) engine for a RH drive vehicle. Engines assigned to Manchester, having an ‘F’ in the pre-fix,indicates a small bore (aka 14.9 hp) unit.Originally the engine number was used as theidentification number (aka chassis number aka VIN etc), this is what Ford intended in the 1930s. However over the years engines get changed and bureaucracy increases. Thus many vehicle licensingauthoruities wanted a further identification number other than that just on the engine and one that could beviewed easily. For instance many Model A Fords from Argentina are allocated a chassis numbers starting with RPAfollowed by a 6-figure number.
Ford Model B Serial Numbers
( RPA stands for Registro Nacional de laPropiedad del Automotor, which is the 'Argentina National Registry of Automobile Ownership.) Many VINs have been allocated to a vehicle when the original serial/VIN number is not known or lost or corrupted, forinstnce when engine swap caused numbers mismatch between paperwork and car. M any states in the US also assigned such Motor Vehicle Department VINs during title transfersfor vehicles which are legally owned, but have cloudy or conflicting chassis number / engine number / paperwork number history.The followinglist shows when the engine was made. Not when the car came off the production line.In the listing engines exported mainly to South American countries are marked with.More detailed information on engine numbering can be found at www.