The Ford Barn

Cloverleaf farms · 02-28-2011, 11:38 AM

Gentlemen.

I own a 1935 Ford 1 1/2 ton truck with 131 1/2" wheel base. The truck is a Canadian Made truck but I have some questions. I have located the VIN in it's proper spot on the drivers side frame however I have been hard pressed to find ANYONE who seems to have the data on the VIN breakdown. Could someone please tell me where I could go to decipher the VIN and figure out the details for my truck. Also where can I go to find out what OE options were available for that truck and maybe the original price?....any help would be great.

Lawson Cox · 02-28-2011, 03:42 PM

Contact Dave Gunnarson with the Early V8 Ford Club. He is into the 35 big trucks. Don't have his number right off.

David J · 02-28-2011, 03:48 PM

Dunno on big trucks but Robert Booth in Canada has all the VIN info on Canadian built cars . I have a 34 4d that is canadian and he sent me all the info on them .

jerry grayson · 02-28-2011, 03:55 PM

The serial number (VIN as you call it) does not reveal any details of the truck, The range that it falls in may give you some idea when in the year it was built. It does not give any specifications of the truck.

Newc · 02-28-2011, 05:37 PM

Hi; My experience with Canadian vin's is that they start with a C . Details of production is sketchy at best. I currently own 2 . Newc

Bruce Lancaster · 02-28-2011, 05:50 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Canadian serial # info linked...it's not going to tell much more than that your '35 is a '35 and that it is a 221, the only engine available anyway.

http://www.wnyrg.org/canvins.html

Capn John · 03-01-2011, 05:47 AM

http://www.wnyrg.org/canvins.html
As mentioned above, see the site for detailed serial numbers.
Canadian Ford Serial #s

“Oh Canada!”

It’s a VIN - VIN Situation

by Frank Scheidt

Henry Ford kept it simple”— start with no. 1, and just keep going. Our Ford V-8s, made here in America, started with *18-1 and ran consecutively until February, 1942.
The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) was introduced in its working form in 1983 as the result of a recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization ( ISO). This classification is used worldwide to identify motor vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, and mopeds. So we no longer call them “serial numbers”.
Meanwhile, in Canada, serial numbers were treated differently. First of all, they started with *C to indicate Canada, and to make it more complicated, they added another letter after the “18”. For example, in 1932 for the V-8 model: *C18D-1 through D-10000; then C18R-1 through R-5973. The letter was supposedly used to limit the numbers from getting too long. In America, the 1932 model V-8 went from 1 up to 203126. 203127 was used for the first 1933 V-8. And so on.
We received an email from the owner of a 1936 Coupe, who, for some reason, suspected that the frame was from a ‘35. It was Canadian, as indicatedby the “C” before the “18”. After the 18 was the letter “L”. I wrote back and said “give me a few days and I’ll find out for you”. Several months later, I finally got the answer. It was indeed the serial number of a 1935 Ford!
So why did it take me so long to find the answer and where did I finally find it? Well, I googled and googled and got nowhere fast! I found an interesting article somewhere that explained the “C” prefix and that the second mysterious letter was used to limit how high the numbers got. Good info, but not enough to answer my inquiry from cyberspace. I wrote to several Canadian Early Ford V-8 members and got maybe two responses - both “Darned if I know” answers.
One web site suggested that I contact the historian at Ford Canada. I was told she was very knowledgeable but also very busy. So I sent my question to her, not really expecting anything much in return. But within just a few shorts weeks, she sent me a treasure trove of information on Canadian serial numbers, going back to the Model T! I thanked her profusely and promised to share this wealth of information with the Ford world. I would give out her name and contact information, but I don’t think it’s fair to subject her to a rash of inquires like “how many ‘36 five window coupes were made in Canada and what month was mine built”, etc. The information she gathered doesn’t contain those kinds of stats, and besides, hopefully what I print here will answer your burning questions.

Note: The * indicates that these letters were also used on other model years. For example, C18L was used for part of the 1934 model year as well as 1935. Descriptions are given for each model year to identify which model the identical letters represented. “R, Z and X” were also used in different years. Weren’t there enough letters in the alphabet to avoid repetition??
Starting with 1937, it appears the “C18” was dropped. There is no reference to the 60 hp models after 1938, even though in the U.S. they were available into 1940. There is also confusion in Serial Number vs Motor Number starting in 1937. They state the Serial Number is on the frame and the Motor Number is on the clutch housing. Prior to ‘37, the Serial Number was on both the frame and clutch housing.
I hope this helps clear up the confusion with Canadian numbers. If anyone out there owns a Canadian-built Ford V-8, please let us know if any of this rings true! Oh Canada!

David J · 03-01-2011, 10:23 AM

Prior to ‘37, the Serial Number was on both the frame and clutch housing.
I hope this helps clear up the confusion with Canadian numbers. If anyone out there owns a Canadian-built Ford V-8, please let us know if any of this rings true! Oh Canada![/QUOTE]

I have a canadian 34 # * C18P-47XX * . This is on the frame and transmission .

David J

02-28-2011, 11:38 AM	#1
Cloverleaf farms Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 1	1935 vin Gentlemen. I own a 1935 Ford 1 1/2 ton truck with 131 1/2" wheel base. The truck is a Canadian Made truck but I have some questions. I have located the VIN in it's proper spot on the drivers side frame however I have been hard pressed to find ANYONE who seems to have the data on the VIN breakdown. Could someone please tell me where I could go to decipher the VIN and figure out the details for my truck. Also where can I go to find out what OE options were available for that truck and maybe the original price?....any help would be great.

02-28-2011, 03:42 PM	#2
Lawson Cox Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Above the gnat line in Georgia Posts: 7,009	Re: 1935 vin Contact Dave Gunnarson with the Early V8 Ford Club. He is into the 35 big trucks. Don't have his number right off.

02-28-2011, 03:48 PM	#3
David J Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: St Croix Falls WI Posts: 2,080	Re: 1935 vin Dunno on big trucks but *Robert Booth* in Canada has all the VIN info on Canadian built cars . I have a 34 4d that is canadian and he sent me all the info on them .

02-28-2011, 03:55 PM	#4
jerry grayson Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Atlanta area Posts: 833	Re: 1935 vin The serial number (VIN as you call it) does not reveal any details of the truck, The range that it falls in may give you some idea when in the year it was built. It does not give any specifications of the truck.

02-28-2011, 05:37 PM	#5
Newc Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,484	Re: 1935 vin Hi; My experience with Canadian vin's is that they start with a C . Details of production is sketchy at best. I currently own 2 . Newc

02-28-2011, 05:50 PM	#6
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: 1935 vin Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Canadian serial # info linked...it's not going to tell much more than that your '35 is a '35 and that it is a 221, the only engine available anyway. http://www.wnyrg.org/canvins.html

03-01-2011, 05:47 AM	#7
Capn John Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: BIRTHPLACE OF SPEED, FLORIDA Posts: 531	Re: 1935 vin http://www.wnyrg.org/canvins.html As mentioned above, see the site for detailed serial numbers. Canadian Ford Serial #s “Oh Canada!” It’s a VIN - VIN Situation by Frank Scheidt Henry Ford kept it simple”— start with no. 1, and just keep going. Our Ford V-8s, made here in America, started with 18-1 and ran consecutively until February, 1942. The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) was introduced in its working form in 1983 as the result of a recommendation of the International Organization for Standardization ( ISO). This classification is used worldwide to identify motor vehicles, trailers, motorcycles, and mopeds. So we no longer call them “serial numbers”. Meanwhile, in Canada, serial numbers were treated differently. First of all, they started with C to indicate Canada, and to make it more complicated, they added another letter after the “18”. For example, in 1932 for the V-8 model: C18D-1 through D-10000; then C18R-1 through R-5973. The letter was supposedly used to limit the numbers from getting too long. In America, the 1932 model V-8 went from 1 up to 203126. 203127 was used for the first 1933 V-8. And so on. We received an email from the owner of a 1936 Coupe, who, for some reason, suspected that the frame was from a ‘35. It was Canadian, as indicatedby the “C” before the “18”. After the 18 was the letter “L”. I wrote back and said “give me a few days and I’ll find out for you”. Several months later, I finally got the answer. It was indeed the serial number of a 1935 Ford! So why did it take me so long to find the answer and where did I finally find it? Well, I googled and googled and got nowhere fast! I found an interesting article somewhere that explained the “C” prefix and that the second mysterious letter was used to limit how high the numbers got. Good info, but not enough to answer my inquiry from cyberspace. I wrote to several Canadian Early Ford V-8 members and got maybe two responses - both “Darned if I know” answers. One web site suggested that I contact the historian at Ford Canada. I was told she was very knowledgeable but also very busy. So I sent my question to her, not really expecting anything much in return. But within just a few shorts weeks, she sent me a treasure trove of information on Canadian serial numbers, going back to the Model T! I thanked her profusely and promised to share this wealth of information with the Ford world. I would give out her name and contact information, but I don’t think it’s fair to subject her to a rash of inquires like “how many ‘36 five window coupes were made in Canada and what month was mine built”, etc. The information she gathered doesn’t contain those kinds of stats, and besides, hopefully what I print here will answer your burning questions. Note: The indicates that these letters were also used on other model years. For example, C18L was used for part of the 1934 model year as well as 1935. Descriptions are given for each model year to identify which model the identical letters represented. “R, Z and X” were also used in different years. Weren’t there enough letters in the alphabet to avoid repetition?? Starting with 1937, it appears the “C18” was dropped. There is no reference to the 60 hp models after 1938, even though in the U.S. they were available into 1940. There is also confusion in Serial Number vs Motor Number starting in 1937. They state the Serial Number is on the frame and the Motor Number is on the clutch housing. Prior to ‘37, the Serial Number was on both the frame and clutch housing. I hope this helps clear up the confusion with Canadian numbers. If anyone out there owns a Canadian-built Ford V-8, please let us know if any of this rings true! Oh Canada!

03-01-2011, 10:23 AM	#8
David J Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: St Croix Falls WI Posts: 2,080	Re: 1935 vin Prior to ‘37, the Serial Number was on both the frame and clutch housing. I hope this helps clear up the confusion with Canadian numbers. If anyone out there owns a Canadian-built Ford V-8, please let us know if any of this rings true! Oh Canada![/QUOTE] I have a canadian 34 # * C18P-47XX * . This is on the frame and transmission . *David J*