Any FoMoCo VIN decoders?

[Falcon Ranchero]

I have this VIN from a 1963 Ford 300, but I have no actual idea how do decode it. Wondering if anyone on here may be knowledgeable on how to decode the serial number to get the date of manufacturing. I also have the lisence plate but that won't help; but it's cool though.

[Mark]

Where was that plate located?  I don’t think it's a VIN tag, but rather a patent plate.  It looks different from the examples shown in a Ford parts book that I have, that covers 1960 through 1964 passenger cars.  You might need to get a look at a shop manual for Canadian Ford products to decode that one.  US market Fords have a date code on the patent plate.  This Canadian one does not have one.

[Falcon Ranchero]

4 minutes ago, Mark said:

Where was that plate located?  I don’t think it's a VIN tag, but rather a patent plate.  It looks different from the examples shown in a Ford parts book that I have, that covers 1960 through 1964 passenger cars.  You might need to get a look at a shop manual for Canadian Ford products to decode that one.  US market Fords have a date code on the patent plate.  This Canadian one does not have one.

The plate was on the inner-side of the front driver's door. I didn't know there was a difference between VIN and Patent plates. Thanks for the info and advice; I guess a Canadian Ford shop manual may be the only hope, but I can imagine finding such a book would be challenging.

[Mark]

My car is a Fairlane (unit body) so it's VIN is stamped into the drivers' side inner fender.  Presumably, if that car were wrecked badly enough to damage the number where it is, it would have been a total.

The full size (body on frame) cars probably have the VIN somewhere on the firewall.  But that would only be that number, with no other info.

[JollySipper]

My old man used to have a Year One MoPar car restoration catalogue that had a page in the back with the VIN break down for the old Chrysler products..... I believe they make Ford parts catalogues too. Do you know anyone that restores old cars that might have something similar?

[jokar124]

3 hours ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

I have this VIN from a 1963 Ford 300, but I have no actual idea how do decode it. Wondering if anyone on here may be knowledgeable on how to decode the serial number to get the date of manufacturing. I also have the lisence plate but that won't help; but it's cool though.

It might be a long shot now, but as of at least the year 2003, the Ford of Canada Oakville Assembly Plant operated a company archives that was accessible to the public and likely would have had build date information on hand. The archivist at that time was Sandra Notarianni. Try giving the offices of the plant a call.

[jokar124]

For all specifications other than build date, see the following:

 

MAKE                       6 cylinder           8 cylinder              

Galaxie                           6                          4                  

Monterey                       3                           1                  

 

 

Edited August 11, 2024 by jokar124

[Mike 1017]

Thanks for posting this info. It makes for very interesting reading

Mike

[Falcon Ranchero]

Yeah I went through it with the tag on hand and it confirmed stuff I already know about the car, but it was neat to know what the numbers and letters mean ?

[jokar124]

1 hour ago, Falcon Ranchero said:

Yeah I went through it with the tag on hand and it confirmed stuff I already know about the car, but it was neat to know what the numbers and letters mean ?

I have been wondering about the number "2" stamped between the "TRIM" and "ENGINE" spots on your data plate which doesn't seem to be addressed by the charts above, but I remember reading somewhere about factory built 63 Ford Taxicabs with 2 tone gray/dark gray vinyl interiors and a slightly different version of the 223-6 cylinder engine. Does your car in fact have the red interior as listed or could it be a taxi model?

Edited August 11, 2024 by jokar124

[Falcon Ranchero]

I was wondering about that, too. It does in fact have the red interior, but I don’t believe it would have been a taxi; just a personal car. 

[mk11]

On 8/11/2024 at 10:55 AM, jokar124 said:

I have been wondering about the number "2" stamped between the "TRIM" and "ENGINE" spots

As everything else points to a '63 raven black Ford 300 4dr sedan, red interior, with a six cylinder 3 spd, it's not out of the realm of possibility that it's just a simple stamping mistake.

Not real common, but I've seen several examples on both door tags and body buck tags.

Like this one on the cowl tag from a '67 Mercury M250

It shows an A(never used) in the assembly plant position when it should have been a C (Oakville).

Edited August 15, 2024 by mk11