Ford F15a Vehicle identification

[Tim Berry]

Sorry guys for posting so many threads but I am new to the world of CMP's. My F15A project came with no data tags at all. I have heard stories that Ford stamped the chassis with a serial number but have been unable to find anything on my truck. The steel doors have the holes drilled for data plates but they are all gone. The engine number has also been "restamped" many times and all that is readible is 242.
Does anyone reproduce the door mounted data plates? What should I do about a chassis number?

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Tim Berry
My F15A project came with no data tags at all. The steel doors have the holes drilled for data plates but they are all gone. The engine number has also been "restamped" many times and all that is readible is 242.What should I do about a chassis number?

Doors drilled for data plates are rare in Australia - Australian biolt Fords and Chevs didn't have plates on the doors, so yours are probably from a Canadian built truck. To see whether the whole cab was Canadian, have a look at the floor. Adot and dash pattern floor is Canadian, diamond pattern Aussie. Another feature is (at least on earlier Canadian Fords) the windscreens don't open to 90 degrees.
As for serial numbers this can be difficult. Have you rubbed back the front shell for army registration?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Tim Berry
I have heard stories that Ford stamped the chassis with a serial number but have been unable to find anything on my truck.

Tim,

Some years ago this question came up on the Old MLU Forum as well - read the thread "Serial Numbers on Frames". From this we learn that the late Peter Ford (CMP INFOEX) issued a sheet on 29 march 1987, which shows stamped serials as follows:

- Cab 11 & 12: LH frame rail under cab, on vertical face of rail.
- Cab 13 (but not all): LH frame rail under cab, on vertical surface, adjacent to cab mount.
- Cab 13: RH frame rail ahead of rear spring rear bracket, on vertical surface.

Although my F15A has the data plates I checked the frame last because the serial number needs to be stamped on the frame to get it registered here in the Netherlands. I looked at the places mentioned above, but could not find anything. I guess there are always exceptions to the rule

Who can tell whether or not chassis frames always / sometimes / never had the chassis number stamped on?
Was there a difference in Chevrolet / Ford practice?

Regards,
Hanno

[Keith Webb]

This one is on a C15A owned by Roger Richards... the number is on the vertical face of the front left chassis rail:

http://www.imagecontrol.com.au/oldcm...844400312s.jpg

Edited to attach photo from cached page at https://web.archive.org/web/20030609...ichards_1.html

[chris vickery]

Sorry to disagree with you keith, but I have seen both the dot and dash as well as the diamond pattern floorplate on Canadian built Cmps.

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by chris vickery
Sorry to disagree with you keith, but I have seen both the dot and dash as well as the diamond pattern floorplate on Canadian built Cmps.

Interesting...
Australian built Fords have a diamond pattern floor - Chevs have a smooth floor with skid strips.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
Australian built Fords have a diamond pattern floor - Chevs have a smooth floor with skid strips.

If I recall correctly, Aussie Chev CMPs had a much higher local parts content than Aussie-built Fords - see the thread "Antipodean Ford CMPs" on the Old MLU Forum for more details.

[Keith Webb]

Originally posted by Hanno Spoelstra
If I recall correctly, Aussie Chev CMPs had a much higher local parts content than Aussie-built Fords - see the thread "Antipodean Ford CMPs" on the Old MLU Forum for more details.

You're quite correct, Hanno.
General Motors-Holden built the entire cab for the cab 13 models which is why it has more local peculiarities than Australian assembled Fords such as the different door pattern, rectangular cowl vents (they used an existing pattern), windscreen frames, floors and many other details. I'll do a page one day comparing Canadian and Australian trucks.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally posted by Keith Webb
I'll do a page one day comparing Canadian and Australian trucks.

Rod Diery has done a page on "FORD vs CHEV", including (some) of the differences between Canadian and Australian manufacture.

[Bob Carriere]

The cab 11 and 12 I have seen all have the dot diamond plate ..... and again from my limited experience cab 13.... even the earlier ones have the plain diamond plate..... could it be stricly a time issue .... such as earlier models had the dots and somewhere in early 41 or 42 the plain diamond plate was then available..... on my cab 11 the step diamond plates (2) are plain without dots.....are they all like that???

The old guy from the metal fabricating shop I buy from recalls the old dot stuff and claims it disappeared during the war.... still found on older junked farm equipment....

Now what about the bottom diamond plate in the GS boxes.... all I remember seings are the plain diamond plate...NO dot plate..... Comments any one?????

[Pete Ashby]

Bob

we see both types in the UK, my 12 cab has dot and diamond cab plates but diamond only steps, however I have seen 11 cabs with plain diamond cab plates.

All rear bodies that I have seen have been plain diamond, as a point to note it is a finer pattern than the modern equivalent which is longer wider and higher.

What's your 13 cab got Agent O ?

Pete

[Keith Webb]

The diamond pattern on the steps is a pressed raised pattern with the centres raised - the Australian Ford floors have the edges raised and this is quite different from the dot and diamond pattern seen on cab 12s here