Technical Help with evaluating a '51 for sale

My '51 has the serial number on the aluminum plate on the firewall. Original plate.

Dave

 

I'll post up a Photo of the Frame number location shortly.

 

As mentioned here's a photo. This is the right side Frame rail looking back to front, (the end of rail at top is where the bumper will mount from). The diagional brace can be seen looking behind the radieater and in front of the motor mount. The Vin # will be between the 2 white chalk marks and have a star on both ends of the actual numbers.

 

i think the plate you want to look at is the one on the right (passenger side) of the firewall; the one that's painted over. a good place to find what that plate means is the classic car data base. the info on that plate is the vehicle, year, engine, build plant and sequence number. in my state, that serves as the VIN number.

 

As I understand it, this was for 1951 only (the only year "shoebox" I have owned).

 

I have personally seen a '51 with the factory serial number stamped across the upper firewall like a 1950. It also had factory GLASS tail light lenses! I always assumed it was an early '51. That was 50 years ago in Nampa Idaho.

Dave

 

I appreciate that you did all of that, including climbing up and down from there *, to take a picture, to try to help someone.


* See the shoe in the picture

 

You're welcome. It's good for me to do that kind of stuff once in a while. Gets me in touch (literally) with things I haven't visited sometimes for years, (this is one of them). Makes me assess what I have put in storage, evaluate if I should keep storing it and what or if I will ever actually do anything with it once it comes out of storage, if ever. One of those reality moments we never really want to deal with. This is actually a rolling (well it was 15 years ago) Chassis for a channeled Custom convertible on the back burner. O!M!G!!

 

Not a meteor, Canadian Ford built in Hamilton Ontario. I think.

 

So went to have a look today. Guy was nice enough to show it for me at 9am on a sunday.

So some thoughts; its not concours, but for the price I didnt expect it to be. Theres some slight cracking on some of the leather, but considering the age Im not surprised. Probably fixable. Runs well, idles nice and low. Quiey ad all get out; took it for a drive and at tge lights its almosy as quiet as an electric. The overdrive (yes it has an overdrive), worked noticiably. Was like someone threw off some weight when we were crusing around with it. All tge gauves worked. Enginge compartment looked clean. Didnt see any rust or bubbling on the paint. And no pitting on the chrome. Drove like you were droving on a cloud. A bit weird to not have seat belts but i mean its 1951. She laboured a bit going into first (slight shimmy action) and the electrical is a bit weird.for the tea light, but thats the only thing that caught my attention thatd be a bit meh. Only thing I didnt get was what the frame was like, but im not built to get under cars and he didnt have a hoist. Something to do if money is exchainging hands.

Will get some pics here for those that would like to see.

 

Ford never had a factory in Hamilton, Ont. Studebaker did.
Here is a '51 Meteor grille in a '51 Ford. Same bodies. Different trim.

 

How much $$$$$

 

Bout 20k USD

 

At that number what's stopping you from parking it in your Driveway?

 

The layoff notice that I received on Friday (I have some offers Im waiting for next week so I dont think that will be an issue for long.). Once that's done just finding a garage to check it over and after that it's just a quick drive to the MTO and the bank. Best case scenario, could be driving it by Canada Day.

Good reason to get a new avatar I guess

 

Given what we see in the photos as well as what's not there and is in the background I would say that is a very good price for the Car as we see it.

 

I will reserve my judgement until we have some definitive serial number information.

The data plate looks sketchy to me.

 

I included what I found on the passenger side of the firewall in one of the photos above (I think someone mentioned that's where it was.). Still couldn't find anything on those numbers.

 

I actually found a few more like it. All are Canadian. All of them are F1 trucks from the same era. And of course, no translator.

 

So confirmed that it is original across the board thanks to the folks at the Canadian Auto Museum

 

Being laid-off can suck.

Did you look at the other cars?

 

True that. Keep trying to get enough cash to get off this merry go round, but ya.

Some of them. The '40 Plymouth sold like that week so that was out (second Plymouth I've missed out on). I bailed on the 51 Meteor because it was in the same town as the Plymouth (which was five hours one way), they wanted almost 50k, and they sounded like space cadets when talking to them online. I checked out the Polara. Nice car. A bit too small for me (I find 40's and 50's cars roomier then 60's cars...figure that out), the 383 wasn't original, and the test drive it barely got back to the house having farting and sputtering all over the place. If I didn't give a damn about NOM and was six inches shorter it'd be a great pickup.

 

Don't buy a vehicle if the VIN numbers don't match.
Data Plate is definitely not original to the car.

 

Regarding the VIN had it verified with the Ford v8 group and the Canadian Auto Museum (they were crazy helpful), so I'm pretty sure that's good. Obviously I'll be checking in other areas before purchase.

Can you elaborate on the data plate not being original? Not trying to be obtuse, more wanting to learn.

 

From my limited knowledge C476H51-36532 would be C= Canada, 4 not sure of,(maybe district) 76 is body style, H is the engine, 51 is the year. 36532 would be the consecutive number.