vin plate copy

[buddymander]

I have no vin plate on my 49 truck and the vin number is 3R18238 on the title I'm looking for somebody who can email me a picture of the proper vin plate and I can just copy it onto aluminum and stamp in my numbers. Is this a ton and a half truck or a two tonner?? It has a two speed vacuum operated rear and 17 inch tires. The screw holes are 4 3/8 inches center to center and the place it was looks to be about five inches by 1 1/2. My email is buddymander@yahoo.com. I appreciate any help I can get on this.

[Roscomacaw]

Two problems buddy. A 3R truck would be a 1954 model. A '49 would be a 2R. Further, the first 2 digits after the 3R define what tonnage your truck is. There never has been an "18" model. A 16 would be ton&a half whereas a 17 would be a 2ton. No 18s tho.
I just happen to have some transfers (decals if you will) for the proper plate layout like you want tho.[^]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[buddymander]

That'd be great, (after I recovered from the confusion). Hey, I just had some decals made up to reproduce the letters and numbers and lines on the 49 to 53 guage panel glass: I'll trade ya, okay?

[Dwain G.]

What you've got there is one of those titles that uses the engine number as the VIN. This was the way it was done in many states for
years, up through the 1950's at least. Find the stamped engine number on the side of the engine block, left side, front, top of block. Hopefully you will find that same number there.
This will greatly simplify getting an assigned serial number from your state. If you prefer to have an original Studebaker plate, it seems someone was selling blank replacements, but I'm not certain about that. Finding the truck's actual factory serial number will be difficult to say the least.
Since your truck has 17" wheels, it is a model R16. That would be a 1 1/2 ton truck. The engine should be a 226. Starting engine number in 1949 was 3R-001.

Dwain G.

[buddymander]

my engine number is 6R21081, if that means anything.On that back plate it says the cab number is 42811 and the model is 2R-C2.

[Swifster]

Document what you can. If insured and the vehicle suffers damage, your insurance appraiser will want to see the actual VIN as listed for title and insurance purposes. If the number used is the engine number, that's fine, but make sure it matches your title.

I've heard of more than one vintage car (or truck) impounded by the police when the vehicle was pulled over and numbers did not match...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Sterling Heights, MI

Ancient Chinese Proverb: "Injection is nice, but I'd rather be blown!"

1964 Studebaker Daytona - Laguna Blue, Original 4-Spd. Car, Power Steering, Disc Brakes, Bucket Seats, Tinted Glass, Climatizer Ventilation System, AM Radio (136,989 Miles)

[curt]

I had three Kaiser -Frazer cars with engine block numbers as the vin. The state had me clean the paint(used paint ermover one of the cars) so they could read the number and title the car. It was a pain comparied to the door or dash vin numbers .

[Roscomacaw]

Geezzzzz... And I was JUST lecturing to someone Friday about the confusion that can arise when you have an oldie that was registered with it's engine number as the VIN![xx(]
All I had on my brain was that the Champion-engined trucks started with 1R - never even thought about the big 6 engines!
THAT SAID.. the 6R engine number you've provided in a subsequent post is from an engine that would have started life in a 2R series 1ton truck. Besides that, the parts book shows ONLY 1tons were fitted with 17" tires throughout the run of 2R trucks. These two factors would lead me to belive this thing is more likely a 1ton than a ton & a half. On the OTHER HAND... 1tons wouldn't have gotten the 2-spd axle you speak of - so... You may well have a ton or 1&1/2ton that have had engine and/or rear axle changed over the years.
Measure the wheelbase. If it's 121" or 122", you've got a 1ton. If the wheelbase is 131" or more, likely it's a ton and a half.

Buddy, look below the lower cushion end (driver's side)- about halfway to the step - and see if you can see two holes or evidence of two spot welds. That's where the truck's serial number tag would have been.
That cab number and 2R-C2 were strictly for factory reference and mean nothing to the official identification of the vehicle.
If I were you - I'd establish a serial# plate (using one of these transfers I offered) and then use one of the "title services" to make it "official" before you try to register it with your DMV. Cost of doing this is in the $130-dollar range but that's easier than trying to explain to the DMV why none of the numbers match the title!! [V]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS

[buddymander]

see biggs, the thing is, I have the pink slip dated from 1977 with this serial number and also the license plate number of which I have both front and rear black callie plates. So, if you could fix me up with the proper decal I can have it transferred via screenprint or something to a piece of aluminum of the proper size and then just stamp ths numbers in the appropriate place. Thanks, Mike.

[buddymander]

oops, I forgot, the wheelbase is a whopping 155" (no, I'm not kidding, and I measured it correctly) but I want to register it as a one ton so Triple AAA will insure it cuz they won't go over a ton saying it is a commercial vehicle. Mike.

[Roscomacaw]

Oh - I understand what you're tring to do now. Actualy, I did from the beginning. I guess we got lost in trying more to define just what sort of truck you have as opposed to making it "legal".

E-mail me your snail mail address and I'll put one of these in the mail. A fella outta Florida made these and other serial plate graphics after I lent him a bunch of different serial# plates to use as examples.

You can either use it as a decal (very nice quality) or as camera artwork to make your printed plate.

BTW, to E-mail me, click on my user name here (Mr.Biggs) and then click on "send an E-mail". I don't like putting my E-mail address up here for the spambots to harvest.[xx(]

Miscreant at large.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President 2-dr
1955 President State
1951 Champion Biz cpe
1963 Daytona project FS