Seems like my truck frames have stars at each end of VIN number.

http://ford-y-block.com 

20 miles east of San Diego, 20 miles north of Mexico

Thanks John. Maybe I was mistaken about the star on the frame.




54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

Our local Bird professor sez there ain't know star stamps to be had unless someone were to make one. This guy would know so you can take that for real. Not sure if I mentioned that some Birds have two stamps on the frame, might be one under the door sill also.

Dan in Seattle

Paul:

My '56 Bird does not have stars stamped in the frame, just the letters and numbers.  The numbers are 5/16" tall.  The body tag sas "stars", but they look like a six pointed asterisk pressed in from the back side.  The numbers on the tag are pressed from the back also.  It is a late Bird, May '56.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

I am sure you all mean well, but the car has been registered in two states that I know of and has passed muster in both with the VIN on the plate. In addition, the vin on the plate has passed muster with the TBird registery and has passed muster with CTCI. It not a case with two frames (good and bad) and its not a case of trying to cheat some body.



So my original question is still unanswered. Any one with a 56 Ford (sedan or TBird) should have some clue what star originally was used as both were built on the same final production line.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

fI once was hired to examine a '56 Bird for a new owner.  As soon as I showed him that the frame number did not match the title, and that there was no data plate on the firewall, he immediately went to his phone and called the seller.  Told him not to even try to cash his check, the car was coming back the next day.  Strangely, the title was in the name of a local lawyer!

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Ditto.

There can be serious consequences for altering VINs outside of DMV or Law Enforcement.

Most states have laws prohibiting VIN alteration but if they don't Federal Law prohibits it:

New Jersey Stat. Ann. 2C:17-6(b) See --§§ 3 9 18[a]
New Jersey Stat. Ann. 2C:43-2c See --§ 19
New Jersey Stat. Ann. 39:10-7 See --§ 19

Well, when it comes to re-stamping a frame you're courting disaster. When you change the original numbers it's near impossible to get this done without telltales. If you don't get this right you could have real trouble selling the car and even losing it the changed numbers are found. Far better and easier to move the good data plate and title with the good frame and toss the bad frame with title/data plate to the scrap yard. We have had to merge cars before but we always have all titles, it's not worth the risk and good legal Bird frames aren't that expensive nor hard to find, we've got several up here, I'd suggest not going down that road.

Dan in Seattle

Hmmmm, can see sometimes one would legally need to restamp a frame, will get answer at the Tbird club xmas dinner tonight.

Dan in Seattle

I have to restamp my frame (56 Bird). I am looking for the correct 'star' stamp. What is the correct star - a regular 5 sided star, a six sided star like the VIN plate or a star that has lines radiating from the center. In addition, what is the size (height) of the star and numbers.



Also,does any one have a name of a supplier of the star stamp - numbers seem to be no problem.



Thanks for any help

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ