Where is it? And what do all these codes mean?

An often-asked question to me regards trying to find the Vehicle Identification Number (V.I.N.) for their '67-'72 Ford pickup, or how to decipher it once it's found. Quite often the question might be about how to determine if the V.I.N. shown on the driver's door is correct, since it doesn't match the one listed on the vehicle's title.

Let's start from the beginning: Ford riveted a small aluminum ID tag to the driver's door on all their pickups which looks like this (but obviously with different numbers).

The information contained on the data plate includes the V.I.N., wheelbase, exterior color, model type, body type, transmission type, rear axle, maximum gross vehicle weight (GVW) in lbs., certified net horsepower, RPM and D.S.O. (Direct Special Order) numbers.

Often during the course of normal life, the driver's door might have been replaced due to an accident or rust repair, but the V.I.N. tag on the donor door is sometimes not replaced with the correct tag from the vehicle being fixed. It might be some time before anyone notices, but as luck would have it, it's usually a policeman or the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) who catches the error. Because the V.I.N. on the 'new' data tag doesn't match that listed on the vehicle's title, it creates problems for the owner trying to prove that he actually DOES own his truck and that it's not an attempt at deception. Therefore, you need an alternate source for the vehicle's V.I.N.