Free 1981 Ford F-350 VIN Decoder

How to decode a 1981 Ford F-350 VIN

Characters 1-3 of a 1981 Ford F-350 VIN

WMI, or World Manufacturer Identifier, is a unique code that identifies the manufacturer of a vehicle. It forms the first three characters of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), offering insights into the vehicle’s place of production, the manufacturer, and the vehicle type. For example, the 1981 Ford F-350 has two distinct WMIs indicating its manufacturing location and company. The “2FT” WMI signifies that it was manufactured by Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. in Oakville, Ontario, highlighting its Canadian production. Meanwhile, the “1FT” indicates those produced by Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, USA, both classifications specifically denoting the vehicle type as a truck.

List of WMI Codes for a 1981 Ford F-350

WMI: 2FT

• Model Years Covered: 1981-1983, 1985-1996
• Example VIN: 2FTHF35Z3BCA41406
• Manufacturer Name: Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.
• Vehicle Type: Truck
• City: Oakville
• State or Province: Ontario
• Country: Canada

WMI: 1FT

• Model Years Covered: 1981-1997, 1999-2024
• Example VIN: 1FTJF36Z7BPA02025
• Manufacturer Name: Ford Motor Company
• Vehicle Type: Truck
• City: Dearborn
• State or Province: Michigan
• Country: United States

Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a 1981 Ford F-350 VIN

These characters correspond to components like:

• Engine type
• Transmission
• Model or trim
• Body style
• Gross vehicle weight range

Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a 1981 Ford F-350:

Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.

Character 9 is the “check digit” in a 1981 Ford F-350 VIN.

Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.

10th Character in the 1981 Ford F-350 VIN — Year Code

11th Character in the 1981 Ford F-350 VIN — Plant Code(s)

Known 1981 Ford F-350 Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)

VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a 1981 Ford F-350

The final 6 characters in a 1981 Ford F-350’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.

Check your Ford F-350’s VIN below:

What info can a 1981 Ford F-350 VIN reveal?

• Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicles model year being the year 1981, providing insights into the age and potential market value of the vehicle.
• Body Class and Drive Type: The VIN can specify the body class. For the 1981 F-350, this may indicate a Pickup with a 4x2 drive type, offering detailed insights into the vehicle’s design and structure and drive configuration.
• Engine Type: The VIN can highlight the engine specifications, such as a V-Shaped 8-cylinder engine with a displacement of 6.6 liters (400 cubic inches), suggesting its power and performance characteristics.
• Fuel Type: It can provide information about the primary fuel type for this vehicle as gasoline, indicating what type of fuel the vehicle is designed to use for optimal performance.
• Brake System and Safety Features: The VIN can highlight the vehicle’s equipment with a Hydraulic brake system and manual seat belts, providing insight into its safety features available.
• Manufacturing Details: The dataset points out that the vehicle was manufactured in Oakville, Ontario, Canada by Ontario Truck, offering insights into the geographic origin of the vehicle and potentially the manufacturing standards and quality.
• Vehicle Weight Class: The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is classified as Class 2G, which ranges from 8,001 to 9,000 lb, providing insights into the vehicle’s size, capability, and possible usage scenarios.

Sample VIN Decode Report for a 1981 Ford F-350

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