8N Ford Tractor Serial Number Update

I appreciate this web page and forum very much. Attached is a picture of the serial number off my 8N Ford. I believe the serial number to be 8N321612*. Apparently the tractor was built in late 1950 and has steel cylinder sleeves??? My dad always said Grandpa bought the tractor new in 1951. The original manual we have is copyright 1950. Would this tractor have been sold as a 1951 model or a 1950 model sold new in 1951???

Jeff

My list shows that as a late 1950, so it would have the side mount distributor,
but not near the end of the model year run. (363592)
Could have been sold new in '51 though.
You can buy cars early in the year that were the previous year's model. They're still new.

Could be called either one since the new year run comes out a few months before the end of the year. Like right now you can buy a 2012 car or truck or you can buy a 2013 car or truck all depends on what you want to do. A tractor dealer back in 1951 if he had any 1950 tractors on the lot would want them gone before the 1951s left so as to clear out his new old stock stuff first so as I said could be either one

The serial number just tells when it was built , not sold. Sometimes tractors sat on dealers lots for extended periods of time. Tractors usually changed were little from year to year so what difference does it make.

The model year concept isn't as strong in tractors as it is in cars. There often isn't any year designation and changes aren't always done on a model year calender. Farmers in the 40's and 50's often had cyclic incomes, meaning they lived on less until the crops came in, often the charge accounts with the merchants were settled when the crop came in. They'd put enough aside to cover their spring crop costs and enough to live. With leftover cash in hand cars, tractors and other equipment would be bought. When your grandpa was sold the tractor I bet the dealer sold him a new 8N Ford if you still had the receipt it would say New 8N Ford serial number XXXXXXXXXX with no mention of a model year. He might of very well ordered the tractor in the fall after he got his crops in and taken delivery whenever it came in. Or a dealer might of ordered it to replace inventory that was sold just before or after fall harvest and your Grandpa bought it off the lot in anticipation for spring planting. If you look at serial number breakouts different companies used different methods meaning some used model year some calender year and sometimes they changed. The models on the N series comes from the last digit of the year they were introduced, the 9N in 1939, the 2N in 1942 and the 8N in 1948 however the serial number break out for the 8N shows almost 40,000 tractors made in 1947, a little more than 100,000 for 1948- they were probably using calender year, same on the Farmall 560s they were introduced for 1959 but they show about 6,800made in 1958. But look at John Deere new generation tractors introduced in the fall of 1960 but the serial number charts don't show any 1960 tractors the beginning serial number is assigned as a 1961, they were using a model year system.

Does it have a proof meter?

What is a proof meter?

Jeff

Jeff........the 4-speed 5-nipple sidemount 8N has a "proofmeter", as in proof of performance. Ford's fancy name for a tachometer. Mounted on the lower wide dash flange about knee height. It also has indicated road speed as in MPH, depending upon what gear you are in. Yer 8N in 4th gear has a top speed of about 13mph. ........HTH, Dell

The late 1950 models had the side mount distributor but no proofmeter.

My 8N has a proofmeter and tach on the lower right dash you are talking about. Is this possible for a 1950 model?

Jeff

1950 models started with Ser #8N245637 and ended with ser#8N343592. For these tractors the following items were added as the production went along: Side mount distributor@8N263844; Proofmeters installed@8N290271 although the governors with proofmeter drives were installed starting@8N273178; TSX241B carburetor installed@8N313112.

It has been my understanding that the proof meter came out with the 1951 models. However, I saw an 8N at a show last spring with a proof meter. The owner claimed it was a 1950. He had the original bill of sale which was dated December 1950. Is it really a 1950 or an early 1951? It could be a matter of opinion.

(quoted from post at 12:57:49 09/16/12) 1950 models started with Ser #8N245637 and ended with ser#8N343592. For these tractors the following items were added as the production went along: Side mount distributor@8N263844; Proofmeters installed@8N290271 although the governors with proofmeter drives were installed starting@8N273178; TSX241B carburetor installed@8N313112.

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Thank you for all the posts and information. I find if very intersting. With serial number 321612, the carberutaor should be TSX241B. How is that carberutor different from previous carberutors?

Jeff

It has been my understanding that the proof meter came out with the 1951 models. However, I saw an 8N at a show last spring with a proof meter. The owner claimed it was a 1950. He had the original bill of sale which was dated December 1950. Is it really a 1950 or an early 1951? It could be a matter of opinion.

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Ford started putting the proofmeter on the 8N in 1950 at serial number 8N290271. I own a 1950 Ford 8N with a proofmeter. Take a look at this site, it shows all of the changes and when they happened.

http://www.oldfordtractors.com/idhistory.htm