Reverse lookup
Start with the brand on the hood or plate, then answer what you can see — gears, size, levers. We will point you at the model and its decoder. Feature identification gets you the model; the serial number then gets you the year.
Three forward speeds and a flathead = 9N or 2N (same 9N prefix; the number range splits them). Four speeds = 8N. Overhead-valve Red Tiger engine = NAA. Ford stamped its numbers by hand on the block — where to look.
Size climbs A/B → C → H → M. Read the plate prefix: FBH (H), SH (Super H), FBK (M), FC (C family — count the digits to split C from Super C). Super M plates start F or L for the plant. Plate locations.
Two cylinders, Waterloo: A is the big row-crop, B the mid-size, H the small one. Dubuque-built small utility = M. Numbered (50) wears a seven-digit serial. Plate locations.
Grey Detroit Fergusons: one lever = TO-20/TO-30 (engine code Z-120 vs Z-129 splits them), two levers = TO-35. A 135 asks Detroit or Coventry before anything else. How the factory split works.
The decoder gives you the year. The kit gives you the rest of the check before money changes hands: serial-verification worksheets, the two-numbers check that catches swapped engines, year-split parts traps, and an inspection checklist for each family.
Included in the $39 Buyer's Check Kit