Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghrasshopper
Hello I have a 1983 28 foot ford with a Thomas body. It has a Detroit deisel 8.2 liter in it. I am trying to find parts for it and can’t tell anyone what chassis I have. How do I figure this out. Thanks in advance.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach
As the old saying says, a picture is worth a thousand words.
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Agree. There is a sort of shortcut here. Fords based on 2-ton chassis and up will have a badge on either side of the cowl or on either side of the hood nearest the cowl, which will say B600, B700, etc., like so....
Substitute 'F' for 'B' and you have your chassis. B(x)00 is the 'BUS' equivalent of the F-series, minus the 'B'. One of the few things about Fords that are simple. LOL
The body build tag is another way, in absence of this cowl/hood badge. And the body build tag will be more specific to your particular bus. Most Blue Birds had this tag on the interior roof cap, right side as you face the windshield. I'm thinking Thomas bodies had the tag to the left of the driver's seat, looking up to the ceiling. If memory serves, they were usually red.
I doubt the 8.2 was available in the van-based buses, but if this is a van-based bus... likely it will be an E250 or E350, possibly E450, but I'm not sure these existed that year. For these, there will likely be a similar badge on the fender. Ford dealer may be able to tell from the VIN. If you know what engine / trans / rear combo, that can help you figure it out as well, some engines weren't available in 250-series, and some rear diff ratios might not be available in one or the other. If it is SRW, it is likely an E250.