I'm restoring a 1947 Ford pickup for a customer. He has no title, but that's not as big a deal in Arkansas as it is in some states. The only number I can find stamped on the engine is VM 22699 CAL. That doesn't look to me like a regular original vehicle number, but I'm wondering whether it might be one assigned to a vehicle with a replacement engine by the California DMV. Does that sound like a DMV number to you left-coasters? (The engine has a tag on it from a rebuilder in L.A., but no serial number there.) Any help is appreciated.

It's a very good possibility that is a California (lost title) ID #.
You might be able to research it through the Calif. DMV.

My first car I bought was a 39 Ford Two Door in 1949 and it had the correct engine but the wrong frame number and they almost arrested me. I took it back to the guy and got my money back.

California used to have two identification numbers. The frame and the engine. If the engine was rebuilt that was O K, but you could purchase exchange engines through Western Auto and Sears as well as independant engine rebuilders.

In the old days, you went to DMV with the bill of sale for the engine swap-out and DMV would do the paper work to keep the records straight. All your number means is that it is a replacement engine block and may have the old parts on it as they sold a lot of short blocks exchange that way.

Each DMV office had a series of numbers so they could tell where the vehicle came from. When the DMV office used up its string of numbers they got another string. So there is no way over of finding out when the exchange was done but if you got the old list you might tell where the car was registered.

Having worked at a LARGE car collection for the past 10 years I can tell you here in Ca. when you register a car they pay no attention to engine numbers.
We just had a dozen or so registered that were out of the system for years.
Those back as early as '32 have numbers on the frame and no engine number. I am talking about Fords.
That pickup should have a number on the frame near the front of the engine.
For better info ask the same question on fordbarn.com go to early V8 forum

The real VIN on all Fords from '32 through '48 was stamped on the frame on the left side in 3 different locations, just ahead of the firewall, abont mid-frame and near the rear end. The funny thing, as I found out, is that some CHP "experts" are unaware of this and insist on an engine number like Model A & T had. I had to educate one officer when I was trying to register my '34 which had a nice legible frame number which matched the pink slip.
Look here.. http://www.wnyrg.org/tip.html

The early V8's are stamped on the transmission housing as well. The frame will have the same number on the left rail I believe, if it is original to the car. The engine does not have a serial number on it.

My '35 starts with "B18-XXXXXX", as I recall. I have the original transmission so I have the correct number to the car. It's on the flat spot ahead of the shifter and satisfied the MVD here in Texas many years ago.

Ken in Houston

Thanks for the help, Guys. I found on the internet the info that the VIN was stamped on the left frame rail and the tranny housing. There are no numbers on the frame, but I found it on the tranny when I was sandblasting 60 years' worth of grease and dirt off it yesterday. Armed with that number, the owner should be able to get a proper title for the truck.