VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Numbers??????

Other than the numbers on the tag under the hood of a 32 sedan, are there no on the frame, motor, trans and if so where are they located?

You my friend have a problem. Most vehicles of that era used the engine serial number as the "official" title number. If there are no numbers on the engine serial number pad (machined pad just aft of the fuel pump) then you may need to contact your state officials and have them issue a vehicle number. I know when sending vehicles overseas the ownership documents must match a number on the vehicle so the ownership can be confirmed. It is often required before the vehicle will be accepted for shipment here in the US and surely required by Customs on the other end.

Besides the cowl tag on the firewall, there is an engine serial number stamped on a machined pad right behind the fuel pump. The same engine number is also usually stamped on the machined surface under the push rod cover. There is also a car serial number plate on the passenger side wood main sill under the floor mat.

There are no other numbers on the car, including the frame, other than casting numbers on the head, block, transmission and etc.

Interesting because mine its registered with the numbers on the door sill under the Rug 12AE29993

Use of the vehicle "Car No." or serial number pre 1950s is not common. Most states used the engine number. I suspect that was because it was easier for public officials to find. Later vehicle numbers were used. I suspect that a given engine number could be on many vehicles and then what happened when the engine was changed?

By all means, using the engine number was not the perfect way to I.D. a vehicle, however, many cars and trucks didn't have indivigual vehicle numbers before 1950. I remember that you didn't have the luxury or money to change out an engine unless the disaster of having a rod thrown thru the block, There weren't many "crate engines" and when a new short block or engine was installed the new engine had a blank where the engine number was stamped. the installer (Chevrolet mechanic) was supposed to stamp the original engine number on the new block and the old block scrapped.

Some titles and registrations used the "Body Number" instead of the motor number or the car serial number.