VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION New User Forum Vin Number

Just bought a 1936 Chevy Standard basket case and the VIN plate is missing.
I'm assuming I should confirm that the title vin and the car vin is the same?? True?? Where would the vin number be located on the car? Engine?? Frame??

If they are the same how do I get a new vin plate. I saw a blank on Ebay. Is it as simple as buying it and stamping in my own numbers???

I know these things vary by state but general guidance would be helpful.
Thanks

Actually, it is not a VIN number since VIN numbers were not used until the 1960's I believe. It is called a "car serial number" and it was located on a plate on the passenger side main sill facing the front door.

There are no serial numbers on the frame. There is an engine serial number on the engine and it is not the same as the car serial number. Many states back then registered the car under the engine serial number instead of the car serial number. Check your title to see which serial number appears there.

Reproduction car serial number plates are available from such places as the Filling Station in Lebanon, Oregon (www.fillingstation.com) and you can either stamp the correct car serial number on the plate or you can do it yourself.

Good luck!

Revisiting this question.

I have the title and it has M6121684 listed as the identifying number. The engine has J 29 8 and 836010-3 cast into it.

And I believe the header has 837309 GM 7 (although I can't tell from my photo what part this truly is and don't have access to the car right now)

I mostly interested in trying to discover where this car was made and what it's original color was. Eventually, I'd like to get a replacement body plate for it that is accurate to this car.

It doesn't have any other tags that I have been able to find.

Do these numbers help me identify this car better??? Thanks

Hi Ron,

J 29 8 indicates a casting date of October (J) 29, 1938. Are you sure the last number is an 8 and not a 6?

836010 is the block casting number for 1935-1936 motors.

837309 is the exhaust manifold casting number for 1934-1936 motors.

The number M6121684 could be the motor number. M is for a Standard, left hand drive. The number 6121684 indicates it is a 1936 motor:

http://clubs.hemmings.com/chevytalk/GMhistory/1935to1937motors.html

Happy Motoring,

Dan

Hmmmm.....

The photo of the motor number shows an 8??
I wonder if this is the original motor??
The mystery begins?? [img]http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/RonH4609/media/DSC_0069_zps4153a789.jpg.html[/img]

Any obvious differences between a 1936 and 38 I could look for?

Thanks,

The block could be a replacement 1936 block that was cast in 1938.

836010 is the casting number for a 1936 block only. The 1935 block was 837591. In the later years the 1935 block was replaced by the 1936 block for parts replacement.
The 1938 block has the oil filler and dip stick on the passenger side.
1936 engine numbers ranged from 5500179 - 6784512. I would guess the block was replaced in 1938-1939 and the engine number restamped on it as a new block did have a number stamped on it. If a complete engine was used for replacement it came "off the line" and had an engine number stamped on it.as rear to sell a complete engine.
With no body tag there is no real was to determie the paint numbers, etc. With no serial number there is no way to determin the assembly date/locatiom. If any of the body glass is original it will be dated - see the LOF logo stamped in a corner. The speedomete will also have a date printed on the back.

Take a look at the photo above. None of these numbers are stamped in, all are cast in the block.

Also the oil filler is on the driver side.

I'll look at it more thoroughly this week and see if I find any other numbers.

Thanks for everyone's help.

The photo above shows only the block casting number and the block casting date, not the engine serial number. The engine serial numbers were stamped, not cast.

Replacement blocks cast years later had the current casting date with the original block casting number. And, the original engine serial number was sometimes stamped on the replacement engine block. So, it is possible to have a replacement block with the correct year engine serial number and the correct year block casting number with the current casting date of when the replacement engine block was cast.

OK, thanks.

I'll look harder and take more pix.

Well, I finally found a corroded ID plate right by the cover to the battery box passenger side. It's pretty unreadable but there are some stamped in numbers that I can make out.

5FC 03 then smaller #'s 2452? maybe a 6

Does this tell me anything? Thanks

Maybe I answered my own question.

5=Kansas MO
FC= Standard Car,
03= March

the rest are assembly line #s mine was the 24526th car made that year.

Did chevy keep any records of car sales by assembly line #??

You have all of the other numbers correct, but your car was actually the 23,526th car made because the car serial numbers started at 1001.

By the way, since you are no longer new to Chevy Chatter you might want to post in the 1933-36 forum instead.

Good luck with your project!