VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1939 ID tag on cowl

What is the decoding of these Style No 39-1017
Body No M 1652
Trim No 80
Paint 252

39-1017 -- 5-window coupe.
M 1652 -- Assembled in Baltimore, MD, 1652 is sequential number of production, perhaps the 652nd car produced in that plant that year.
Trim No 80 -- I have no idea; someone else will have to tell you
Paint 252 -- Mayland Black, Mayland Black wheels, Vermilion Light striping, if any

39-1017 is a 1939 2 passenger (businss) coupe.
1652 is the 1652th 2 passenger coupe body made a the Baltimore plant.
Trim 80 is the tan mohair interior.

I saw that coupe on ebay. Looks OK but too much $$

Gene,

Take another look at the number of the business coupes produced at the Baltimore plant.. Number doesn't seem right somehow.

I may be mixing my brain waves up with the serial numbers. Confused.

Best,

Charlie

What is the decoding of
Style No 39-1019
Body No B 7017
Paint No 251
Body No K 8666
Paint No 250
Body No J 12761
Thank you

TWO body numbers ???

39-1019 =Master Deluxe 4 door with trunk
B 7017=7017th body made at Baltimore plant
251=Regency Blue metalic
K 8666=8666 body made atKansas City Fisher Body plant
250=color black
J 12761 body from Janesville, Wi plant

Thank you Gene. The last are the two 39's I have.

Regency Blue is a dark blue but not real dark. Also there was very little metallic in it. I had a club coupe that color in 1950.

What was the difference in the early and late color gauges and on the grille some with the top of the grille white or black?

The early had tan instruent faces with cream pointer and red dots. The late had cream faced with red pointer needle. These were actualy Pontiac instruments. Early also has black grille bar back ground late had ivorvy. Early had red body and wheel stripes late had ivory for black cars. Late Master Deluxe models had full chrome head light rims, low bird hood ornnament, chrome side fender grilles, .

I thought the body numbers began with 1001, not 1, and the body number is the number of total Chevrolet SD, or MD, bodies made to that date at that plant, not just the number of that particular body style.

Unlike serial numbers body numbers started with "1" or 0001

Good to have better information. I got my information from the technical article entitled "1941 Chevrolet Cars Described" on the Automotive History Preservation Society website. Guess they need to be corrected also.