VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 1928 VIN INFORMATION

Hello again. Can anyone give me some more info on my 1928 2dr sedan?

VIN 3AB 65165
MOTOR # 4204903
Job# 8170
Body# S21182

Licensing this car in Oregon started out bad. The DMV Manager stated that "Oregon doesn't license cars with the VIN plate attached to wood." DMV referred me to the State Police for a VIN inspection. They only do inspections once a week and only at one location in the Portland area. The good news is, the State Police were very cooperative. They appreciated the fact that they were looking at an original car and not a "billet framed thing with a blower out the roof". I had removed the air cleaner and cleaned the engine number off to make it easy for them to see. The officer was very appreciative of the preperation and completed the paperwork in less than ten minutes. In fact I actually left the inspection ten minutes before my appointment was sceduled to start. Returning to the DMV was back to the same old BS. It was like they didn't want to let this happen. All I can say is, have all your info at hand so you can quiet their arguments. They finally relented and licensed the car.

VIN 3AB 65165 = 3-St Louis, Missouri Plant; AB - National Series [1928 Model]; 65165 - 65,164th off the line, which I suggest was built in March 1928, out of 246,690 vehicles built in that plant in 1929 which includes some 1929 Models

Job# 8170 = Fisher Body Job Number 8170 is a 2-door Coach

Body # S21182 = St Louis Fisher Body Plant, sequential # 21,181st built of that type

Engine # 4,204,903 = components cast early March 1928, assembled in Flint Plant about two weeks later say and then railed to St Louis for assembly say again later in March, 1928.

"The DMV Manager stated that Oregon doesn't license cars with the VIN plate attached to wood."

That manager is full of BS!!! I have had two out of state cars registered here in Oregon, (a 1930 and a 1932) and both still had the serial number plates attached to the wood. The cars were inspected by my local DMV, they confirmed the numbers on the serial number plate vs. the numbers on the title and that is all there was too it. They immediately filed the paperwork and I had my new titles within two weeks.

What you could have done was gone to another DMV office. They do vary on what can be done office by office depending upon what moron you are dealing with.

:eek: :eek:

...and they call themselves Public Service people and even public servents Bull-Ooney!..
There ughota,,shoulda.. be a Law......git'a rope..

I have my data plate, but not the wood..........hope I can get my 28 titled here in CA w/o too much trouble. Maybe I should rivit it to the frame ....... like they would (wood) know the difference.

In Az they're trying the same thing of not titling vehicles that have the vin nailed to the wood. They do have a book here which tells them the location of the original vin number. They may have that in LA area. Changing the location may not be such a good idea. They may think your trying to hide something or pull a fast one on them. Ask questions via phone before you go or talk to others that may have been there earlier. I think the main thing they're after is street rodders that take a plate from whatever & try to pass it off as that. I would hope they would leave the original cars alone. joe

If you have a Chevrolet parts book for the 4-cylinder cars in the large format (8X10 1/2)go to page two and three. This is a data sheet for all cars manufactured up to the date of your parts book. At the bottom of page three is a note that lists all the locations for data such as motor number.

I copied this information and presented it to my local DMV. They were very grateful for this information and it "greased the rails" for any personal problems I may have.