Hi guys I have the opportunity to purchase a body shell on frame 1970 GS 455. The car is missing the data plate but still has the vin number and vin sticker on door. First question do you feel this is a safe purchase, then can the data plate be reproduced? The car isn't that expensive, but missing the front sheet metal and driveline. I guess the last question is how hard would it be to retrieve the original build data on the car?
There's a company called 'Trim Tags.com' or something like that and they will make a replacement tag to your specifications. You do have to document that you own the car. If you can find the build sheet or get the Sloan documentation that will tell you how it was built and when. If not you can make an educated guess as to colors, options, build date, etc., and have a tag created to match that (or to match the finished product if you restore it differently.) As long as the VIN is intact the trim tag is not any legal issue (at least in Georgia). If the VIN is not intact, the trim tag wouldn't have helped anyway. Post the VIN and see who tells you what about it. Patrick ---------- Post added at 08:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:27 PM ---------- Also--absent build sheet or other documents, one can make a good guess as to build date (week of month) based upon known build dates matched to VINs from that plant. (i.e., decifer how many cars the plant averaged per week and count forward or back from numbers with known build dates.) That, compared to date codes from remaining items on the car, should correlate to a week of completion. P.
You have know way to know the body number for the trim tag unless you can find the Fisher body build sheet. Look under the sound deadner or inside the dash.
You said the drivetrain is missing; how about the rearend? If it is the original rear, it has a date code on the front side of the passenger axle tube. Your car would have to be built after that date (It goes by the Julian date.)
