Hidden VIN on frame rail

Discussion in 'The "Paper Trail"' started by tdacton, Jul 7, 2003.

  1. tdacton

    tdacton Gold Level Contributor

  2. tdacton

    tdacton Gold Level Contributor

    The cops are taking the car for inspection

    The Indianapolis police are going to lift the body off of that side when they pick up the car. I hope they can find it. They need to find the VIN on the car. The one that is faked on is what I thought I bought but you know the story. But they need to also know the real vin of the body.
    Thanks!
    Any other locations?
     
  3. Brad Conley

    Brad Conley Guest

    Troy,

    "IF" the VIN is still there, and given the history of this car that is a big if, it will be on top of the frame rail, drivers side near where the drivers door would be. You cannot see it with the body on the frame, or at least it is very, very difficult. Mirrors and lots of light are needed and even then it is truly impossible. All it would take is a quick pass with a angle grinder and it would be gone. Who's to say that didn't happen at some time in the past?

    I believe there is a VIN stamped in the firewall heater box opening area. You would have to disassemble the front end to get to it. Quite a bit of work. Hope the Indy PD knows what they are doing when they start unbolting everything....

    BTW, we were able to read the VIN on the '71 Black GSX when the body was off...this was a 25 year old car from Ohio with who knows how many miles. It was difficult, but it was there.
     
  4. stage-x

    stage-x Then & Now Auto

    My shop has had 3 GS/GSX cars off the frame in the last year, 2 were 70 models. All had the numbers on the frame which were visible after cleaning and prepping the frame. All had the numbers stamped into the firewall just below the hole in the firewall where the heater core is.
     
  5. oPh

    oPh Well-Known Member

    The hidden VIN on the firewall is dependent on which plant the A-body came out of & to a degree what year.

    I have not been ck'ing this really closely on my Skylark partscars, but on my '70-72 Pontiac A-bodys, there were no VIN's stamped on the cowls from the Fremont & Pontiac MI plants.

    Anyone have a link to the plants '70-72 Skylarks & GS's were produced in? I'd like to cross reference the plants that built other lines of A-bodys & watch for these hidden VINs as process partscars.

    Roger
     
  6. Marco

    Marco Well-Known Member

    Ask, and ye shall receive -

    B = Baltimore, MD
    C = South Gate, CA
    D = Atlanta, GA
    G = Framingham, MA
    H = Flint, MI
    I = Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)
    K = Kansas City, MO
    V = Bloomfield, IL
    X = Kansas City, KS
    Y = Wilmington, DE
    Z = Fremont, CA
     
  7. Dan Healey

    Dan Healey Well-Known Member

    I thought this was over....but looks even more complicated now!

    Since the original stage 1 body was replaced, I would suspect the car was involved in a very serious accident. Because the vin has been switched, I would check the #'s by the heater core. Those #'s would be the correct one's for the body. The frame is a bolt on piece, and could be from a 3rd car (but I would check those too)! :gt: :(
     
  8. oPh

    oPh Well-Known Member

    Marco,
    THANKS for the plant codes :beer

    Roger
     
  9. schwemf

    schwemf Mike Schweitzer

    Buicks assemblied in Kansas City in 1970 had the VIN on the firewall, as observed on two such cars.

    Buicks assembled in Flint Michigan in 1972 did not, as observed on one car.

    -mike
     
  10. TXGS

    TXGS Paint by numbers 70 GS 455 4spd

    Some cars got stamped twice. My 70 GS 455 4spd from Leeds was stamped twice once by the heater core and once by the blower motor.:Do No:
     
  11. NJBuickRacer

    NJBuickRacer I'd rather be racing...

    Wow this thread is old.
     
  12. copperheadgs1

    copperheadgs1 copperheadgs1

    Wat did yu say sonny?:Dou:
     
  13. tdacton

    tdacton Gold Level Contributor

    this car was a Flint built car. I found the VIN on the frame on the drivers side rail, just above the bolt that holds the seat down to the floorboard.

    I did a Sloan search on the VIN that was found on the frame and it came back with the same body number, trim and color combination as the trim plate. But the VIN on the title and the pop rivoted vin plate were not the same as the one on the frame rail.

    I completely removed the A/C evaporator box and there were NO VIN numbers stamped on the firewall.
    Troy
     
  14. schwemf

    schwemf Mike Schweitzer

    Troy,
    Thank you for the update on where you found the VIN on your car.

    I am having difficulty pulling up the document that you refer to in your original posting. Perhaps the link has changed over time? Could you please post an updated link to it? I've searched but can't find it myself.

    Thanks again,
    -mike
     
  15. TimR

    TimR Nutcase at large

    I can add that my 72 Flint built ragtop did not have vin numbers in the firewall.

    Whats the deal on this story, fake sold as real or bad resto or frame change or...??? I can't remember details although I know it was discussed at length in a thread....
     
  16. gsjo

    gsjo Platinum Level Contributor

    I'll chime in that I have never found a vin on ac cars ,under the ac box.70 models only.And I have done a few.Joe
     

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