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VIN Number Decoding for Classic Muscle Cars

One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given in regards to buying a classic 
muscle car was to invest in high quality resource materials so I could crack the 
code on Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) to make sure that I was not getting 
scammed. 

The best way to find a high quality book is to find what the experts are using. 
With the internet, you can type a subject like "Camaro restoration book" into the 
Amazon search box. You can also Google it and follow the links, which will take 
you to various forums and websites. 

Chevrolet by the Numbers, by Alvin Colvin, is the best book I have ever found for 
Chevrolet part numbers, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN), trim tags, and 
model ID. The book is an easy read, with chapters designated to the different 
components. 

Again, I used this process in my quest to purchase a rare Camaro. Just Google 
the car you are looking for and follow the links. The best resources will be 
obvious. 

Here is a list of objects you will need when decoding your car. 
* Small flashlight 
* Notebook 
* Resource or reference book 
* Mechanics mirror 
* Pen or pencil 
* Cordless or corded droplight 
* Floor jack and jack-stands 
* Coveralls 
* Rags 
* Brass wire brush 
* Brake cleaner 
* Yellow or white colored grease pencil 
* Digital camera or camcorder 

If you are continuing to read this information, I can only surmise that buying a 
classic muscle car with the proper numbers and matching parts is important to 
you! Good! It should be! 

If this is true, I will walk you through an example of decoding a car. This will give 
you an idea of what it takes to properly decode a car. Be prepared to take your 
time. I also discovered a sure-fire way to determine who your true friends are.

Ask them to go along to help you decode a car! Having an extra body can 
sometimes cut your time in half. 

I also recommend finding an expert/consultant on your car, and buying a couple 
of hours their time, especially if you are looking to purchase a special model 
classic car. It's been my experience that an extra set of eyes can only help the 
cause. I found an expert through one of my reference books. Prior to me going to 
look at my current car, I spent about an hour talking with him, and making a list of 
things I should be looking for. (Of course, if you want someone to handle the 
process from A-Z, services are available. This is a great option if you are buying 
the car from remote.) 

The Process 

Before I arrived the owner told me the car was basically a roller project, meaning 
the engine and transmission were removed from the car. The engine, 
transmission and other components were placed in a pile where it would be easy 
to look at the numbers. The owner also claimed it was a limited edition Camaro, 
yet he didn't have any paperwork like an original order invoice, or a protect-plate 
(a special metal plate shaped like a credit card that is used for warranty and 
repair services). This type of paperwork trail eliminates the need for further 
documentation. If you don't have this type of paperwork, then follow along. 

When I arrived at the location where the car was stored, the first thing I did was 
to check the VIN number. The VIN number is probably the most important 
number on a car. If you don't know how to decode a VIN on a particular 
Chevrolet, you will be unable to verify other components or numbers. What's nice 
about Alvin's book is it actually walks you through the whole decoding process, 
including providing the specific numbers location. 

As a sidebar, any good resource book on your particular make and model car will 
outline the way to decode your car, including number locations and decoding 
info. On 68-69 Camaro's, the VIN number is located on the top of the dash board, 
on the drivers side. The number is visible through the windshield. I wiped the dirt 
and dust off of the VIN tag, and copied the numbers into my notebook. 

VIN number I was able to determine that my car was originally a V-8, it was a 2 
door sport coupe, made in 1969, assembled in Norwood Ohio, and it was the 
662,8XXrd car built at that plant in that year. 

Trim tag. In 1969, all Camaro trim tags were located in the engine compartment, 
riveted on the upper left hand corner of the firewall. I took my rag and cleaned all 
of the dust and gunk off of the trim tag. Since the numbers were not that clear, I 
recleaned the trim tag, and removed the rest of the gunk. I used my flashlight to 
illuminate the numbers, and then copied the numbers into my notebook.

Some of the trim tag numbers matched up with the VIN tag numbers, which was 
a good sign. The remaining numbers indicated that my car's body was number 
353,XXX to come down this plant’s assembly line. The interior was originally a 
standard black interior, and the car was built in the first week of June, 1969. The 
car was originally painted dusk blue and it was equipped with a spoiler package 
and a chrome trim package. So far everything was lining up. 

The reason for all of this detail is to illustrate how you can confirm that what you 
think you are buying is exactly what you are getting. Before I move on, I want to 
share how this is relevant. A husband and wife from my car club went to look at a 
Chevelle. The car was advertised as a Super Sport. During the inspection 
process, and referencing the above book, they uncovered a number of 
inconsistencies. According to the numbers, the car had originally started out as a 
"plain Jane" 6 cylinder car. The car was now painted a different color, had a 
different color interior and a different engine. You get the picture. Over the years, 
one (or more) of the previous owners modified the car and tried to make it into a 
Super Sport. The point is it may have not been done maliciously, but the car still 
didn't start out as a true Super Sport. And having the Super Sport option 
obviously raises the value of the car. 

Engine code identification. The engine is stamped in (2) places on a 69 
Camaro. One is on the right front engine pad. The other location is on the rough 
casting portion on the rear of the engine, just above the oil filter. 

Again I wiped off the areas I just described with brake cleaner sprayed on a rag. 
You need to have a clean surface, and normally brake cleaner will do the trick. 
The front engine pad numbers appeared to have been re-stamped at one time, 
maybe after the engine block was decked (Decking in a machine process to 
check the flatness of the block deck for irregularities that cause compression and 
water leaks.) 

The tricky part is reading the numbers on the area above the oil filter. I 
recommend a really bright light and a magnifying glass. If that doesn't do it, then I 
suggest taking a little muriatic acid an applying it to the numbers. This should 
make the numbers readable. The reason this number is sometimes hard to 
decipher is because these engines were hand-stamped, and punched onto a 
rough surface. 

According to the numbers, I determined the engine was a 425 horsepower high 
performance engine, with a 4 speed manual transmission. The last numbers also 
corresponded with the last numbers in my VIN, which meant this was the original 
engine to this car. The numbers told me the engine was assembled June 14th, 
which fell in line with the build date. The engine block part number that is cast 
into the rear of the block was cleaned with a rag and brake cleaner as well. The 
block part number indicated ahigh performance block used for Camaros. Another 
piece of the puzzle confirmed.

Rear axle identification. The numbers on a Camaro rear axle are stamped on 
the top of the right axle tube. My experience has been that this area is normally 
pretty crusty and rusty. And this rear axle was no exception. After considerable 
wire-brushing, I wiped the area clean with brake cleaner. Laying on my back, I 
shone the light on the area, while holding a mirror. It still wasn't clear enough for 
me to read accurately. I then took my grease pencil, and ran it over the numbers. 

The purpose of the grease pencil is to provide contrast with the metal of the axle 
tube. When I put the mirror back over the area, I was rewarded with a very sharp 
image of the part numbers, which I copied into my notebook. According to the 
numbers, this rear axle assembly had a 4.10:1 gear ratio, limited slip. The axle 
was assembled June 16th, 1969. Are you seeing a pattern starting to appear 
here? The axle numbers also indicated the axle to be original to the car based on 
the dates codes referencing June 1969 build date. 

I took the same approach with the other parts. Here are my findings. The 
cylinder heads, intake manifold, carburetor, and transmission were the correct 
part numbers for the car. However none of these parts were date coded to the 
car. One of the heads was manufactured in April 1968, the other head was 
manufactured in February of 1969. The transmission was manufactured Jan 24th 
1969. The reason I know all of these parts are not correctly date coded to the car 
is I decoded each one, by researching the part numbers, and date codes. All of 
this information is important, because not only did it verify what the owner had 
told me, and it also showed that the other parts were in line with the build date. 
Thereby providing further confirmation of what I was looking at. 

During my investigating, I took pictures with a digital camera of all of the parts 
and part numbers, as best as i could. I spent about 30 minutes walking around 
the car with a video camera and editorializing what I was taking footage of. I also 
took the list of things the Camaro expert had told me about and checked them off 
one by one. Later in the week I called the Camaro expert and shared my 
findings. I reviewed all of my research, including going over the individual part 
numbers, and the "things to look for" checklist. By the end of the phone call, I 
was 99% positive that this Camaro was what it was being advertised as. 
The last thing I did was to have the car documented and certified by a 
Certified Camaro appraiser. GM also stamped "hidden VIN" numbers in (2) 
different places on the car. The reason for the hidden VIN numbers was to add 
another step in preventing and identifying a stolen car. Because it is fairly easy to 
remove and swap out the VIN tag on the dash, the hidden VIN's provided a backup 
system of check and balances. For example, someone could possibly swap 
out a VIN tag, but if they didn't know about the Hidden VIN numbers, a person in 
the know could easily identify the numbers not matching up. Because the car 
was bought a "roller project", it was easy to check these hidden VIN's, against 
the VIN tag on the dash. I wanted the appraiser to check them personally, and he 
confirmed the numbers as matching and authentic.

In other words the certificate authenticates the car. Many appraisers will also 
supply you with a report on their findings. The nice thing about having a car 
certified is this type of paperwork is normally viewed as "iron clad" 
documentation. It normally raises the value of the car, because of the 
"authenticity certificate". And if you ever go to sell the car, now you have 
documention to provide the seller that the car is a real (Super Sport, Rally Sport, 
Z/28, etc. You fill in the blank). 

Some people may wonder why would anyone go through all of this work. 
However, keep in mind that many of these muscle cars are 20 plus years old and 
have gone through numerous owners and modifications. All of that history is prior 
to it being restored back to showroom original condition. In other words, many 
parts are bolt on and interchangeable from other models and different years. So 
just because the parts look ok, doesn't mean that they even belong on the car. 
In the above example about the couple and the Chevelle, the car was priced as a 
Super Sport, yet the trim tag and other numbers reflected a totally different story. 
Even though the car was beautifully restored, it was really nothing more than a 
glorified/modified 6 cylinder, base model Chevelle that someone converted over 
to a V-8 at some time in it's life. 

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with modifying a car to an individual 
owners taste. The issue is when the car is sold and the seller forgets to mention 
(consciously or unconsciously) and inform the new owner of the modifications. 
Our Chevelle couple would have gladly paid the asking price if the car was a true 
Super Sport. But, because they knew how to decode the car, they were able to 
save themselves a lot of time, money and aggravation. At the time the difference 
between a "plain Jane" Chevelle and a real Super Sport was over $10,000. Just 
to throw some numbers out there, let's be conservative and say it takes 6 hours 
of research to decode a car. Using our $10,000 figure, that equates to 
approximately $1,600 an hour. Not a bad return on your "time" investment. 

As muscle and classic cars have become more popular, I have seen many cases 
where "just for the fun of it", an owner will start to do research on a car he/she 
owns. Discovering your car isn't really what you thought you purchased can really 
knock the wind out of you. By investing a small amount of money, and time, in 
researching and decoding your prospective muscle car purchase you can sleep 
at night knowing that you received the value you paid for. 

Anyone else interested in investing a couple of hours for peace of mind when 
purchasing a classic or muscle car??? 

Don’t want to deal with all these issues yourself? The experts at Your Dream Car 
Finder can manage the entire process.

We hope you enjoyed this article! 

Cheers 
Tim Leary 
Elon Block 
www.yourdreamcarfinder.com 
www.classiccarbuzz.blogspot.com