Question: production numbers on c3

[weegie]

my title matches my vin number.............. BUT........ numbers have been inverted making it an impossible number since they did not produce 77 thousand corvettes in 69. The car series number 7 was flipped with the first production number 1. Is it possible a vin could have been stamped wrong and no one caught it. Or am I really being naïve. The vin number stamped on the boss on the motor is a good number. to make it more clear 194379S71 is actually 194379S17. cant find any other frame vin numbers to help verify. I heard there is one inside the cowl of the lift gate ,passenger side. A so called hidden vin. found a number that says CHEV 3953060. That's no help unless its in code. Don't want to pull the body to get at the drivers side frame number but may have to. Any thoughts ?

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Is it an original GM VIN tag? Can you post a pic?

 

[Antz81]

my title matches my vin number.............. BUT........ numbers have been inverted making it an impossible number since they did not produce 77 thousand corvettes in 69. The car series number 7 was flipped with the first production number 1. Is it possible a vin could have been stamped wrong and no one caught it. Or am I really being naïve. The vin number stamped on the boss on the motor is a good number. to make it more clear 194379S71 is actually 194379S17. cant find any other frame vin numbers to help verify. I heard there is one inside the cowl of the lift gate ,passenger side. A so called hidden vin. found a number that says CHEV 3953060. That's no help unless its in code. Don't want to pull the body to get at the drivers side frame number but may have to. Any thoughts ?

194379S71**** Could be a legit VIN, some sites i looked at said the production sequence started at 700001

 

[6880 Mike]

...my title matches my vin number.............. BUT........ numbers have been inverted making it an impossible number since they did not produce 77 thousand corvettes in 69...The car series number 7 was flipped with the first production number 1....194379S71 is actually 194379S17...

Characters transposed, not inverted. VIN tags were stamped by a human being, so a mistake could have been possible. That said, it would have been difficult for an incorrectly stamped VIN tag to have gotten by the various inspectors at St. Louis. All 69s have the 7 following the S. Post a pic of your VIN tag.

...cant find any other frame vin numbers to help verify...

The driver's side top frame rail has a VIN derivitive stamped in two places. The first is about where your left hip would be if you were sitting in the car. This stamp cannot be seen with the body on the frame. The second position is just in front of the #4 body mount. You might be able to see this one. Finding either of these will only confirm that the 7 and the 1 were possibly transposed on the VIN tag.

...I heard there is one inside the cowl of the lift gate ,passenger side. A so called hidden vin...

Nope. There are no factory stamps on the passeenger's side of the frame and C3s have no lift gates.

...found a number that says CHEV 3953060...

Where did you find this number? 3953060 is almost certainly a GM part number.

 

[weegie]

production numbers on C3

Thanks for the info. I will try and get a decent pic posted. does appear the spacing between the numbers is larger than the images I have looked at online . possibly remade and done incorrectly or I have been taken by BUBBA. That 3953060 number was under the top cowl grill opening. removed the grill and took a mirror to the backside of the firewall on your passenger side . Also on the vin tag Their is an asterisk before the numbers , is this normal ? looks like *194379S. Don't see that anywhere online as of yet.

Characters transposed, not inverted. VIN tags were stamped by a human being, so a mistake could have been possible. That said, it would have been difficult for an incorrectly stamped VIN tag to have gotten by the various inspectors at St. Louis. All 69s have the 7 following the S. Post a pic of your VIN tag.



The driver's side top frame rail has a VIN derivitive stamped in two places. The first is about where your left hip would be if you were sitting in the car. This stamp cannot be seen with the body on the frame. The second position is just in front of the #4 body mount. You might be able to see this one. Finding either of these will only confirm that the 7 and the 1 were possibly transposed on the VIN tag.



Nope. There are no factory stamps on the passeenger's side of the frame and C3s have no lift gates.



Where did you find this number? 3953060 is almost certainly a GM part number.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Thanks for the info. I will try and get a decent pic posted. does appear the spacing between the numbers is larger than the images I have looked at online . possibly remade and done incorrectly or I have been taken by BUBBA. That 3953060 number was under the top cowl grill opening. removed the grill and took a mirror to the backside of the firewall on your passenger side . Also on the vin tag Their is an asterisk before the numbers , is this normal ? looks like *194379S. Don't see that anywhere online as of yet.

There was another car with an asterisk before the number last week, over on another website. Also from Ohio. Not a GM tag.

 

[Midnight 99]

As long as the vin tag on the A-Pillar and the title match you are good to go. All 69 Corvette production started with build sequence number 700000. If the engine number is not a derivative of the VIN then that is another story.

The asterisk may indicate a state replaced tag.

 

[weegie]

My vin tag is not a GM original. Looks to me that it was re-issued thru the state of Ohio. That would explain the asterisk before the numbers and the difference in the spacing of the numbers. Still don't like it... but as long as the tag matches the title I will live with it. I am sure it will come up again if I ever sell. Why it was re-issued will be a mystery. Not enough records, can only go back to the guy I bought it from and he says he never noticed. ............I will know more if I purchase another. Just because the tag matches the title there is more to the story.

 

[Midnight 99]

The replaced tag usually indicates one of two common problems. One, the vehicle could be a recovered theft and the tag was removed by the thieves. Two, the original tag could have been damaged by rust or during a repair procedure to the A pillar. There could be some other reason but those are the most common. After being in law enforcement for 40 years and building cars most of my life, I have run across many of both scenarios. A third one that has happened is that a shop removed the tag to repair a damaged area underneath the tag and lost the tag in the process.

 

[6880 Mike]

...My vin tag is not a GM original. Looks to me that it was re-issued thru the state of Ohio. That would explain the asterisk before the numbers and the difference in the spacing of the numbers...

The state issued tag also explains the transposed 1 and 7.

 

[weegie]

My thoughts exactly on the transposed numbers. Thanks Midnight, its good to hear from law enforcement that I am good to go as long as tag and title match. Its just a Midwest daily driver L-46motor ,4 speed but its mine and don't want to lose it.lol


My thoughts exactly on the transposed numbers

The state issued tag also explains the transposed 1 and 7.