Understanding VIN, Early or Late '69?

[fine69]

I don't have a numbers-matching car, but I am curious if there's a way to find out if mine is an early or late 69.

The vin tag is 194679S710859 and the code on the engine plate read 19S710859 V1212HW. Some time ago, I also wrote down a bunch of numbers from the transmission, but I can't find the darn document! I crawled under the car and tried looking for the numbers last night - but could only see 3925660 (eyesight is getting worse!).... I believe there were other numbers that I wrote down before -- that indicated December...?? :confused

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Ralph

 

[Artsvette73]

From the black book it looks like between Nov of 68- Dec. 68

 

[JohnZ]

It was built on December 20th, 1968; I'd call it "early", as '69 production continued through December, 1969, with about 39,000 units built (the longest model year in Corvette history).

 

[Evolution1980]

JohnZ already gave you your answer, but you can use the CAC's Tech Center to decode your VIN. Here is the direct link for the 1969 model year.

 

[fine69]

It was built on December 20th, 1968; I'd call it "early", as '69 production continued through December, 1969, with about 39,000 units built (the longest model year in Corvette history).

Thank you sir! Oddly, since I've owned it, I thought it was a late 69... I based this on some parts that I've been told are "late 69" parts such as the wiper door actuator on the firewall - mine is the style that resembles the headlight actuator. I was told that "early 69" used the ones that resemble a can. Of course, these parts could have been swapped over the years and I never thought of asking about the actual numbers - duh!

Thanks again, John.

Ralph

 

[fine69]

JohnZ already gave you your answer, but you can use the CAC's Tech Center to decode your VIN. Here is the direct link for the 1969 model year.

Ha! How cool is that?! A great link! Thank you... very cool.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Thank you sir! Oddly, since I've owned it, I thought it was a late 69... I based this on some parts that I've been told are "late 69" parts such as the wiper door actuator on the firewall - mine is the style that resembles the headlight actuator. I was told that "early 69" used the ones that resemble a can. Of course, these parts could have been swapped over the years and I never thought of asking about the actual numbers - duh!

Thanks again, John.

Ralph

Now you've asked a slightly different question.

Running changes of an individual part are also referred to as 'early' or 'late' but were not usually introduced all in one fell swoop on the same day. Some changes could have been introduced during the first few weeks of production, with others in the middle and still others right at the end of the model year.

My car was built just a few weeks before the end of production and had an early style intake manifold, but was one one of the first to get late style front grills.

 

[Striker 85]

How did you get the month and day

John,

How did you get the exact month and day? My VIN is 194679S724605, I thought you could olnly get the dates off the cyclinder heads.

 

[6880 Mike]

...The vin tag is 194679S710859...19S710859 V1212HW

I'd say your engine is original. VIN breaks down:
1 Chevrolet Division of General Motors
9 Model code for Corvette
4 At one time this character stood for 1/2 of the engine displacement (4 for 8 cylinders) but Corvettes had V8s since '55.
67 body style code (67 for convertibles, 37 for coupes)
9 Year of production
S Plant code for St. Louis
7 Car line code for Corvette in 1969 (this character varies among model years)
10859 Consecutive unit number; the 10859th 1969 Corvette assembled.

19S710859 VIN derivative stamped on engine at St. Louis

V1212HW Engine assembly date
V for Flint, Michigan engine assembly plant; all Corvette smallblocks came from Flint.
1212 Date of assembly at Flint (December 12th)
HW code for 350/350 with 4 speed

Your car would have been assembled after December 12, 1968 because engines were assembled in Flint and shipped to St. Louis before the Corvette would have been assembled.

Time/Build date for your car is in the upper right corner of the trim tag on the driver's hinge post along with codes for the original exterior paint and interior trim colors.

 

[6880 Mike]

...Oddly, since I've owned it, I thought it was a late 69...

Could have been a "late" 69 since 69 production covered two Decembers (68 and 69). Your VIN would have been higher if she was assembled in December of '69.

 

[Striker 85]

Mike, your the man....Why didnt I look at the trim plate..LOL..I looked to insure the colors were correct, but not the date. I will check it out today...Then I have to figure out out of the 1,600 made in green, how many were verts...

 

[JohnZ]

John,

How did you get the exact month and day? My VIN is 194679S724605, I thought you could olnly get the dates off the cyclinder heads.

If all you have is the VIN, the NCRS "Birthday Book" will peg the day it was produced pretty accurately; the body build date code on the trim tag will confirm it, as the car was generally produced the day after that date.

 

[waterboy1976]

Not to hijack your thread but after looking at my 73s VIN...tha last 6 are 400804.....that means it was the 804th 73 off the line? Right? What are the production dates for 73's?? Start? End?

 

[JohnZ]

Not to hijack your thread but after looking at my 73s VIN...tha last 6 are 400804.....that means it was the 804th 73 off the line? Right? What are the production dates for 73's?? Start? End?

Correct - it was produced about August 23, 1972; trim tag date code should be around A22 or A23. '73 production started on August 1, '72, and ended on July 27, 1973.

 

[waterboy1976]

Trim tag says A25...so that means August 25th, 1972....right?

 

[fine69]

It was built on December 20th, 1968; I'd call it "early", as '69 production continued through December, 1969, with about 39,000 units built (the longest model year in Corvette history).

John,

The top right corner of my trim tag reads E14. Both you and Chuck at OEM Glass said my build date was December 20, 1968. What does "E14" stand for?

Thank you.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

E= December for the 1968 model year production. 14= the 14th day of the month, so Dec.14th is the day your trim tag was attached to the car.

General rule of thumb is that the car was completed a day or two later.

For waterboy1976, A= August for 1973 model year production and 25 = 25th of the month.

Here's two examples where the birthday book calculators are off by more than a day or two.

 

[6880 Mike]

...Then I have to figure out out of the 1,600 made in green, how many were verts...

Sorry, no records available to determine how many green cars were convertibles, but you can guesstimate it. Take percentage of total production which were convertibles. Multiply that percentage times your green (1600). You will probably be close.

 

[Striker 85]

Ok my trim tag says L12, what date is that????

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Assuming it's your '69, L was July, so July 12th.