The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Vin number misprint!?!?

I have a 1958 Apache 3600 Napco 4x4 that has some interesting vin numbers stamped on the frame. The last number is the issue. The last number on the cab tag is 9. On the frame all of the numbers match except the last number. You can clearly see that it was a eight but it is "x" out with a #1 punch in a cross pattern. Then directly above the eight is a 9 punched in. I found this on the undercab vin number and the forward of vin cab number on the left frame rail.
factory mistake???

I have read of that happening. I've not seen it personally.

Here is a pic of the front frame rail vin.

We once owned a mid 80's four door car, VIN tag & body stamping said it was a two door car. Yet I knew what we owned & I could see and count the four doors on it. Just like your frame vin/serial number, it was a mistake at the factory and they fixed the frame numbers on yours the way you see it stamped...joe

Well if it is a 3E58xxxx "VIN", it's a 1958 as you said. If frame and plate have the same number except for the last digit, it has to be modified at factory. Maybe a shift change mistake or 3E58xxxx8 body got damaged. It would seem impossible for it to be an unscrupulous person who found almost the exact numbered frame and body, save the last digit. If the title says 3E58xxxx9 you are good to go. You may want to double check that the frame is a factory NAPCO. It will have more leaves in spring stack than a standard 3600 and will have a higher GVW stamped on plate than a std 3600. If it is an add on, it will have the same as a std 3600. A factory 4x4 will have a 6 cylinder. Upfitted by dealer may have 6 or 8. Does it have the NAPCO Powr-Pak badges?

It has a gvw of 7300lbs on the tag with no Napco badges. I haven't counted the leaves yet.

It originally had the six but it was pulled out and replaced with a 350 about 25 years ago

The GVW should be about 600-800 lbs more factory than upfitted by dealer. The front leaf count is 6 for upfitted and 7 for factory.

So I went and looked at the leafs on the front and I have eight. I have ten in the rear. Also have a sm420 tranny with the propeller brake minus the lever and a lever under the dash parking brake. My gvw is 7300 lbs on the tag.

What are the first 4 digits of your vin? Seems like you should have 6 or 7 leaves not 8. Count again, count only leaves, not shims or plates. I am reading the 1958 GM Heritage site and it has confusing info re: springs. Confusing to me. I think I see a contradiction in there.

58w1

I honestly thought it was a 3600 because my grandfather said it was. The badges have been stolen. So I was going on that.

58W is a 1958 from the Willow Run plant. There are numbers and letters BEFORE the 58W. Example: 3A or 3B or 3C or 3D or 3E or 3F or 3G.....Look on Title and look on Serial Plate.

The serial plate is the stainless tag on the drivers side hinge piller? The lower one right?

On the pillar, yes. Aluminum?

3E58

That's a 3600. Recount front leaves. Carefully, no clamp plates no shims. Short leaf OK.

It's a moot point. No big deal. If it says NAPCO on the closed knuckle front axle, has a divorced Rockwell T-case, with old fashion locking hubs, it's a 3/4T, long bed, Napco 4x4(with too many leaves), Nice.

It has warn locking hubs on it. It does say napco on the front of the axle.

Excellent. I got you off topic. Your only question was about crossed out frame number and you get some guesses on that.
Later.

I got a lot of work to do that cab corners are in bad shape and the windshield metal on top is pretty sketchy!! This is my first stab at this. I wish I could just link my Facebook album to this page.

Ya I have researched about the possibility of a factory mistake and there is very little info. Just stories of people that knew someone that had that. I have yet to get the title from my grandpa. He says its in his paperwork!!! Need to start that process.

Does this help or hurt the value of the truck?

Not normally. Everyone makes mistakes and the common method of correcting a mis-stamp was to make a simple strike through the wrong digit & re-stamp the correct digit. What raises concerns is when an attempt is made to obscure the digit as though one is trying to hide something. BTW you can link to your facebook page. This method should work for your page as well as images. Just ignore steps 1 & 2 then substitute your FB album URL in step 3.

Awesome. I got the title for the truck today!!! It was from the 70's. I had a hard time figuring out were to sign it because it doesn't look like titles today. Lol