The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk VIN Numbers

I bought a 51 Chevrolet pickup while stationed in California and was told the numbers matched but as the truck was parked very close to the house couldn't check the vin on the drivers door opening but did notice that the title matched the engine number. I sent the papers off to my resident state of Arkansas and got the title changed to my name but I am wondering if I this is a common thing on older vehicle? This was in 1993.

It was not only common but the predominant way of titling vehicles through 1955. There were a number of states that used the Unit Serial Number on the title but most used the engine number.

It was also possible that DMV office personnel in the same state used the Vehicle Serial Number at some times and the Engine Serial Number at other times.

I found both codes used on different Titles/Registrations from two states (in the same year): VA and WA

old sarge,

What is your Engine Serial Number? stamped into the block behind the distributor?

What is your Vehicle Serial Number? stamped into the ID plate on the cab - between the driver's side hinges?

1951 Chevrolet Trucks serial number locations (and coding).

If both your codes are for 1951, you have "numbers matching".

Other codes that are useful for IDing an engine (people can change the Engine Serial Number), are casting codes and date casting codes for head/block.
here are locations of various engine codes

Thanks for the information on VIN numbers fellows and to TCLEDERMAN I will get the engine and id plate numbers and include them ASAP.

There is an old retired car salesman who told me once that the VIN on the title was "whatever the dealer typed on the title application back in those days".

Let's not spread misinformation here. There was no VIN until the '80s. In Texas the engine serial number was used until 1955 except on Fords, which used a body number. I have a copy of the DMV manual stating so.

the engine number in my 51 Chevrolet pickup is JBA579300, the number on the door post reads 6JPH12648 best I can figure based on the information sent to me is that both numbers are 1951 and a match(I hope),maybe one of you Gents can expand on this? Thanks Old Sarge

While I agree with you on what the rules were back then, I was repeating what I was told in a conversation about AD trucks, by someone who sold quite a few of them back in the early 50's. He was asked why my 53 truck used the Engine Serial Number as the "VIN" and my neighbor's 52 truck used the Serial Number on the driver door plate at the "VIN" on the title. His comment was that the "VIN" on the title was whatever the dealer typed on the application. You can take that for misinformation or that not all dealers followed the "rules" back then.

What???

Just because there was no FMVSS 115, Part 565 17 character US requirement until 1980 does NOT mean there were no VINs before then!

You do know that VIN means "Vehicle Identification Number", right? (BTW, that makes "VIN number" repetitious). In plain English, it's a Number* that uniquely Identifies a Vehicle.

Give me a break.

*of course, modern FMVSS 115, Part 565 VINs are a combination of letters and numbers. I would posit that the fact they called it a VIN was a holdover from when VINs were numbers only.

The difference is VIN and vin.

What, do you want expanded, Old sarge?

Your Serial Numbers "numbers/codes" match.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/chevyresto/51053.htm

Engine Serial Number: JBA 579300
JBA = 1951 3100 216.6 ci engine assembled in Flint, MI
579300 = 578300th engine out of the Flint, MI engine plant that in 1951

Vehicle Serial Number: 6JPH12648
6 = Oakland, CA assembly plant
JP = 3100 series
H = August 1951
12648 = 11648th 3100 out of that plant in 1951

If you want to check other numbers (for matches), here are locations of other casting codes , including head and block date codes. The date codes should be earlier than the VSN. Then, you will have more matching numbers.

I have been trying to decode my tag, and am coming up with nothing. The tag looks like this:
CHEVROLET DD
1502HG4404B

This does not look like anything I find on the decoders. Anyone have any idea?

What year do you think the truck is?
Where is your "tag" located?
Can you post a link to a photo of your tag?

We have to have an approximate guess to lookup a code.

The format/contents of the code you show is not like a Vehicle Serial Number between 47-62. The word "CHEVROLET" is not shown in any 47-62 code.

Is your truck a USA truck or a Canadian truck?

I am pretty certain it is an american truck, 1963 GMC C1500. It does not have the original motor as I can see the wear marks on the frame from what I think was a V6. The tag is located on the driver side door frame.
I am going to repost a picture, the link does not show right from photobucket.


[img]http://i.imgur.com/SyjNyYG.jpg[/img]

And I thought I was particular.