The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Help decode my VIN number

I bought a 40 Chevy with a dump box today..not sure if its a 1 or 1.5 ton..heres the Vin can anybody decode it?
W1WAO36931

I am not sure your number is correct, as I didn't think it should start with a letter. In any event, I used the VIN buster in the tech tips on this forum and it gave me 1940, 1 1/2 ton, 133 inches wheelbase, unknown manufacturing plant. Try it yourself. I believe the manufacturing plant is a number and is the first item in the VIN. If I remove the "W" at the front it gives me the same info, and adds Flint, MI as the plant.
Kent

Kent posted the answer, and, the pertinent question regarding the leading W.

series letters on this page
Unit Serial Number information on this page.

Can you post a photo of your Vehicle Serial Number plate?
Did your code come from that plate, or was it on a title/document?

I got the vin from the title..here is a pic..

That is why it does not exactly match Chevrolet documentation.

WA DMV added the leading “W”, most likely?

Is there an ID plate on the truck, on the right side of the cowl, under the hood?

Yes there is a ID plate but I have not got the truck home yet.I believe this has been a MN truck since new..

Maybe someone knows (or, will guess) why MN put the "W" preface on the title's VIN when that registration/title was issued in 1978?

Tim,

There's no telling when the typo happened, it could have happened decades before in another state and each DMV after that just copied it with the error.

Mike B

Thanks, Mike
I agree
Some questions might never get answered