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

I have located my VIN plate but it has paint on it. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can use to remove the paint without harming or removing the ink underneath so i can read the VIN. If not can anyone give me a location on the frame to look for a stamp. It is a 1947 3100 i belive. Thanks.

I have no suggestions for removing just the offending layer of paint, but reproduction plates are available, and the numbers on your plate should be stamped into the plate, so you can get to the numbers by removing all the paint, or sanding the bottom of the plate (right half) until you get to the numbers.

As for where else the VIN is stamped - it isn't. The plate is the only place.

Now, it really isn't a VIN, per se. Some states registered these trucks using the engine number, others using the number on the data plate.

The only difference I'd have with Tom is MOST states used the engine number as the VIN through '55. On most vehicles the data plate you refer to contains the serial number.

To answer your question I don't have a method of removing just the top layer of paint either. I have the same issue with my 38. I purchased a repop data plate and will have to stamp the serial # on it unless I can find someone to repaint my original.

In case anyone is wondering, here are the locations of the vehicle serial number and the engine serial number. These locations are the same for 1947-1955 Chevrolet Advance-Design trucks.

As stated above, between 47-55 (at least) GM did not stamp an ID on the chassis.

Also, not to start an argument but just to add some information, 3 of the 4 1947-55 trucks that I have owned had the vehicle serial number (from the door post) on the original title/registration (from 3 different states). New York did not seem to care (and does not now seem to care) which code was/is used for pre-1972 vehicles.

It was mentioned on a previous link that the stamps to put the number (1/4 inch), I recall is available from Harbor Freight.

anyone know where i could get a plate? my truck is a 38 1/2 ton and i want to figure out how to make/get a plate with the origional ink.. i can stamp it if i must. mine has been scratched so bad i cant read anything but chevrolet (its so big you can figure out what it says...) and the stamped vin and where it says "model" -- in reference to what i am calling the vin. which is so a serial number. maybe i can get someone whos just realllly good with a paint brush to paint it on... if i can get a picture of one thats not defaced like mine is

There's a fellow selling Master plates on ebay. I don't know where he gets them. You can get Master Deluxe plates at Chevs & The Filling Station. The printing on the ebay plates "looks" similar to the original but they are made of aluminum. One that doesn't know the difference wouldn't be able to tell. I've been looking for someone to "reprint" my original. I had a pic of what an original looks like but I cant find it right now.