The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Question about VIN number

SO I TRYED THE VIN BUSTER BUT IT SAYS YEAR UNKNOWN & SHOWS FOR A PANNEL
MY TRUCK IS A 42-46 TYPE/STYLE I ONLY HAVE THE CAB & FRONT END, MY TITLE says 47 ADCA547999 & WAS ISSUED IN 1981
ANY IDEAS
i was hoping to find out what bed setup it had etc..

The number on the title is an engine number, not uncommon before approximatly 1955 (this can vary by state). What your number breaks down to, according to the GM Resto-Paks, is a '46 Truck, either a 3600 or 3800. Unfortunatly, that's about as close as the number you have will get, as it doesn't give nay body or assembly plant information, other than the engine being built at the Flint plant.
Does the cab still have the body serial number tag on it? That might give a little more info as to what the truck originally was built as.

oh thanks for info
were would the body ser. tag be hiding i havent noticed it yet

Usually, they're found on the A pillar, about 1/2 way up. It should be a stainless tag about 2" long and maybe 3/4" tall. Many times thay are painted over.

On the '39 - '46 lift the hood on the passenger side and look on the side of the cowl just in front of the door. That's where I have seen most of them. The '36 I just bought has the tag on the passenger side on the front of the firewall. Hope this helps ??

Just checking my guides, dynosaurus is correct about the location on the earlier trucks.

ok thanks ill look tomorrow in the daylight

found the tag i was suprized i didnt rember it anyway it reads
5DR A 2787

5 DR A 2787 decodes as:

5 = Kansas City
DR = 1946 3600
A = January
2787 = 1787th vehicle out of that plant that year

wow thats cool but does this mean i got the wrong title as it reads 47
i understand the title ser# is probly the motor # but this had a 350 in it when i got
but concerened about the year
so i guess the cab #'s wont be on title at all
does 3600 mean 3/4 ton
does 3600 mean no bed box probly flat?
thanks you all so much for this info

The 1946 style truck was sold into 1947.

The engine serial number or the cab/vehicle number might have been used to title/register the vehicle.

3600 means 3/4 ton.

3604 is the model number for a pickup, but that number would not be found on anything except perhaps the bill of sale. 1946 3604 illustration

Mike - back then vehicles were titled by the year of first registration, as in year of sale, not model year - and note that 47 was a year there was a "first series" [your Art Deco model] and a "second series" [Advance Design model] .... yes 3600 is a 3/4T, which may have been a flat bed or just a "cab and chassis", or it may have been a pickup someone has scrapped the bed from over the last 70 years

Bill

I've been having fun with my 'Burb. Built in November 1951. Has the vent wings and turn down handles, sure sign that it is a '51. But, registered in 1952. Makes sense since it was a November build. But, I like calling it a '52, even though that bugs some folk.

wow thats cool but does this mean i got the wrong title as it reads 47

Vehicles were titled by the year of first purchase.

Chevrolet called the 1946 trucks that were sold well into 1947 a "1946 Chevrolet truck". Chevrolet did not use the "first series" "second series" distinction for the two 1947 body styles.

This year-name/number vs series-name problem did not exist for GMC. GMC used series letters and did not give year-number-names to different series of trucks until sometime after the Blue Chip trucks were introduced in 1955.

ok thanks