1953 Buick Special Convertible

[robautobod]

I am restoring a 1953 Buick Special Convertible - 46C - and am having a problem decoding the Vin #.
Mine is 8 digits long instead of 7 and I have a combination of numbers and letters instead of all numbers. I found the tag on the left hinge pillar. It reads 17I4567I. Could somebody please decode it for me or tell me if there is a website that can do it for me. Thanks, Robin

[jvelde]

If you go to Team Buick at Team Buick, Articles and Reference - Team Buick Front Page and register (it's free), then click on the Reference tab at the top, then choose '53 in the Yellow Years box and then decipher the numbers. There were no letters used in VIN or Engine numbers then, so what you are listing as I's may really be 1's. Don't know what to tell you about having too many characters! Maybe someone else will jump in with some more suggestions.
Good Luck,
John V.

[retirednow]

If memory serves me correctly, those 'I's are actually 1's. Someone posted a picture of a vin w/ 2 different styles of '1's on it, but I cant find it in my older posts since my posts before today aren't showing up. My car has only one 1 in the VIN- the first digit, indicating, like yours that it was manufactured in Flint. -Dave BCA#46470 1952 56C

[buick5563]

Hi Robin,
I have the convertible specific stainless trim for your car if you need it.

[shadetree77]

The "I's" in there are definitely number 1's. I had the same issue decoding my VIN and fellow member Dave Corbin(Buick Numbers Expert)told me that they are to be read as such. The first number is separate from the VIN and tells you where your car was manufactured like Dave(retirednow)said above. If you need more help, I suggest you contact Dave Corbin through his profile page here: View Profile: DaveCorbin - AACA Forums . Good Luck!

[sean1997]

Rather than saying the first digit is separate from the "VIN", I would say the frame serial number consists of two parts: a plant digit and a sequential number. Both combine to form the frame serial number or "VIN". The first digit indicates the plant the car was built at and the remainder of the digits is a sequential number with a specific starting and ending number for each year. This serial number format was used for 1938-1953. For 1937, Buicks built at South Gate, CA used the letter "C" as the plant digit and Flint, MI built Buicks did not use a plant digit. For 1936 and earlier, US Buick production was only at Flint, so no plant digit was used, just the sequential number.

Buick also used the letter "b" for 6's and 9's, but other than 1937, there were no letters in the car/frame serial number until 1954.

[robautobod]

Dave, I'm told you're the one to go to with VIN problems. All the sequential numbers for the 53 46C seem to start with 6. Mine starts with 7. 17145671 Can you help me? Thanking you in advance, Robin

[sean1997]

The sequential portion of your cars serial number falls with the range for Flint for 1953. For all plants, the lowest starting number is 6740001 and the highest ending number is 7228805. As long as it is between those two numbers, it fits the range for 1953. Your car was built closer to the end of the production, so it starts with a 7.

Plant Name	Plant Number	Seq Num Start	Seq Num End
Flint, MI	1	6740001	7214106
South Gate, CA	2	6765001	7214776
Linden, NJ	3	6774001	7217064
Kansas City, KS	4	6783001	7224950
Wilmington, DE	5	6799001	7226180
Atlanta, GA	6	6808001	7228458
Framingham, MA	7	6815001	7228805