Guest bb39Buick Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 What should a VIN for a 1939 4dr Special series 40 Buick look like? I have a title with VIN and 5 numbers only, no spaces, no letters. Does this sound right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 No. If you list the numbers people here will help identifyThe frame - chassis number in a on plate rivted to the frame near the starter motor. Engine number is near the distrubuter. Other numbers on the firewall data plate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bb39Buick Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 OK, here they are..........31138. This is on the title as the VIN. Thanks, bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick4547 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 No. If you list the numbers people here will help identifyThe frame - chassis number in a on plate rivted to the frame near the starter motor. Engine number is near the distrubuter. Other numbers on the firewall data plateNow you have me wondering. The VIN number on my '39 title is: 13568471.Is that correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 In those years, some states used the engine number and others used the serial number. In addition, in some states like Maryland, if you brought in a car from Virginia you would have to change the number. For example, I bought a 1939 Buick in 1963 in Virginia and the title had the engine number on it. The heater hose was drilled through the firewall plate. Maryland wouldn't accept the engine number, and I didn't know the serial number was on the chassis rail near the battery. Since I thought it was on the firewall plate and it was drilled, they gave me a new plate with a letter and four numbers like a home made car. During a 1981 restoration I found the real serial number, but they wouldn't change the title. Finally, armed with pictures I got an audience with the Deputy Director of the Maryland DMV in Glen Burnie, and he magnanimously agreed to order that my title be changed. So, now my title has the serial number on it. This is the number story of the blue car. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Now you have me wondering. The VIN number on my '39 title is: 13568471.Is that correct?buick4547Yes. The chassis frame serial number. Should be on a plate on the frame near the starter motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 135 is in the correct series of numbers, I think for Flint. The Linden, NJ cars start out 335, and I don't remember about the California cars. I'd have to look it up. But my black Buick just sold started out 135. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaveCorbin Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Dear bb39buick:The subject of numbers on Buicks like yours is as follows: The first number on the small plate down behind the battery tells us which plant made the car. 1 is Flint,MI., 2 is Southgate, CA., 3 is Linden,NJ. The balance of the 7 more digits is called the frame number.The first number on a small ledge on the engine right next to the distributor is a series identifier. 4 is a Special (40 series), 6 is a Century (60 series), 8 is a Roadmaster (80 series), and 9 is for a Limited (90 series). Again, there will be 7 more digits, called the engine number.I think the number on your title is probably the body number, which is on the plate under the hood on the upper right firewall. The fact that it is all numeric would point to a Flint car, since a Southgate car would start with a C and a Linden car with an L. Each plant starts at 1 for each body type, so 31188 is the 31188th car of that body style at that plant. The numbers DO not match, so don't hit the panic switch when they don't.If you post all the numbers, I can tell you when, where, and what your 39 was according to Buick.Regards, Dave Corbin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaveCorbin Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Dear Buick 4547:The number you give decodes as follows:1 is for a car built in Flint.The balance of the number 3,568,471 is for a car built right at the end of the first week of May 1939.I hope this helps.Regards, Dave Corbin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bb39Buick Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Thanks for getting into the discussion Dave. What I really want to know is which of all the tags and numbers is the one that should be used for the VIN, the frame number, the engine number or some other number? Thanks for your help. Bob (bb39buick) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DaveCorbin Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Dear Bob:IF the state where you reside will let you, use the frame number. I've worked with numerous Buick folks where the engine got changed during restoration and it's always a mess because VIN then won't match title. Some states prior to about 1955 used the frame number and others used the engine number. I don't know if any states used the body number, but it isn't necessarily unique. The frame number is ALWAYS unique, every Buick is different. The engine number is always unique too, but you can change an engine fairly easily.Regards, Dave Corbin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bb39Buick Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Dave, I found the frame number. It is 1348523-9. There is not a space after the one. Can you tell me anything about the car from these numbers? Thanks again for your valuable input. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Depends on your State. If you're in Maryland you have to use the frame number, which is the VIN, which is the Serial number. If your state doesn't care you can use the engine number, like in Virginia, California and I guess other states. But if you want to be truly correct under today's laws you should use the number on the frame, which is the Serial number of the car. After all, you can always change an engine, and maybe somebody already has. If the car ever comest to Florida they will physically go out and LOOK at the Serial number which again, is the number on the frame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinist_Bill Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 I know this is an old thread but I am new proud owner of a 1939 Buick Special Model 41. My frame tag numbers are 7 numbers and ends with an I. Can anyone tell me why it ends with an I? Thanks everyone! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean1997 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) For 1938-1953 the frame serial numbers contain only numbers, anything that looks like a letter is actually a number and should translated as follows:I = 1b = 6upside down b = 9backwards E = 3The frame serial number should be 8 digits, but one of the digits might be hard to see. See this thread:http://forums.aaca.org/f165/vin-341427.html Edited December 19, 2012 by sean1997 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glassesguy Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Agree with Sean on the letters standing in for numbers. This came up when I applied for an Ohio title for my 37 as the car carried a New Jersey title from 1941. I had to convince a gentleman from a local auto dealership about this when he came to inspect the car's serial #.Thanks for posting this, Sean. This question of letters appearing in serial#'s has come up before on the Forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean1997 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 (edited) Generally speaking for 1953 and earlier, there are no letters in the frame serial number. Starting in 1938, the first number of the frame serial number indicates the plant. 1937 is unique, however. For 1937, Flint, MI built cars did not have a plant digit at the beginning of the frame serial number, but South Gate, CA cars used the plant digit "C". It is possible that Linden, NJ built cars used the plant digit "L" in 1937, but I've never seen a frame number plate from a 1937 Linden built car. On the cowl tag, the letter (or lack thereof) on the "BODY No" line will indicate the plant the body was built at. For 1937-1942 this is: Edited July 25, 2018 by sean1997 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinist_Bill Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 Great Info Here! Thanks Sean & Glassguy. There is a total of 8 digits the last one being the "I". All I have to do is print out this topic so the nice police officer will understand it is a "1" not an "I" on the vehicle ID form. As you can see I am a MOPAR guy and this GM stuff is new to me so please forgive my ignorance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danhar1960 Posted December 19, 2012 Share Posted December 19, 2012 As you can see I am a MOPAR guy and this GM stuff is new to me so please forgive my ignorance.G'day Bill and congrats on stepping away from the dark side of the force (Mopar) and joining the Buick boys . How about a few pics of your new beast ?Come on down to the Buick Pre-War forum and become a " '39 Buick Team Member".Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machinist_Bill Posted December 20, 2012 Share Posted December 20, 2012 G'day Bill and congrats on stepping away from the dark side of the force (Mopar) and joining the Buick boys . How about a few pics of your new beast ?Come on down to the Buick Pre-War forum and become a " '39 Buick Team Member".DannyI just might do that Danny after I change my avatar! I might stroll down to the Buick Pre-War and do an introduction newbe thread.Thanks Guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Evensbuick Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 My car is a 1939 4 door Special sedan with VIN XB. 13B. 13. as you can see on the photo added. It`s located on the top of the firewall right side. I belive this is an export modell assembled in Denmark or Canada.as nr 13 in the produktionline. It was sold new in Oslo Norway 10 february 1939. The serialnumber (VIN) does not look like anything I have seen before, so I wonder if anyone can tell me what this is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 (edited) Evensbuick Welcome to the forum. Where is that plate on the car? My guess is that the tag is not Buick. It my be the importers or some government/corporate/owners identity tag What are the other numbers/tags on the car The forum has a thread on on '39 Buicks. But we got new software a few weeks ago so now hard to find. Old links now do not work We like photos Edit Found the thread Edited April 22, 2016 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigrell23 Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 Hello everyone ive read your post and I want to know is there anymore wisdom on here that can help me out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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