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1939 Buick VIN


Guest bb39Buick

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Guest bb39Buick

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?

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No. If you list the numbers people here will help identify

The 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

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No. If you list the numbers people here will help identify

The 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

Now you have me wondering. The VIN number on my '39 title is: 13568471.

Is that correct?

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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.

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Now you have me wondering. The VIN number on my '39 title is: 13568471.

Is that correct?

buick4547

Yes. The chassis frame serial number. Should be on a plate on the frame near the starter motor.

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Guest DaveCorbin

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

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Guest DaveCorbin

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

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Guest bb39Buick

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)

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Guest DaveCorbin

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

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Guest bb39Buick

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

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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.

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  • 2 years later...

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 = 1

b = 6

upside down b = 9

backwards E = 3

The 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 by sean1997 (see edit history)
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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.

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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:

 

43306846_1939BuickPlantCodes.jpg.58bd0cd834f331ea3e2513f2979c4926.jpg

 

 

post-44481-143139301004_thumb.jpg

post-44481-143139301006_thumb.jpg

post-44481-143139301009_thumb.jpg

post-44481-143139301012_thumb.jpg

post-44481-143139301015_thumb.jpg

Edited by sean1997 (see edit history)
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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.

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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

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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

I 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!

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  • 3 years later...
Guest Evensbuick

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.

serial_number_1939_buick[1].jpg

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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 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)
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  • 10 months later...

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