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Chrysler 65 Identification HELP


Guest westwood

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Guest westwood

Hi, i am contacting you all from sunny England, and require help!! I have just bought a late 20's Chrysler from an auction in the UK.

The car was advertised as a 1927 Chrysler 65, 3205cc engine, Silver Dome head, with a Sedanca De Ville body. The engine number is showing as P236252.

The car has come from Hungary, after being restored there. The owner in Hungary gave no info or paperwork with the car, and has now gone quiet.

We want to register the car in the UK and get a UK registration, which means we need to confirm exactly what model the car is.

I have attached a couple of photos, but really need to know where exactly we should look to accuratley ident the car.

I love the car, and plan to really use it, but at the moment it has to remain in the garage!! I have driven it on private roads, and it drives superbly.

All help will be much appreciated, and if i need to post any specific photos then please let me know.

Many Thanks, regards Duncan Andrews

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You have what I believe is a 1929 Chrysler Model '65'. The engine number is absolutely correct for a 1929 Model '65'. The serial number will be on the center of the dashboard in the form of a FEDCO plate which I have posted some examples of. They are hard to read, but if you look at it in different directions and with light from different angles, you should be able to read it. It will be a series of letters and numbers. Here is the I.D. information and FEDCO plate examples...the first plate reads "CW273H". the plate may also be off center on the dashboard. I LOVE that "custom" body with the hinges all on the leading edges of the doors and the blanked out quarters and soft top. Makes it look like a "town car".

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Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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Guest westwood

That's great new with the engine number. There is no marking or number on the dash. Did they ever stamp the chassis in any way??

Duncan

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That's great new with the engine number. There is no marking or number on the dash. Did they ever stamp the chassis in any way??

Duncan

There may be a stamp on the side of the frame above one of the leaf spring mounts. Some are above the rear mount of the front leaf springs. Some are over the front mount of the rear leaf springs. Could you please post a photo of the dashboard? Thanks, John

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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Guest martylum

Duncan-Chrysler Historical Museum has files of delivery invoices on many early Chrysler cars. I've pad their fee to get a copy of the invoice on a number of early Chryslers.

Perhaps they can trace your car's engine number and get a serial number and delivery invoice. I got the delivery invoice on a 29 Desoto using the engine serial number.

The missing FEDCO plate was spot welded on and can come loose.

Check out Chrysler Historical's website for contact info.

Martin lum

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Guest westwood

Martin

Thank you very much for the info, i will get onto it and see how we get on. Will keep you posted.

Regards

Duncan

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Guest martylum

Duncan-I had a 29 Model 75 in my shop some years ago and the FEDCO plate came loose from the dash while we were working on the interior so i made a mold of the plate just in case it became lost.

If you want the look of a FEDCO plate without having necessarily having the correct number I suppose we could make a copy of the plate from the mold. If my memory serves the letters were somewhat obscured by rust. The plates were originally nickel plated but could surface rust if subjected to enough dampness and I think this one did.

On another early Chrysler product we could not determine the # on the plate due to some rust but were able to trace the delivery invoice records using the engine serial # at Chrysler Historical. These invoices give you the original paint colors and accessory options.

.

Martin Lum

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Guest westwood

We have now checked the chassis, and found a stamping just behind the front spring mounting. It reads NP 186L. Does anyone know if this means anything??

Thanks for the help.

Regards

Duncan

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Guest f-aschwanden

Hello Duncan

Could be a Canadian built Chrysler Model 65.

FEDCO goes from NP-000-P to NP-439-R.

A lot of cars made in Canada (Windsor, Ontario) are been exported to Australia and other countries with steering on right side.

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  • 4 weeks later...

The FEDCO -codes translates via the following table:

W P C H R Y S L E D

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Which makes your car Fedco No: NP 186L to be the following Serial No: N11867, this corresponds well with Canadian-built cars being N10001 (NP000P) through N14394 (NP439R, indicating a total production of 4394 cars.

My RHD Canadian-built Series 65 has e.g. serial number N12997 (orginally sold in the UK).

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest westwood

Thank you everyone for all your help. We found the Fedco plate on the front of the grille!! It reads exactly as the stamping on the chassis. We have now put it into it's correct place and after a few weeks of form filling and inspections, the car has a full UK registration.

I can now fully enjoy the joys of driving a great car. I just need to get the Lagonda single seater finished and i can use the Chrysler as the Tow Car!!

ATB

Duncan

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Thank you everyone for all your help. We found the Fedco plate on the front of the grille!! It reads exactly as the stamping on the chassis. We have now put it into it's correct place and after a few weeks of form filling and inspections, the car has a full UK registration.

I can now fully enjoy the joys of driving a great car. I just need to get the Lagonda single seater finished and i can use the Chrysler as the Tow Car!!

ATB

Duncan

I had a feeling that the emblem on the radiator shell was not correct for the shell. It looked different.

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  • 1 year later...

I am continuing on this old thread, as my current big issue is closely related:

I need forensic assistance with regards to this Series 65 FEDCO-Id; can anyone more seasoned than myself tell me what the two middle letters are?

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I get the two first and two last to be DP and 2C respectively, making the FEDCO-number something like DPxx2C (equals serial number 91xx22, a late Series 65)

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And the reason for this sudden rush is that the car currently is titled (in Pennsylvania) with a replacement VIN (SF4997PA), which I assume was due to no-one being able to decrypt the FEDCO-number and there probably was no paperwork with the car. This fresh VIN the Norwegian DMV flatly refuses to accept as identification basis for a Norwegian Title - unless I can produce an additional autorised letter from DMV in PA stating their reason for issuing a replacement VIN and photo-proof that it still is the same car which they issued with that new VIN back in 1997. I know the Norw DMV is fully entitled to issue a title with a footnote about the reissued VIN, but why go for a simple solution? You might say those guys are proudly upholding the bureaucracy banner.

I did not suspect anything like this happening when buying the car 12 years ago and paid less attention to either the replacement VIN or the FEDCO-No, until now when the car is fully restored and ready for the road - that is given the acceptance of the Norwegian DMV. So I am working along several lines; A) a very serious and formal complaint, B) finding the original VIN (i.e. FEDCO) either directly or through Chrysler Historical with the Engine Number, C) getting hold of PA DMV (very hard so far),

So is anyone able to see any letters in the middle of that FEDCO plate? I have several more pictures, but cannot see anything in anyone.

Narve N

frustrated

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Edited by Narve N (see edit history)
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Narve...did the state of Pennsylvania add a plate to the car somewhere with the "replacement VIN" stamped on it? Usually a state will have to put a number on it somewhere if they change the number. How else could they identify it? I remember California doing that to a car we bought from a junk yard, but as we know...all states are NOT the same. If you could possibly post some more photos of the FEDCO plate from different angles with different lighting from the side, it may help. Is it the original engine? If so, you can cross-reference it to the frame number and possibly use that to get a record from the Chrysler Historical Services that may coordinate it with the FEDCO number.

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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Try a paper rubbing of the FEDCO plate. I had to do this with PENN DOT when I registered my '29 DeSoto Roadster. Photos of the FEDCO plate would not and could not show the number. I taped a piece of tracing paper over the plate and rubbed a good artist pencil over it. All of the detail and the numbers showed up perfectly. I had to do it a few times to get it just right, but it was much more effective and they accepted it right away. Good luck and that is a great looking car.

Scott

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Gentlemen,

here are a snapshot of the VIN apparently issued by DMV Pennsylvania in 1997, and 4 better pics of the FEDCO needing forensic attention. I have also started to look at the FEDCO plates on my 2 other Series 65s and my Series 65 parts cars, and they are all worse than the one pictured here. I am amazed anyone can read anything from these obscure plates. As for FEDCO/VIN numbers stamped into the frame, I have checked one US and one CAN made frame without bodywork attached and there are no indications of any numbers close to the spring mounts.

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I am currently busy trying to trace the FEDCO plate, shows some promise although the family appears to be without any properly soft pencils. Intend to present scans of my traces in a few days time. If I was forced to come up with a suggestion I would say 8 upper and 7 lower center, but I could probably easily be persuaded to see a 7 and a 3..

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BTT,

and adding some value. Here are two of the better tracings of my FEDCO-plate, on the right one I have my current best bets for what the code is. icon5.png Anyone agree in a 9 and a 3?

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And also to comment on some Mopar myths:

1) Chrysler Historical does not have much data for 29 Chryslers, but certainly do have an excellent turnaround in answering. The following came from them after only a few days of my request for the possibility of combining the Engine Number with those FEDCO digits I could readily identify:

"Hello Narve,<O:p></O:p>

<O:p></O:p>Unfortunately, I do not think I am able to assist you with your request. The photograph you have sent is difficult to see the middle digits, as you have stated. I was not able to make out the missing numbers. The only records we could go by are the build cards. I checked our records and we do not have any build cards for 1929 with starting serial numbers in the “D’s”. These records do not exist within the company. Also, Chrysler did not save any shipping or delivery invoices."

Comment: If the numbers most commonly found are correct; then the last batch of 25079 ea Series 65s made had a FEDCO starting with a D. And a definite pity if all those Build Cards are gone.

2) No traces whatsoever of a VIN stamped into the frame of Series 65s as far as I can see. I have thoroughly checked a good US-made frame (my "Special"), and looked at one Canadian without bodywork and the US-made one in question here.

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  • 1 month later...

Been trying to figure mine out for my 30 CJ6. As far as your Fedco plate in the first rubbing looks like a 9 and a 5 but in the pictures it looks like a 7 and a 3?

Did you get it verified yet?

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  • 7 years later...

The orange car was finally accepted by Norwegian DMV after much annoyance for all parties involved, without ever determining the original VIN by the FEDCO-plaque. That car is now with a new owner. However someone did recommend using acid to clear things and I have recently made an interesting discovery. I even made a separate post for it.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, 

From  sunny England, I’ve just finished restoring my 1929 Model 65 and I had trouble reading my FEDCO plate. During the restoration I decided to remove the plate by carefully drilling out the two spot welds. Once removed I looked at the back and I could clearly see the centre two numbers that weren’t visible from the front. It  maybe a bit extreme but this might work for you, I kept the plate safe and just glued it back on after painting..

 

Good luck Dave

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