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1954 Chrysler - Numbers Decoding?


Guest Jon Lundberg

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Guest Jon Lundberg

Hello!

I'm working on a 1954 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe and would like its relevant numbers decoded. They are:

VIN/SERIAL: 7274971

ENGINE: C542834503

COWL TAG:

Line 1 = MODEL 45, PAINT 08, TRIM 17, SCHED 169, ITEM 0008

Line 2 = under TRIM 1, under SCHED 58

Line 3 = Alphabet A-J, then KKS, then SPL FO

Line 4 = under SPL FO, 22591

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jon Lundberg, Member No: 995512

Tucson AZ Chapter

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They didn't start using a VIN with information about the car encoded in it until a few years after your '54 was built. But you can infer some things from the serial number because the range of numbers was assigned to assembly plants and applied to vehicles based on the engineering code. Since they often had only one wheelbase/engine for the engineering code you can often infer that from the serial number too. From your serial number, my lookup tool at Plymouth First Decade: Where is the VIN? returns:

[TABLE]

<tbody>[TR]

[TD=align: right]Serial Number[/TD]

[TD]7274971[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Found in range[/TD]

[TD]7249001 to 7279807[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Serial[/TD]

[TD]25971 of 30807[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Year[/TD]

[TD]1954[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Make[/TD]

[TD]Chrysler[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Model Name[/TD]

[TD]New Yorker DeLuxe[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Model Code[/TD]

[TD]C63-2[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Engine[/TD]

[TD]OHV V8 331.1 cu. in.[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: right]Wheelbase[/TD]

[TD]125 1/2 inches[/TD]

[/TR]

</tbody>[/TABLE]

If I haven't messed up the data entry, then your car has a engineering code of C63. Generally the engine numbers are prefixed with the engineering code of the vehicle is was originally installed in. Because your engine number starts with C54 I suspect that it is not the original engine. Or I've made a mistake in my data entry. Or they changed their procedures from those in the '30s that I am more familiar with.

If you send your serial number and some money to the people at the Chrysler Historical Collection they can return to you a copy of the "build card" which will contain information like the original engine number fitted to the car, original body number, etc. For that era car I would expect them to also be able to decode the paint and trim code numbers for you.

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  • 1 month later...
Guest rattlesnakedaddy
Hello!

I'm working on a 1954 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe and would like its relevant numbers decoded. They are:

...<snip>...

Jon Lundberg, Member No: 995512

Tucson AZ Chapter

Nice car, I'm working on a 1954 Windsor Deluxe Coupe. Looks like paint code 08 would have been Glacier Blue based on this site:

Color Chip Selection</snip>

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Guest Bob Call

The engine number is correct for your car. The pefix C5428 identifies it as a 1954, 4 barrel carb, 8 cylinder and rated at 235 HP. The last 4 numbers are the production sequence number of that engine. A prefix of C5418 would indicate a 2 barrel carb rated at 195 HP.

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Just to add to the above.

In most circumstances, there are two (2) distinct engines used in the 1954 Chrysler, the C542, as noted above, is what you might call a 'normal' style block.

The C541, is the same engine design used in 1951-1953 and has the 'extended' block.

As with all things related to MotherMopar, never say 'never'...

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  • 3 years later...

Another car with a similar issue. A friend is having difficulties identifying his 54 Chrysler New Yorker DeLuxe. Inside his left door-post/A-pillar there is a nailed plate with what appears to be the Engine number (starting with C5428 followed by 0112) and not the 8-digit serial number that literature claims should be there. Anyone encountered that before?

post-101608-0-19390100-1448821751_thumb.

The car was imported to Norway from California back in 84, but has been off the road since. If it is a Los A-produced car, the serial number should be between 69005001 and 69007248.

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Starting in 1951 the American-built Chrysler no longer used the Engineering Dept model year code for the engine number, instead using the the letter "C" followed by two digits for the model year "51" and an "8" if it was a V8 engine.  Thus six cylinder engine numbers started with C51- in 1951 while V8 engines were C51-8-.

 

The sequential production number started at 1001 for each engine and proceeded upward. 

 

In 1954 there were two Chrysler V8 engines, a 331 cid engine with a 2 bbl carb for the Chrysler New Yorker and a 331 cid engine with a 4bbl carb for the Chrysler New Yorker DeLuxe, Custom Imperial and Crown Imperial.  Thus a 1954 Chrysler New Yorker DeLuxe V8 engine started at C542-8-1001 while the base New Yorker started at C541-8-1001. 

 

There were no differences in the block size for the 1954 331 cid hemi V8.  The raised block engine would come a couple of years later.

 

For 1955 the engine number started with a letter for the series (W - Windsor, N - New Yorker, 3N - C300, C - Imperial) followed by the last two digits of the model year,   In 1959 this was replaced with the new corporate engine number as the engines used in the Chrysler car (the new RB block) were no longer built by the Chrysler Division.

 

In Canada the New Yorker DeLuxe, the only V8 Chrysler model built in Canada, had engine number prefix C63-, the Engineering Dept. model year code.

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