Hi, can anyone help decifer the vehicle ID tag from the right door hinge area.it is W 5657897. is this a 1956 or 55? I`m trying to get info to regester this out of state car in NY and what a hassle. is there any other spot for the trim tag or assessory,color ect...the only id tag is the door area.none to be found under the hood .do you think it would be possible to get further info of this car thru chrysler ,ny wants verification.Maine regestration is saying the id number is for a 67 chrysler and owner is deceased.WATCH OUT FOR E BAY .get all info, and that it jives with what your buying.Thanks to all that help!!!

W 5657897

W - Chrysler Windsor
56 - 1956 model year
(no plant letter) - Jefferson Ave, Detroit
57897 - 56,897th 1956 Chrysler Windsor off the Jefferson line
1956 Chrysler Windsor (C71) numbers at Jefferson ran from W56-1001 to W56-75206

There should be a tag under the hood on the cowl, but after 52 years it may be gone.

The serial number should also be stamped on the right side of the frame just ahead of the forward rear spring hanger.

Bill
Vancouver, BC

Bill, Should the number stamped on the frame agree with the serial number on the door jamb? Thanks......Bob

Yes, the number should be the same.

The engine number, which has prefix WE56, should be on the left side of the frame, up front just to the rear of the front 'axle'.

Bill
Vancouver, BC

Wait a minute. I was under the impression that the engine # in a 56 Chrysler had no relationship to the body (serial) #. Exactly what #'s should match between the 3 numbers. Frame, serial (door jamb) and engine?.......Bob

If I am following this correctly the engine number is stamped on the engine and also on the frame beside the engine.

The serial number will be on the cowl tag or body tag, and also stamped on the frame near the rear spring.

Lets all try this together. There is a number stamped on the engine at the top front center. That's the engine serial number. There is a number stamped on a plate, spot welded to the driver side forward door jamb. That's the vehicle serial number used for DOT registration. There is a number stamped on a metal plate forward of the radiator. That's the body number. There is a number stamped on the driver side rear frame rail just forward of the rear. The question is.............................Does anyone know which, if any, of those numbers should match, or are they all different?.....Bob

All three are different -

Engine Number - stamped on the engine and on the left side of the chassis frame. This number identifies the engine.

Body Number - stamped on a tag attached to the cowl (usually) under the hood. This number identifies the body.

Serial Number (commonly referred to as the VIN these days) - stamped on a tag attached to the driver's door hinge post and on the right side of the chassis frame. This number is used to identify the whole car - chassis, engine and body.

The serial number (VIN) is the number usually used to identify the car and appears on the car's registration / title.

Engine numbers were around long before serial numbers and were used in the early days to identify the car. American Ford products used the engine number as the serial number through 1948.

Some provinces/states used the engine number into the late 1940's.

Bill
Vancouver, BC

Not to beat a dead horse but...........So the engine number and frame number should match? One last question. Some folks said the frame number is near the front suspension. The numbers I've seen are near the rear axle. Any comments......Bob.

The engine number should match the frame number on the LEFT side of the car. The serial number should match the frame number on the RIGHT side of the car.

Locations for the serial number have `floated` over the years. Before the war it was up front by the front axle. It seems to have migrated rearward over the years.

But the numbers you are looking for, as you have a 1956 Chrysler Windsor, must start with W56 for the serial number and WE56 for the engine number. Any other number are part numbers of some sort.

Bill
Vancouver, BC

Thanks Bill...........