sean1997

In the old forum there was a way to insert a table into a post. Is there still a way to do that?

It was built at the Oshawa, ON plant.

44337xxxxxx 4 = 1964 model year 43 = series 4300 (Skylark) 37 = 2-door hardtop coupe xxxxxx = sequential number starting at 000001 US serial number for 1964 is: 1st digit = number indicating car series (3 in this case) 2nd digit = letter indicating model year (K = 1964) 3rd digit = number indicating factory last six digits = sequential number, starting at 001001 for each plant

I think you would have been able to order both AAD and DAD. Supposedly the only tri-tone combinations available were ADB, ASC, BML, and EKH, but I've seen BDA, CBU, EHC, SCB, and YXW as well, so I think you could order other tri-tone combinations. Here is a list of actual paint combinations I've seen on 1955 Buick's: AAA = Solid BBB = Solid CCC = Solid HHH = Solid ACA = Two-tone AGA = Two-tone ARR = Two-tone ASS = Two-tone ATT = Two-tone AUU = Two-tone BAA = Two-tone BAB = Two-tone BBH = Two-tone BBU = Two-tone BDD = Two-tone BFB = Two-tone BFF = Two-tone BHH = Two-tone BML = Two-tone BPB = Two-tone BPP = Two-tone BRR = Two-tone BSB = Two-tone BSS = Two-tone BTT = Two-tone BUU = Two-tone BWW = Two-tone BYY = Two-tone CSS = Two-tone CTT = Two-tone DBB = Two-tone EAE = Two-tone EDE = Two-tone EGG = Two-tone EKK = Two-tone EPP = Two-tone FDD = Two-tone FPF = Two-tone GBG = Two-tone GKK = Two-tone HEH = Two-tone HHB = Two-tone KBK = Two-tone PBP = Two-tone PEP = Two-tone PPF = Two-tone SBS = Two-tone SCC = Two-tone SCS = Two-tone WXX = Two-tone WYW = Two-tone XBX = Two-tone YUU = Two-tone YWY = Two-tone ASC = Tri-Tone BDA = Tri-tone CBU = Tri-tone EHC = Tri-tone SCB = Tri-tone YXW = Tri-tone 1AA = Solid (convertible) 1BB = Solid (convertible) 1CC = Solid (convertible) 1PP = Solid (convertible) 3NN = Solid (convertible) 3SS =Solid (convertible) 4HH = Solid (convertible) 5CC = Solid (convertible) 5UU = Solid (convertible) 1AB = Two-tone (convertible) 1BA = Two-tone (convertible) 4BF = Two-tone (convertible) 4FE = Two-tone (convertible) 5YX = Two-tone (convertible) In 1955 paint jobs were three digits: First digit = upper color (letter = paint, number = convertible top) Second letter = center color Third letter = lower color 1 or -1 at the end indicates the optional wheel color was used 1955 paint codes: A = Carlsbad Black B = Dover White C = Cameo Beige D = Windsor Grey Metallic E = Temple Grey F = Colonial Blue Metallic G = Victoria Blue Metallic H = Cascade Blue K = Stafford Blue Metallic L = Belfast Green Metallic M = Willow Green N = Galway Green P = Cadet Blue Metallic R = Titian Red Metallic S = Cherokee Red T = Gulf Turquoise U = Condor Yellow W = Spruce Green Metallic X = Nile Green Metallic Y = Mist Green 1955 convertible top codes: 1 = Black 2 = Tan 3 = White 4 = Blue 5 = Green

I've seen one like that from a 1957 Super. http://forums.aaca.org/f163/1957-buick-super-build-sheet-323451.html

Block is from 1953. 71028844 7102884 = sequential number, 1953 started at 6,950,620 4 = Series 40 (Special), making it a 263 If it was a 1938 it would decode like this: 71028844 7 = Series 70 (no series 70 in 1938, but if there was this would be a 320) 1028844 = sequential number, range for 1938 was 3396937 to 3572651

The body tag gives the plant where the body was assembled. The serial number/VIN gives the plant where final assembly occurred. Some bodies, especially convertibles, were shipped to other plants for final assembly. I've seen bodies for convertibles built at Linden in the late '40's that were sent to South Gate for final assembly. In the '50's there was a number stamped in the corner of the body tag indicating the plant the body was shipped to for final assembly. This would match the first digit of the car serial number for those years. A list of plants is attached. Buick Plants.pdf

Last group of pictures.

The 1967 chassis service manual calls the 3-digit number a "day built code number". It is not a straight day number because there are values over 365. Some theories on how it may decode are: 1. Shift number starting from January 1st. 2. Day number over a 2-year cycle starting January 1st. The last two digits of the model year combined with the last digit of the transmission code and the day built code form the production code number (CODE NO.) in the middle of the tag. The transmission code combined with the last two digits of the model year and a sequential number form the transmission serial number (SERIAL NO.) stamped at the bottom of the tag. I've been told the sequential number starts at 1001 for each model year. I don't know that for sure, but regardless, it starts low and increases through out the model year. I've attached some pictures of other transmission tags.

Style: 40-4519 Body#: 39402 Paint: 551 Trim: 810 4519 = Fisher body style number (Buick model 51) 4 = Buick 5 = Series 50 (Super) 19 = 4-door touring sedan, 6-passenger 39402 = body number, 39402th 4519 built at Flint, MI The lack of a plant code indicates the body was built at Flint. All the body tags say Flint, even the ones on cars built at South Gate (plant code C) and Linden, NJ (plant code L). Paint 551 = two-tone, Monterey Blue Metallic lower and Silver French Grey Metallic upper Trim 810 = Tan Bedford Cord (2 Tone), available on models 51, 56S

Bryan you are correct that Norbye and Dunne list all 4600 series production (excluding wagons) for 1962 as Wildcats. The production totals are rounded, so the totals aren't exact. The 1962 the Wildcat column includes the sum of body styles 4639, 4647, and 4667 which is 42,269 (seems closer to 42,300 than 43,300 to me using conventional rounding rules). The wagon production (4635 and 4645) is 13,748 which is close to the 13,700 listed in the book. There are 26 owners of 4647 cars listed in the 2014 roster.

There is a book called "Buick: The Postwar Year" by Motorbooks International, which is often referenced in Buick circles. You would think that would be a reliable source too, but they say 43,300 Wildcats were built in 1962. That number even made it into the Buick Bugle article on 1962 fullsize cars (Buick Bugle, April 2012, page 22), which again is a reliable source. The point is that all reference sources contain errors, even those by Buick, so you will need to use more than one source to prove the production number. I've attached some pictures from both those sources.

Too bad Collectible Automobile Magazine got it wrong: http://forums.aaca.org/f115/1962-wildcat-production-389187.html

What is the carb number from the 1956 engine?

If you Google "Buick 1170617" or "Buick 1170617 1956" you will find plenty of posts with people with 1956 engines and intake 1170617. I would not assume that the casting number list is 100% complete or 100% accurate.

19008516 1900851 = sequential number, starting number for 1956 was 1,460,023 (the ending number isn't know, but it is some where over 2,042,000 but it doesn't matter because this was the last year this format was used) 6 = Series 60 (Century) As you are finding out, Buick tended to use the same casting number over multiple engine sizes and multiple years. However, the stamped engine serial number will give you the exact year.

V7879795 V = V8 (the V prefix was dropped in 1955 once engine number 100000 was reached) 787979 = sequential number, range for 1955 was 720,080 to 1,460,022 5 = Series 50 (Super) 14205826 1420582 = sequential number, range for 1955 was 720,080 to 1,460,022 6 = Series 60 (Century) The first year the car serial number and the engine serial number match for Buick is 1957. I=1, see this post here for more info on that: http://forums.aaca.org/showthread.php?t=389502&p=1406184&viewfull=1#post1406184

Many of the serial number plates attached to the firewall used screws in 1940. See post 30 of this thread for pictures from 1940. I have many others if you need them. http://forums.aaca.org/f115/search-dave-corbin-358431-2.html

A few excerpts from the July 2013 Bugle.

mstanleyfl tried to post this and it got deleted, probably due to an incorrect link. Here it is with the correct link: Not Buick but a touching story about ID plates. See page 3: http://www.tucsonbritish.com/Newsletter/2014/November_2014.pdf

No one has point out something interesting about some of the pictures in my first post. Two of the pictures in my first post show: RDR 216 RDR 48 RD = 430 V8 RR = 400 V8

Last set, but only back to 1955. I know you only asked for mid 60's Skylarks, but I included some from all models from the '50's and '70's because focusing on one model for only a few years does not give you an accurate idea of what they really did. You need to look at all models over a large range of years.

More pictures.

They didn't always get things in a straight line and, as the picture in the original post shows, what you expect to see isn't always what you find, but that doesn't mean it is not original though. Buick has a long history of using I's and b's, back to at least the mid '30s for engine stamps and back to the early '30s for frame serial number stamps.

If you look at the picture in the original post you will notice it say I72 after the S.