1930 Model U Roadster VIN location?

[Guest fordv840]

Hi all,

I was wondering if someone could help me with this? I found the body number and the engine number but cannot find the VIN number. A few places say it is on the right side door pillar but mine is not nor is there any evidence of it ever being there. My car is mostly original except for a repaint in factory colors. Thanks for the help.

[keiser31]

Is there a plate in the center of the dashboard? Maybe an oval FEDCO plate that has the name Chrysler in script? The number will be part of that. See this 1930 Dodge Brothers dashboard and there is the late in the center on the upper area. Sometimes the plate is a rectangle.

Edited December 6, 2009 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Guest fordv840]

Thanks for the response Keiser, I do not have the plate on the dash. My dash is a one piece stamping that goes all the way across at the top. I will try to get a picture up soon. I just got the car back home last week and have been detailing the heck out of it. Looks pretty sharp now!

[keiser31]

Here is some information on the 1930 Plymouth U. I guess the right front door pillar IS where the number should be in 1930. If it is a 1929 U, the FEDCO plate would be present on the dashboard.

[ply33]

Looks like you have the best information I have already: The Q (1928-29) and U (1929-30) should have a FedCo number on a dash medallion. The FedCo number will be an alpha-numeric string.

The 30-U and up (1930-42) should have a numeric serial number tag on the front passenger (right) side door hinge post.

[Guest fordv840]

Any chance it could be in a different location on the roadster? I will hunt around again.

Thanks,

[F&J]

I had a few roadsters, the first one was a 30 DeSoto model K, which was a leftover model because is was not a 1930 CK which is a true 1930 design.

Anyways, that car had some sort of a narrow metal tag nailed to the wood sill right near the driver door. Maybe it was on the inside of the sill or maybe nailed to the top of the sill. 40 years dims the memory. I do not recall if it was a body tag number or ID. I do not recall if that car had the Fedco.

If there was a Fedco on yours (if it's a 1930 model U rather than a 1930 model 30-U), it would have been spotwelded into a shallow depression in the dash surround. The DeSoto fedco location on roadsters and phaetons was off to the right side of the instrument cluster insert. Look or feel the backside in case someone removed the tag and used filler to cover the spot.

I am thinking a true model 30-U should have a motor number that starts with 30U- rather than U. Again, my memory is not the best.

[Guest fordv840]

Upon further investigation I have found the holes where the plate should be on the passenger side door frame but no tag. So now....... I have the title, registration, and the bill of sale however the state of PA wants a tracing of the VIN as well? Any suggestions? The car came with a TON of spare parts and boxes of stuff so maybe it is in one of them, I will have to look around but I am guessing it is long gone.

[Steve Braverman]

My 1932 PA Plymouth was registered by the engine number, always was. It was sold new in NY, and that's the way it's always been titled. Maybe you could get away with it in PA, just take a rubbing of the engine number. The VIN plate would be stamped with the same type of stamp, not raised numbers like the DMV is expecting.

[Guest Bill-W]

Model years for Chrysler Corporation prior to 1933 were convoluted.

The Engineering Department had one set of rules for the model year - basically based on the calendar year. The marketing people had another system, beginning the model year on or about 01 July each year.

This system dated back many years. When the late Don Butler was researching the Dodge Brothers built for the Chrysler takeover he found references for beginning model year serial numbers using that system. And used car guides such as Red Book, Blue Book and reference books such as Branham listed cars by the marketing department model years.

In any case, for Plymouth the Engineering Department had the following models and years :

Q : 1928-29 : HL-950-P to HD-999-D and RE-000-P to RH-977-H (06-28 to 02-29)

U : 1929-30 : RR-120-P to RD-999-D and Y-000-WP to Y-403-EP (01-29 to 04-30)

30U : 1930-31 : 1500001 to 1570188 (04-30 to 06-31)

PA : 1931-32 : 1570301 to 1674250 (06-31 to 02-32)

PB : 1932 : 1680001 to 1758001 (02-32 to 09-32)

Now, for the marketing people :

Q : 1929 : HL-950-P to HD-999-D and RE-000-P to RH-977-H (06-28 to 02-29)

U : 1929 : RR-120-P to RD-999-D (01-29 to 06-29)

U : 1930 : Y-000-WP to Y-403-EP (07-29 to 04-30)

30U : 1930 : 1500001 to 1530244 (04-30 to 06-30)

30U : 1931 : 1530245 to 1570188 (07-30 to 06-31)

PA : 1932 : 1570301 to 1674250 (06-31 to 02-32)

PB : 1932 : 1680001 to 1758001 (02-32 to 09-32)

For engine numbers, marketing department -

Q : 1929 : Q-175001

U : 1929 : U-1001 to U-69114

U : 1930 : U-69115 to U-200000

30U : 1930 : U-200001 to U-233541

30U : 1931 : U-233542 and up

PA : 1932 : PA-1001 and up

PB : 1932 : 1680001 to 1758001 (02-32 to 09-32)

The serial number should also be stamped on the chassis frame under the right front fender. Some years are stamped up by the axle.

The engine number should be stamped into a machined pad, left side of the block, by the #1 cylinder, just below the head.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[keiser31]

The serial number on the frame that Bill W was mentioning may be on the side wall of the frame just above the right front (passenger side) spring mount (rear mount of front spring). I have also seen numbers stamped over the left rear spring (front mount of rear spring). Otherwise, the door post plate should look sort of like this...

[Guest martylum]

Hi-My 1930 Desoto roadster had its serial # plate on the RH door jamb just where it should but I wanted to have a new looking plate and bought a new blank aluminum plate from a Mopar vendor and stamped the serial # on it same as on the original number plate which was somewhat corroded.If your title has the car serial # you could order a new plate and stamp it and then do a tracing.

The vendor is WC Williams and he offers excellent reproduction of the original serial plate with proper silk screened boxing around the number area. Hope he's still offering. I have only an address :Forest Rd. Hancock, NH 03449.

Maybe you can Google him for an address. Hope he's still active.

I had a stamping set whose letters and #s pretty close to original size and style so it turned out very original looking and went nicely with all the new paint, etc.

Martin Lum

[keiser31]

Look up 1931 Dodge on ebay and there are some new reproduction plates for sale...Buy It Now...$50.00.

[Guest fordv840]

Look up 1931 Dodge on ebay and there are some new reproduction plates for sale...Buy It Now...$50.00.

Thanks for all the replies, I did end up finding it on the frame but it will be hard to trace. I think to be official I will have to order a new one and stamp it.

[Guest fordv840]

The serial number on the frame that Bill W was mentioning may be on the side wall of the frame just above the right front (passenger side) spring mount (rear mount of front spring). I have also seen numbers stamped over the left rear spring (front mount of rear spring). Otherwise, the door post plate should look sort of like this...

A pictures worth a thousand words! That is exactly where my holes are! lol

Thanks,

Keiser

[Guest fordv840]

Hi-My 1930 Desoto roadster had its serial # plate on the RH door jamb just where it should but I wanted to have a new looking plate and bought a new blank aluminum plate from a Mopar vendor and stamped the serial # on it same as on the original number plate which was somewhat corroded.If your title has the car serial # you could order a new plate and stamp it and then do a tracing.

The vendor is WC Williams and he offers excellent reproduction of the original serial plate with proper silk screened boxing around the number area. Hope he's still offering. I have only an address :Forest Rd. Hancock, NH 03449.

Maybe you can Google him for an address. Hope he's still active.

I had a stamping set whose letters and #s pretty close to original size and style so it turned out very original looking and went nicely with all the new paint, etc.

Martin Lum

Hi Martin,

Do you happen to know the size of the punches you used? I would like it to look as correct as possible.

[Guest fordv840]

Thanks for all the replies, I did end up finding it on the frame but it will be hard to trace. I think to be official I will have to order a new one and stamp it.

After cleaning off the frame it is not the serial number on there but some other numbers and a symbol of a "A" in a circle, this is near the passenger side front spring rear mount under the fender.

[Coupe_deVille]

After cleaning off the frame it is not the serial number on there but some other numbers and a symbol of a "A" in a circle, this is near the passenger side front spring rear mount under the fender.

That number on the frame should match the number on the engine like it does on my 30-U convertible.

[Guest fordv840]

Update to this thread, I ended up finding the original VIN tag stuck in a service manual that came with the car! There was a box of old books and I decided to go through them and low and behold there it was! Coupe, I am going to clean the dust of the frame as soon as it warms up a little. Hopefully when I do I will be able to match up the numbers.

[Willys77]

So Bill, seeing as how you are in "Beautiful British Columbia" - does your info pertain to American or Canadian Production or both? Just wanted to ask.

[pmdolan]

The serial number on the frame that Bill W was mentioning may be on the side wall of the frame just above the right front (passenger side) spring mount (rear mount of front spring). I have also seen numbers stamped over the left rear spring (front mount of rear spring). Otherwise, the door post plate should look sort of like this...

The 30-U has only the engine block number stamped into the frame. It's just behind the front axle on the drivers side of the frame.