35 Dodge: Serial # on frame? Where?

[thomas1ds]

I was searching on the frame, behind the left front leaf spring for the Serial # for my 1935 Dodge 4 Door Sedan, but had no luck. Any suggestions on where else I should look?

The Serial # Tag on the right front door pillar is gone, and so is the one on the firewall. All I have is the stamped engine number which is: D2-222423. Isn't this # supposed to start with DU-xxxxxx for my car?

Thanks,

Tom

[jpage]

If I'm not mistaken ,the serial number should be the VIN. number on your title. The serial number was the only number used for ID purposes. The firewall tags were only Mfg. and patent numbers and the body number. If you can find the number on the frame at all , sometimes they are very lightly imprinted, it might be on one of the side frame rails near the rear shock mounting area. There are several other numbers stamped on the body and frame but they are usually part numbers or code numbers. If your engine is stamped D2 there is a chance that there was an engine swap at some point in it's life. There are others on this forum that are more knowledgeable than I so they may be able to shed more lihgt on the subject.

[keiser31]

D2 was the 1936 designation, so it looks like someone has updated the engine.

[ply33]

If I'm not mistaken ,the serial number should be the VIN. number on your title. The serial number was the only number used for ID purposes. The firewall tags were only Mfg. and patent numbers and the body number. . .

Seems like it depended on the state the car was registered in. Some states used the serial number, many used the engine number. Since Chrysler tracked the vehicles by serial number that makes it more like a verifiable ID to me.

I was searching on the frame, behind the left front leaf spring for the Serial # for my 1935 Dodge 4 Door Sedan, but had no luck. Any suggestions on where else I should look?. . .

Try looking a little farther back. The engine number on my '33 PD is stamped twice on the left frame rail between the running board brackets. On the other hand, based on a recent article in the Plymouth Club's magazine it seems that Chrysler was not too consistent on where they stamped numbers, so maybe your different year Dodge will have it in some other place, maybe as far back as the kick up over the rear axle.

[StillOutThere]

I'm looking at the Nat'l Insurance Crime Bureau's Passenger Vehicle Identification Manual (available on CD) and yes you have a DU model and the engine number should be in the range of DU-1001 - 159544. VINs 3746501 - 4015050. Location of serial number is only give as "right frame below fender" plus the plate on the right door post (which you are missing). Your D2 engine number is shown as being in the 1936 range so perhaps it was changed.

[Popman]

maybe on top of the frame on the left front, around the body mount just tryin to help; on mine its on the engine block D5

[Guest DodgeKCL]

I don't trust Chrysler from those days. If you car was made very late in 1935 ,Chrysler could very well have put a 1936 engine in it. You will have to find the serail number if you want to buy a copy of the original build sheet from Chrysler Historical. It's the only number they recognize. Idiotically ,as 33Ply says, some states used the engine number for the paper work. If the engine was ever changed, as many were in those days, the paper work no longer matched the car and the car could never be identified if it were stolen. Must of been fun.

[jpage]

If his engine number is D2-222423 I doubt that it was installed at the factory. I have a mid-December 1935 built '36 Dodge with the original engine number of D2-58567 which is 163,856 off from his number. I don't know in what sequence Chrysler numbered their engines in production or if they built more engines than vehicles but it doesn't seem that an engine with that high a number would make it into a late '35 vehicle. IMO. More probable is that is was a new ,used or rebuilt engine swap sometime in it's servicable life,which is not at all uncommon for those cars. When I say new , I would imagine that one could purchase a new factory engine through a dealer for replacement. Like KLC said, the build card will give the original info on what was factory installed although there can be discrepancies in certain items.

[Chrycoman]

Chrysler basically numbered their engines as they came off the line. But there is no relation between the serial number and the engine number as the engines were used at all assembly plants prior to the opening of the Canadian engine plant. For Plymouth that meant engine numbers included cars built at Lynch Road, Los Angeles, Evansville and (prior to mid-1938) Windsor. And the Plymouth engine production would have included the `Plodge`models, both US and Canadian built. For Dodge the assembly plants included Hamtramck, Evansville (1937-38) and (prior to mid-1938) Windsor. Engines would have been shipped to the assembly plants in batches. Thus the engine numbers used at the plants would have skipped over blocks of numbers.

1935 Dodge DU serial numbers were 3,756,501 to 3,913,106 at Hamtramck and 9,403,286 to 9,405,679 at Windsor. 4,015,050 is the number before the first 1936 D2 built. The reason for the jump is that the 1934 DRXX used serial number sequence 4,000,001 to 4,015,004. Chrysler would use the numbers between the DU and DRXX for the US-built Plodge models D12, D15, D20, D23, and D36.

Chrysler was known for noting all variations in equipment in their parts book, noting the affected serial numbers, engine numbers or body numbers, depending on the part.

In this particular case, the engine was replaced at one time or another. The original engine may have died or was in need of some major work, and instead of spending money on a rebuild, or a rebuilt engine, a good used engine was installed. When talking about `special`equipment on a car, it all comes down to - Never assume what is on a car today was on the car when it rolled off the assembly line however many years ago.

The engine number was stamped on the dirver (left) side of the chassis frame. The serial number was stamped on the passenger (right) side. Check around the the spring hangers or just to the rear of the front axle.

Edited January 12, 2014 by Chrycoman (see edit history)

[Ian_Greenlaw]

I dont know if 34 and 35's were stamped in the same place but this is where mine is stamped. Took a lot of looking but eventually found it.

Regards

Ian

[Guest DodgeKCL]

"Never assume what is on a car today was on the car when it rolled off the assembly line however many years ago" As I was saying.....................

[1936 D2]

I dont know if 34 and 35's were stamped in the same place but this is where mine is stamped. Took a lot of looking but eventually found it.

Regards

Ian

Is that an "Engine Number" or is it a "Serial Number"?

Thanks in advance for clarifying.

[ply33]

Is that an "Engine Number" or is it a "Serial Number"?

Thanks in advance for clarifying.

Engine number will start with the engineering code for the vehicle (P=Plymouth, D=Dodge, S=DeSoto, C=Chrysler, T=Truck, PT=Plymouth Truck, etc.). Serial number are just a digit string. I'm not positive if the I am reading the number in his photo correctly, but there are no letters in it and it looks like a good serial number for the vintage Dodge he has:

​[TABLE]

<tbody>[TR]

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

[TD]3738886[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]3680001 to 3756367[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]58886 of 76367[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]1934[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]Dodge[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]Six[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]DR[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TH=align: right]Plant[/TH]

[TD]Detroit[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]6 cylinder 217.8 cu.in. L-head[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

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

[TD]117 inches[/TD]

[/TR]

</tbody>[/TABLE]

[1936 D2]

...The engine number was stamped on the dirver (left) side of the chassis frame. The serial number was stamped on the passenger (right) side. Check around the the spring hangers or just to the rear of the front axle.

Confused. I never heard that TWO numbers were ever stamped on the same car in the mid '30's model range. I have always been told that the ONLY number stamped on the frame of these mid '30's cars was the "Engine Number". On some model year's cars the numbers are frame stamped in a location where it can be seen fairly easily, like on Ian's '34. Others, like on my '36, need to have the body lifted from the frame an inch or so to see it along the very top outer edge of the frame near the front hangar of the left rear spring. The number here is the original "Engine Number" and is stamped very lightly compared to the photo of the number stamped on Ian's '34.

[ply33]

Confused. I never heard that TWO numbers were ever stamped on the same car in the mid '30's model range. I have always been told that the ONLY number stamped on the frame of these mid '30's cars was the "Engine Number". On some model year's cars the numbers are frame stamped in a location where it can be seen fairly easily, like on Ian's '34. Others, like on my '36, need to have the body lifted from the frame an inch or so to see it along the very top outer edge of the frame near the front hangar of the left rear spring. The number here is the original "Engine Number" and is stamped very lightly compared to the photo of the number stamped on Ian's '34.

I think there was a bit of variation. All I've ever found on my frame was something approximating my engine number (digits the same but with PC prefix instead of the PD prefix on my engine and build card). Wouldn't be surprised if the variation was not just year but what plant the vehicle was assembled at and maybe the shift, month of the year, phase of the moon, etc.

[1936 D2]

There WAS apparently variation on the exact location of the stamped numbers on the frame but ... I still never heard of both numbers being stamped on the same car. I have documentation now of the "Engine Number" being stamped in two different locations on '36's but one was on a 7 Pass Sedan and the other was on a 4 Dr Touring Sedan. So the models may be the reason for the difference. (???) Still waiting on more data to determine that.

I will have to wait for "Chrycoman" to clarify I guess.

All-in-all, this is still not really answering "thomas1ds"s original question. There seems to be a lack of '35 owners on the Forum. At least we never hear from them much.

Edited January 14, 2014 by 1936 D2 (see edit history)

[Ian_Greenlaw]

Hi Guys,

the number is the serial number and is 3736886.

This is stamped on the chassis as well as on the right front door pillar ID Plate.

The body, on the firewall, also has a number stamped into it "RH38240" however there is an ID Plate also attached to the firewall the has the body number DR40500. As mine is a right hand drive I assume the RH38240 signifies that this was body number 38240 and indicated the right hand drive to the production line.

Cheers

Ian

[countrytravler]

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