What tranny?

[ChieftainS8S]

Looking for a 1950 Pontiac chieftain vin/serial decoder. Anything out there?

Thanks

[Bloo]

I have not seen any online decoder. I probably won't be much help because I don't have new enough books for Pontiac, but in that era I believe the serial number that normally functions as a VIN is located on a tag in the driver's door jamb. There is also an engine number on the block, I think at the front on the driver's side, but I'm not sure. There are only 2 engine options, a 6 and an 8, so that part should be obvious. There is a Fisher Body tag on the firewall that has the body number and some other information. I don't believe any of the numbers normally match, but you can probably tell if the engine is the same year as the car.

 

From the Fisher Body tag you can get the original paint colors and the upholstery options, and maybe some other details. I suspect there are others in here who know how to decode that. Welcome to the forum!

 

EDIT: I just noticed your thread title. Pontiac Chieftans of that time frame came with either 3 speed manual on the column, or a Hydra-Matic. Is the transmission missing or broken? Does the car have a clutch pedal?

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[ChieftainS8S]

Thx for the info, I was seeing that other cars if that year had an H, when automatic and an S when standard. Seller says automatic so I’m trying to figure out if someone changed it from standard before him as he doesn’t know much about cars. Also The h & s may not mean anything, that’s the part I’m trying to resolve.

[ChieftainS8S]

His vin had an s but I’m not sure if it really means anything. Told him to send a pic of gear selector, should say hydromatic but now no response til next week sometime.

[Bloo]

Check this thread out...

 

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[ChieftainS8S]

That’s the one I saw, vin has s, says car is automatic though.

[ChieftainS8S]

Hence the confusion. Haha. I don’t see a clutch pedal but why S on vin?

[PONTIAC1953]

9 hours ago, ChieftainS8S said:

Hence the confusion. Haha. I don’t see a clutch pedal but why S on vin?

because someone must have changed out the original synchro-mesh three speed standard transmission for the optional Single Range Hydra-Matic four speed automatic transmission.

[PONTIAC1953]

9 hours ago, Bloo said:

Check this thread out...

 

 

if you bought a 1954 Pontiac Chieftain, the 4th digit would be S for standard trans, and H for Hydra-Matic trans, for the new series 28 Starchief models, you would see S for standard trans and A for Hydra-Matic trans. Pontiac did some weird things back then, like 1946 to 1951 or 1952 cars having a emblem that reads Silver Streak or Silver8Streak, and so many people called the cars by that name, even though the cars were 1946 to 1948 Torpedo or Streamliner, or 1949 to 1951 Streamliner or Chieftain.