1939 Chevy master 85, is there a Vin number for 1939?

[BRIAN PATTERSON]

🤔

[Bloo]

It depends on who you ask. LOL 😜

 

In a minute, there will be a bunch of people piling on to tell you there were no VIN numbers until 1981, which is sort of true but not completely true. I don't find this detail very important, but some people do. Just know that the number that will go in the VIN field on your registration or title paperwork is probably not unique to your car. In a lot of cases, it is a simple serial number.

 

On a 30s GM car there are 3 serial numbers. One for the engine, one for the frame/chassis, and one for the body. The one on the body tag is from Fisher Body, and is generally useless for registration because it might have occurred more than once on the same make and year of car.

 

That leaves the frame/chassis number and the engine number. The frame/chassis number may or may not be tacked on the body somewhere as well as stamped in the frame. In the 50s, Chevrolet also tacked a plate with this number on the driver's door jamb. I don't know when they started doing that.

 

Some states titled by frame number, and some by engine number. Some were just plain inconsistent. Today it would be desirable to title or register a car to the frame number if you have a choice because if the engine gets replaced the paperwork no longer matches the car.

 

I don't know where the frame number is located, but someone in here probably will. On my 36 Pontiac for example, it is on an aluminum tag on the top of the frame, near the steering box. The engine number will be stamped into a machined pad on the engine somewhere. It will not be a rough cast (raised) number. One of them should match the paperwork.

 

Another possible place to look is the VCCA Forum. The depth of Chevrolet knowledge over there is nothing short of unbelievable. https://vccachat.org

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history)

[F&J]

Quoting the Standard Catalog of US Cars, the 1939 car ID number info is :  " Serial Numbers were on a plate underhood on right side of cowl"

 

Master 85 for 1939 serial numbers range from JB 1001 to JB 33221.     JB denoted Master 85, if the car was the Deluxe Master, then the letters are JA.

 

I see no mention of frame stamped numbers in this book for 1939.  I looked at 1940 ID info and that year the number was on a plate on floor in front of the seat.  But still no mention of a number on the frame on 1940 cars

[Bhigdog]

My 39 JC pickup has it's VIN # stamped on a plate affixed to the pass side cowl. It matches the # on my PA title and that's all i care about.......Bob

[BRIAN PATTERSON]

Thanks people, my problem is I don't have the plate on the cowl, and my registration has a #that matches the weight of the car. A used car guy wants to buy it, but is afraid the DMV will come to check. I had no problem registering it with DMV OVER 20YEARS. The # on the block pad by dipstick is KAA5028-I2, seems odd! Anyone with an answer, I'd really appreciate it, thanks, Brian.