old chevy vin numbers

[only"T"intown]

Does anyone know of a site where I can decifer what the vin numbers mean on old chevys. I have a 62 and a 64 impala that I want to find #'s matching engines for but I'm not sure what they came with.

 

[MeanBuicks]

I think you mean 'proper engine'. 'Numbers matching' means that the engine is the original engine installed by the factory that has the vehicle VIN stamped on it. I've read about a couple people lucking into original, numbers matching engines for their projects by intensely researching a vehicle's history but surely that can't happen too often.

To answer your question, try this link.

 

[only"T"intown]

I think you mean 'proper engine'. 'Numbers matching' means that the engine is the original engine installed by the factory that has the vehicle VIN stamped on it. I've read about a couple people lucking into original, numbers matching engines for their projects by intensely researching a vehicle's history but surely that can't happen too often.

To answer your question, try this link.

Yeah that's probably what I mean. However If I have a 64 impala ss that originally had a 327 in it and I find another 64 impala ss with the same engine and I swap it into my car then wouldn't that be a # matching car and if not how could it be disproven? Thanks for the link.

 

[only"T"intown]

I just looked over the link and notice that it didn't seem to have any indication as to actual engine size from the vin number. It would indicate if it was a 6 cyl or V8 but it didn't seem to seperate from the 283, 327 or 409 V8's. Was there something else on the body that told what cubic inch the engine was?

 

[MeanBuicks]

Like I mentioned above, the VIN number of the vehicle would not match the VIN number stamped on the engine block. Furthermore, (to add complication ) if the engine you choose has casting date codes newer than the build date of the car, that would also be a red flag that the motor isn't original.

Still, it would be a 'correct-type' replacement, which is fine, but the purists would blast you for claiming it's a 'numbers matching' engine. Same goes for transmissions too by the way.

 

[only"T"intown]

Like I mentioned above, the VIN number of the vehicle would not match the VIN number stamped on the engine block. Furthermore, (to add complication ) if the engine you choose has casting date codes newer than the build date of the car, that would also be a red flag that the motor isn't original.

Still, it would be a 'correct-type' replacement, which is fine, but the purists would blast you for claiming it's a 'numbers matching' engine. Same goes for transmissions too by the way.

I see why a true # matching car is so rare. I guess the closest I could get is a date matched engine. I actually have the original pg trany for the 64. I'm still baffeled that if I went to a junkyard and found a 50's or 60's chevy body with no motor or trans that I couldn't find out exactly what engine size it came with by using the vin code.

 

[1ARUNEM]

They didn't care much about that stuff back then.

You can check out www.mortec.com for chevy casting #'s.

 

[turbofish38]

Buy this book http://www.bentleypublishers.com/product.htm?code=gc64

It will have casting number information and might be able able to tell you how to decode the VIN and cowl tag.

There are 5 books in the series, all seperated by range of years. There is some pretty good reading in there.