Here's some handy reference material:- http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/fisher/1937_38/index.html; http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1938/index.html; http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/models/series1.htm; and https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/do...information-kits/Chevrolet/1938-Chevrolet.pdf http://home.znet.com/c1937/ID.htm
The car serial number was stamped on a little aluminum plate that was screwed to side of the cowl, passenger side, under the hood. The engine number was stamped on the block, near the distributor. Usually, both of these are long gone. Good luck,
The big problem is locating the vin plate---on my 48 it's on the drivers door opening---No problem. On the 38, we cant find a vin tag, or where it was located if its missing. Where could/should it be located? Bill
I guess that's hard to understand? Anyways, it's right here. The upper plate is the one with the serial number, is held on with two small sheet metal screws, the original screws have both a hex and clutch heads. the lower plate is the body tag, it was riveted on.
Has anyone reproduced those rivets? I could use 2 of them. My 40 had a cracked firewall, so I had to remove it during repair.
My 40's is mounted on the passenger's side floor. Terrible place to mount a VIN plate! I wonder how many rusted away with the floor?
What squirrel said above is your answer. It should be noted however, that early Chevs were IDed by motor number.
Bill, my 36 Chevy truck had nothing at all except a clean and clear title when I got it YEARS ago. The tag was attached to the either the floor board or the seat riser both of which were long gone so me like a “free thinker” punched the title numbers into the frame rail above the steering box , that was 40 years ago. I now have to transfer the Illinois title to Colorado which means a VIN inspection so I wonder how that’s gonna go. Good luck Bill, maybe Indiana is will be nice to you. Mitch
Page 11/73 of the GM Heritage center archives 1938 Chevy pfd gets you what you are looking for Bill. Most of the time you have to work your way to it from here https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits.html As direct links to the PFD don't always work.
Thank you all for the info---The problem is it's a finished car that was built 10 or more years ago. As Squirrel pointed out---It should be on the cowl on the passengers side. On this car, it's as smooth as a babys butt and nicely painted. No hint of anything. Here in Indiana, If the car is from out of state, the car must be varified with the title matching the vin tag. The delema---Can't find a vin tag any where. I guess the answer is either get creative or it's a No Sale. Thanks again Bill
Mine was a 37 , it had the same tag attached as in the post . Mine also had a tag very similar to 55-57 Chebbie , rivited to the left side A Pilar . I hope that is the correct name , open the drivers door and windshield post . My was a body by Fisher and the serial number on the tag
My 1940 chevy used the engine number for the vin when I pulled the engine I had to go to highway patrol troop c for vin they used the number on the floor board for vin
The tag will not help with title, the title number was stamped on the engine next to the distributor. The cowl tag was the body number with paint code and trim detail. Depending on the state it was last titled in, some used the body number, most used the engine number. Without original installed engine, title may not be any good. My '37 has new VIN number, very similar to a home built trailer. Just had to show where newer drivetrain came from with receipts.
I wonder if anyone else ever went to the tag office and asked what to do with an old car with no vin. In Georgia it's simple,Cop verifies no vin and assigns one.
all vin tags I've had on 37-8 Chev's matched the vin numbers on the title... body tags show model and paint codes
I just registered my 38. I used the numbers on the tag cowl. But this is Canada. I think it would be the same though.
I had the same issue on a 50 Chevy I had years ago; couldn't find it anywhere and it ended up being on the engine block that was long gone. So I looked on ebay and found several companys that sell a variety of serial number and other auto ID tags and will stamp them with your VIN. So I bought one, scuffed it a bit to make it look aged, and screwed it on the doorjamb with some rusty screws. Probably not 100% legal but I had a clear title on the car and the inspection station didn't say a word about it.
Probably not 1 % legal. What you had was a car and a title but not related to each other. I'm guessing that is the way you bought the car. Extra points for confessing to a felony on the internet, however.
Negative, what I had was a car that I knew the history of, knew it was legal for over 20 years from the local guy I bought it from, but didn’t realize the VIN number was on the junk engine block when I pitched it. Extra points to you for being a smug asshole.
What you are doing is not very nice yourself, you may not be calling anyone names but you are certainly looking down your nose from atop of a high horse.
you might be able to just make one up if you work out the format. it's probably technically illegal, but assuming it's not stolen etc personally i'd think you're ethically and morally clean. your intent isn't to deceive, but to meet a bureaucratic need to satisfy a modern requirement. a requirement that did not exist when your car was made. the modern sense of "VIN" is ... modern. my favorite 60's cars have a simple serial number with a letter that indicates factory (Kenosha or Brampton). that's it. modern (72 up? guessing) VINs encode all sorts of specs in it, engine, etc. early numbers are just serial codes. it's only GM that's done the "matching numbers" thing, right? it's alien to many brands. motors are parts with part numbers and chassis get numbered. AMC certainly never did it. but in 1938 it's just a chassis number. it's not like there's a 1938 database to verify it against. whatever's on your oldest document will probably do. on old stuff it's just a number. doesn't "mean" anything. game it as necessary.
After all, laws are guidelines, not rules. My personal needs are pure and justify any length I need to go .
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