Help with VIN decode - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Ken Riebel · 03-10-2010, 09:54 PM

Hello all. My name is Ken Riebel and I am new to the forum.

Back on July 18, 1969 (10 days before my 5th birthday) my Dad bought a new Blazer from Gene Hamilton Chevrolet in Warren Michigan. I recently got him to dig up the original paperwork and we wrote down the VIN. I am interested in how early this vehicle was in the 1969 production. Here is the VIN: BKE149S879984

Without the 1000000 at the end of the VIN I am lost as to how the production number is determined. Also how many '69's were produced? Were they all built in St. Louis? Does anyone know the dates when production started and ended?

A little bit about the vehicle. It was green with a white top & chrome bumpers. 307 v-8, 3 speed on the column and a Dana transfer case. Manual steering and drum brakes. We owned it until 1978 and it was repainted twice in that time. I can remember picking it up from the dealers lot as there was another one next to it that was a exact twin.

Lately I have been thinking about getting a '69-'72 Blazer/Jimmy. I have been into restoring and racing muscle cars for a long time and thought one of these would be a nice change.

Any answers to these questions would be much appreciated. Thanks

Ken Riebel · 03-13-2010, 08:31 AM

Anyone? Anyone?

Ken Riebel · 03-15-2010, 02:07 AM

70 views and not one person can help with a VIN?

I thought this is where all the Blazer experts are?

Keith Seymore · 03-15-2010, 07:50 AM

Hang in there, Ken...

My "expertise" doesn't start until '73, but I'm sure one of the guys will chime in.

In the meantime, check out this thread and see if that helps:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=391297

K

Keith Seymore · 03-15-2010, 07:57 AM

Couple additional thoughts:

a) The "879984" is the sequential part of the VIN. Since it's a Chevy, I would guess that they started at 100001, so the sequence would be 879984 - 100001 = 779983, which would be pretty late in the model year. The fact that you made the purchase in July of '69 would seem to confirm this. Also, the VIN sequence number is specific to the plant; said differently, there is no correlation between VINs issued at different plants.

b) I'm not sure how many vehicles were made in St Louis. In my other life as a Pontiac hobbyist, I am aware of a book that has all the build dates, start and stop dates and production volumes. It is by John Gunnells and is called the "Standard Catalog of Pontiac, 1926 - 1995". You might check and see if such a book exists for '68 - '72 Chevy trucks. Edit: the author seems to indicate there is a book called the "Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896 - 1986". Might be worth a shot.

FWIW -

K

Ken Riebel · 03-15-2010, 05:22 PM

Thank you Keith. I will definetly look for that book or one like it. Amazon may have it.

I too am a Pontiac hobbyist. I met you last summer at the D&D auto parts party. I had the Bamboo Cream '61 Catalina bubble top at the east end of the parking lot.

Keith Seymore · 03-16-2010, 11:10 PM

Ah - that's right! I remember now; I was trying to think why your name sounded familiar.

Welcome!

K

03-10-2010, 09:54 PM	#1
Ken Riebel Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Warren, Michigan Posts: 9	Help with VIN decode Hello all. My name is Ken Riebel and I am new to the forum. Back on July 18, 1969 (10 days before my 5th birthday) my Dad bought a new Blazer from Gene Hamilton Chevrolet in Warren Michigan. I recently got him to dig up the original paperwork and we wrote down the VIN. I am interested in how early this vehicle was in the 1969 production. Here is the VIN: BKE149S879984 Without the 1000000 at the end of the VIN I am lost as to how the production number is determined. Also how many '69's were produced? Were they all built in St. Louis? Does anyone know the dates when production started and ended? A little bit about the vehicle. It was green with a white top & chrome bumpers. 307 v-8, 3 speed on the column and a Dana transfer case. Manual steering and drum brakes. We owned it until 1978 and it was repainted twice in that time. I can remember picking it up from the dealers lot as there was another one next to it that was a exact twin. Lately I have been thinking about getting a '69-'72 Blazer/Jimmy. I have been into restoring and racing muscle cars for a long time and thought one of these would be a nice change. Any answers to these questions would be much appreciated. Thanks

03-13-2010, 08:31 AM	#2
Ken Riebel Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Warren, Michigan Posts: 9	Re: Help with VIN decode Anyone? Anyone?

03-15-2010, 02:07 AM	#3
Ken Riebel Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Warren, Michigan Posts: 9	Re: Help with VIN decode 70 views and not one person can help with a VIN? I thought this is where all the Blazer experts are?

03-15-2010, 07:50 AM	#4
Keith Seymore Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Motor City Posts: 9,213	Re: Help with VIN decode Hang in there, Ken... My "expertise" doesn't start until '73, but I'm sure one of the guys will chime in. In the meantime, check out this thread and see if that helps: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=391297 K __________________ Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ Last edited by Keith Seymore; 03-15-2010 at 08:02 AM.

03-15-2010, 07:57 AM	#5
Keith Seymore Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Motor City Posts: 9,213	Re: Help with VIN decode Couple additional thoughts: a) The "879984" is the sequential part of the VIN. Since it's a Chevy, I would guess that they started at 100001, so the sequence would be 879984 - 100001 = 779983, which would be pretty late in the model year. The fact that you made the purchase in July of '69 would seem to confirm this. Also, the VIN sequence number is specific to the plant; said differently, there is no correlation between VINs issued at different plants. b) I'm not sure how many vehicles were made in St Louis. In my other life as a Pontiac hobbyist, I am aware of a book that has all the build dates, start and stop dates and production volumes. It is by John Gunnells and is called the "Standard Catalog of Pontiac, 1926 - 1995". You might check and see if such a book exists for '68 - '72 Chevy trucks. Edit: the author seems to indicate there is a book called the "Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks, 1896 - 1986". Might be worth a shot. FWIW - K __________________ Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/ Last edited by Keith Seymore; 03-15-2010 at 08:00 AM.

03-15-2010, 05:22 PM	#6
Ken Riebel Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Warren, Michigan Posts: 9	Re: Help with VIN decode Thank you Keith. I will definetly look for that book or one like it. Amazon may have it. I too am a Pontiac hobbyist. I met you last summer at the D&D auto parts party. I had the Bamboo Cream '61 Catalina bubble top at the east end of the parking lot.

03-16-2010, 11:10 PM	#7
Keith Seymore Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Motor City Posts: 9,213	Re: Help with VIN decode Ah - that's right! I remember now; I was trying to think why your name sounded familiar. Welcome! K __________________ Chevrolet Flint Assembly 1979-1986 GM Full Size Truck Engineering 1986 - 2019 Intro from an Old Assembly Guy: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926 My Pontiac story: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=560524 Chevelle intro: http://www.superchevy.com/features/s...hevy-chevelle/



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