Vin decoding help

[Reps4Days]

Hey Guys,

I'm new to the forum and was wondering if anybody has experience decoding vins. Quite a few years back I got (what I was told anyway) a 1946 chevy pickup cab from my grandfather. The cab came off a commercial truck (I assume to be over 1 ton). I decided to start making a rat rod due to having limited experience and being in college (just graduated!) with limited funds to do a lot.

This week I started it for the first time, and am hoping to have it on the road at some point this summer. I have two plates, one of which I believe to be the original vin tag (came off the firewall) but about half of it has been broken off. What's left is barely readable except for a few numbers that weren't cut off in the bottom right hand corner. I also have a plate that was inside the door. This is complete and easily readable. The plate inside the door has the following stamped into it: 2FK-E 3081. The last of the characters I can read on the other plate are: *cutoff* 0S1 10756

With the research I've done, the 2 indicates it was built in New York, the F was indicating a 1948, and the K was a fleetmaster, which wouldn't make sense. If anybody has any suggestions that could help me depict what it actually is I have, that would be great!

Respectfully,

Cody A. Gibbs

[joedoh]

the one inside the door was probably added. the one on the firewall is probably the original. these werent VIN numbers in 1946, they were body numbers, usually they were titled by their engine number (flat pad next to distributor) but since people changed engines when they wore out this wasnt very reliable. the numbers you are missing are likely the serial part of the body number, so not much help unless you can find some documentation of the number somewhere.

but if you can read the first number/letters you can tell where it was made and what body series it was. mine is 5AL, which is KC built 1941 3/4 ton. I also have a 5AK and a 5DR, which are KC 41 1/2 ton and KC 46 3/4 ton. the gm heritage site has a great breakdown in the body number decoding. if its a 46 1 ton it will probably be a number+ DS, if its a 1 1/2 or larger it will be a number + P and followed by a letter. sand lightly with some superfine sandpaper and you will probably see something.

sometimes (not always) you can tell a 41 cab from a 46 cab by certain clues, a 41 will almost always have a bolt in rear window frame with rubber, a 46 will be only rubber. but because of the war a lot of things got mixed and matched, my 41 has a lot of 46 parts (rear glass, door lock, turn signal housings) but still 41 stuff too (bakelite knobs on the dash, gas tank) so somewhere in history it got all hodgepodged. I would have bet money it was a 46 and thats how they sold it to me but I found the cowl plate in the muck under the gas tank and its 5AL.

[Reps4Days]

Okay, well since the vin tag is partially missing I don't think the sand paper would help out. Unless there is another spot besides the bottom that has numbers. I will do my best to locate the engine that came with it when my grandfather got it. He said it might be out back of his house.

I'm not sure if you would know this part, but for registering it, would I be able to use the tag that was in the door if I found nothing else? Or would I have to figure something else out?

Thank you for the quick reply, I appreciate it! I was getting confused when using some of the online vin decoders because the "FK" wasn't matching up with anything.

Originally Posted by joedoh

the one inside the door was probably added. the one on the firewall is probably the original. these werent VIN numbers in 1946, they were body numbers, usually they were titled by their engine number (flat pad next to distributor) but since people changed engines when they wore out this wasnt very reliable. the numbers you are missing are likely the serial part of the body number, so not much help unless you can find some documentation of the number somewhere.

but if you can read the first number/letters you can tell where it was made and what body series it was. mine is 5AL, which is KC built 1941 3/4 ton. I also have a 5AK and a 5DR, which are KC 41 1/2 ton and KC 46 3/4 ton. the gm heritage site has a great breakdown in the body number decoding. if its a 46 1 ton it will probably be a number+ DS, if its a 1 1/2 or larger it will be a number + P and followed by a letter. sand lightly with some superfine sandpaper and you will probably see something.

sometimes (not always) you can tell a 41 cab from a 46 cab by certain clues, a 41 will almost always have a bolt in rear window frame with rubber, a 46 will be only rubber. but because of the war a lot of things got mixed and matched, my 41 has a lot of 46 parts (rear glass, door lock, turn signal housings) but still 41 stuff too (bakelite knobs on the dash, gas tank) so somewhere in history it got all hodgepodged. I would have bet money it was a 46 and thats how they sold it to me but I found the cowl plate in the muck under the gas tank and its 5AL.

[joedoh]

i would recommend that you become the expert on titling. find out what is required for inspections of antique vehicles.

for example, in my state anything older than 1949 and sold in the state can be titled on a bill of sale if the serial number on the plate does not have a recent (20-25 years) record of registration. there is no inspection required, but the numbers need to conicide to the correct year and model, and I have to show documents of how I determined the year and model. anything from out of state or newer than 1949 needs a VIN inspection, and they will not process a highway title on a bare cab, they will require a second inspection when its assembled.

so look up the DMV website and read very carefully. call the DMV and ask general questions like, does a 1946 need any inspection? require a title to register? etc

and if you have the bottom right corner, that is where the serial number was, should be number two letters and then four to five numbers, which is plant, year, model, and the last 4-5 will be the serial production number. I misread thinking the bottom right corner was missing.

[Reps4Days]

So I found the motor and it has "FAM246770" stamped on the block by the distributer. I looked up this and it was saying it is for a passenger car from 1948. Any idea why both inside the door and the block would say it's from a 1948 car?

Originally Posted by joedoh

the one inside the door was probably added. the one on the firewall is probably the original. these werent VIN numbers in 1946, they were body numbers, usually they were titled by their engine number (flat pad next to distributor) but since people changed engines when they wore out this wasnt very reliable. the numbers you are missing are likely the serial part of the body number, so not much help unless you can find some documentation of the number somewhere.

but if you can read the first number/letters you can tell where it was made and what body series it was. mine is 5AL, which is KC built 1941 3/4 ton. I also have a 5AK and a 5DR, which are KC 41 1/2 ton and KC 46 3/4 ton. the gm heritage site has a great breakdown in the body number decoding. if its a 46 1 ton it will probably be a number+ DS, if its a 1 1/2 or larger it will be a number + P and followed by a letter. sand lightly with some superfine sandpaper and you will probably see something.

sometimes (not always) you can tell a 41 cab from a 46 cab by certain clues, a 41 will almost always have a bolt in rear window frame with rubber, a 46 will be only rubber. but because of the war a lot of things got mixed and matched, my 41 has a lot of 46 parts (rear glass, door lock, turn signal housings) but still 41 stuff too (bakelite knobs on the dash, gas tank) so somewhere in history it got all hodgepodged. I would have bet money it was a 46 and thats how they sold it to me but I found the cowl plate in the muck under the gas tank and its 5AL.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by Reps4Days

So I found the motor and it has "FAM246770" stamped on the block by the distributer. I looked up this and it was saying it is for a passenger car from 1948. Any idea why both inside the door and the block would say it's from a 1948 car?

probably because, like I said before, most states used the engine number to title stuff this old, but engine wore out and got replaced, so it was probably an attempt to show where the engine came from in case there was a question