1957 Gmc Truck Serial Numbers
Stovebolt Tech Tip - Antique Chevy / GMC Truck Restoration HelpSo you just bought the Chevy truck of your dreams, and now you want to know just exactly what you own? You need to know and decipher your truck's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). With a VIN, and the information it provides, you can determine your truck's pertinent information - which will help you to better order parts, register it, find a lost title and a lot of other things. Barry, who was our 'first contact' with the Stovebolt world, has put together a great bit of useful information here.Deciphering your Chevrolet VINBy Barry WeeksJanuary 2007Title ProblemsIf you were fortunate enough to have a good titlefor your new purchase, great! It might even have a Vehicle Identification Number ( VIN) or ' serial number' listed. But while most states titled vehicles by the VIN, some statestitled by the engine serial number (found stamped in the block to the left ofthe distributor), which doesn't have much to do with the body serial number.As most old trucks have had the engine replaced once or twice, your title maynot match your engine (if it has been replaced) and your title uses an enginenumber.Also, some states titled vehicles by the yearthey were sold, and not the model year. Since production usuallystarted in September of the year preceding the model year, you may see a titlefor what you would call a 1939 truck, but it says 1938 on the title.
This canhappen easily if it was sold in the last part of 1938, but was really a 1939truck. Some states called the truck a '38 then, since it was sold in '38. I've seenthis happen up into the early '50's. You may also see one that was a slow moverand got sold a year after it was made, and titled as such.So if you lookat the number listed on your title and it doesn't make sense when checked againstthe tables below, it may mean that the listing is actually the engine number.So you'll still need the VIN.Finding the VINAll trucks should have a bodyserial number tag on them somewhere with the serial number and gross vehicleweight (GVW) on it.
On the pre-1939 trucks, start by looking at the dashboardor inside / outside of the firewall. For the years 1939-1946, it should be found onthe right side of the cowl, under the hood. Advance-Design (1947-1954) and latertrucks should have a plate located on the left front door post. The GVW is stampedas 46 (hundred pounds) on the 1940s trucks. Don't confuse this as being theyear of the truck. The serial number is not stamped on the frame of 1930s, 1940s,and early 1950s trucks.
It may be on the frame of late 1950s trucks near thesteering box.Many of these plates were justscrewed on from the factory (not riveted in the older trucks), and sometimeshave been removed. Reproduction blank plates are sometimes available to replacelost or damaged plates.
Gmc Truck Serial Number Decoder
You have to stamp your own numbers on them.Decoding the Chevrolet VINSo you can't always trust thetitle to tell you the correct model year. You can get a lot of information fromthe body serial number.
This will tell you the model year, sometimes the monththe truck was built, which plant it was assembled at, the (size) of truck and production sequence number.The easiest way to do this, ofcourse, is to check it on-line (we have a few listed on the ). But if you want to figureit out on your own, here's how:1929 through1932 1929-1952Factory Codes. YWilmington, DE1953through 1955 1st Series'Last of the 'Advance Design'The code changed significantly in 1953. VINs now had:. Series (single letter) ( ). Model Year (last two digits of the year). Factory Code (now changed to letters).
Production Order (each series was separately numbered in sequence for that particular plant, starting at 001001)A truck with VIN L54A001901 was a 1-Ton ( L ) built in 1954 ( 54 ) in Atlanta, GA ( A ), and was the 901st truck off the line.