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Maybe in some other universe they might, but here in Oldsmobile Land, no. They normally have nothing to do with each other as the trim tag body number was for Fisher internal tracking and the VIN was for final assembly sequencing/information and Federal requirements. If you have a broadcast card (IBM card) in the car and it has a body number that matches your cowl tag, and a VIN that matches the car, then you could pretty much be assured you have a genuine article.
The build sequence numbers on the cowl tag are the Fisher Body sequence numbers for the body shell. The cowl tag is attached to the body shell before the VIN tag. They do not match, except for a one-in-a-million coincidence. The build sheet will tie the cowl tag to the VIN.
I do block out some of the numbers in some crude and senseless (according to Joe who is way smarter than I) sense of privacy protection... then I will take it to shows and show whoever wants to look ... lol.
As Joe pointed out, you can connect the VIN to the build sheet or broadcast card to the cowl tag. You can get a much clearer picture to confirm what you have. Since I also have the window sticker, you can pretty much cross check every option. This is rare and just about the best thing in the world to trace back!
The build sequence numbers on the cowl tag are the Fisher Body sequence numbers for the body shell. The cowl tag is attached to the body shell before the VIN tag. They do not match, except for a one-in-a-million coincidence. The build sheet will tie the cowl tag to the VIN.
Short version of a longer post I wrote a few weeks back. That cowl tag is attached before paint, since the seam sealer and the tag are painted black. Stamping obviously made parts by batch to fill the panel stores. The body number is the internal serial number of that specific type of welded body going through Fisher weld. Car plants have buffers of painted bodies after paint shops, especially back then, because they had to paint one color for a while, switch colors, then paint another color for a while (whereas now it's per vehicle on the fly). Since the cars then went into these buffers, which were long lanes of specific bodies of specific colors, they would get out of order when they were pulled to go to Fisher Assembly, which built in the same order as Final Assembly. So, body number TRENDS with VIN, as they both get bigger as the production year goes on, and a bigger body number is usually made after a lower body number; it's not always the case, and the numbers will never be the same.
What I don't know is if VIN 100001 was a convertible, and the next one was a hardtop, was it 100002 or was it 100001 of hardtops.
What I don't know is if VIN 100001 was a convertible, and the next one was a hardtop, was it 100002 or was it 100001 of hardtops.
On the VIN, no. The Product Information Manual shows that Olds bought VIN tags pre-numbered in sequential batches. The only only thing stamped at the factory were characters two through five (the model line and body style). They just pulled the next tag off the stack. In the 1960s, the RWD cars at Lansing started with VIN sequence number 100001 and Toronados started with 500001. Later, the model lines were divided up (A-body used 100001-400000, B/C-body used 400001-700000, and Toro used 700001-up). This was Lansing, where all model lines were built. At the shared plants like Fremont or Fairfax, the sequence numbers all started with 100001. Since the first character of the pre-numbered VIN tags was unique for each division, at the shared plants each division's cars started with 100001.
OK, I just noticed that Framingham for some reason got fully blank plates and embossed all thirteen VIN characters. That was the only one.
On the VIN, no. The Product Information Manual shows that Olds bought VIN tags pre-numbered in sequential batches. The only only thing stamped at the factory were characters two through five (the model line and body style). They just pulled the next tag off the stack. In the 1960s, the RWD cars at Lansing started with VIN sequence number 100001 and Toronados started with 500001. Later, the model lines were divided up (A-body used 100001-400000, B/C-body used 400001-700000, and Toro used 700001-up). This was Lansing, where all model lines were built. At the shared plants like Fremont or Fairfax, the sequence numbers all started with 100001. Since the first character of the pre-numbered VIN tags was unique for each division, at the shared plants each division's cars started with 100001.
OK, I just noticed that Framingham for some reason got fully blank plates and embossed all thirteen VIN characters. That was the only one.
Ok, so the serial part of the vin was sequential even for different body types. Good to know.
July 15th, 2022, 07:35 PM
