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Hey, this is my first post on these forums. This will be one of many. I recently got a 1964 Oldsmobile 98 with original service manuals that doesn’t run. Not currently asking about any running issues but about the vin. I was looking through the manuals to check the model. But no model id numbers match with mine. Any ideas. The model ID number is 3686.
1964 VINs don't tell you anything you can't tell by looking at the car except where it was built. They're of the form 834MXXXXXX The first digit indicates the number of cylinders in the engine. The second digit is the series, which is the second digit of those numbers on the left side in the photo you posted. Most 98s were the 3800 series. The second digit is an 8, so your car's VIN will have an 8 in the second location unless it's a Custom Sports Coupe, in which case the second digit will be a 9. The VIN's third digit is just the model year, so all '64 Oldsmobiles have a "4" here. The letter indicates the plant where built. M = Lansing, etc. Your manual will tell you this. The last six digits are just the serial number from the plant where built.
1964 VIN tags were located on the driver's door jamb in the hinge area. I've circled it in yellow in the photo below.
Since all 98s came with a V-8 engine, your VIN starts 884 or 894.
Where are you getting the model ID number? If it's off the cowl tag, which is under the hood on the firewall, please post a clear photo of that tag for the best chance of having it properly decoded. Usually a four-digit "model ID" would have the first two digits indicate the series and the second two the body style as shown in that column of numbers on the right side in your photo. You said the model ID is 3686. 36 would indicate the Starfire series, which is not a 98. There is no "86" body style, which makes me wonder if you're reading the cowl tag correctly, assuming this is where you got the model number, and this is why you want to post a photo rather than trying to relate what it says.
Let's see some photos of this car, by the way. We don't care the condition. We love them in all conditions.
Last edited by jaunty75; Jul 10, 2020 at 08:26 PM.
1964 VINs don't tell you anything you can't tell by looking at the car except where it was built. They're of the form 834MXXXXXX The first digit indicates the number of cylinders in the engine. The second digit is the series, which is the second digit of those numbers on the left side in the photo you posted. Most 98s were the 3800 series. The second digit is an 8, so your car's VIN will have an 8 in the second location unless it's a Custom Sports Coupe, in which case the second digit will be a 9. The VIN's third digit is just the model year, so all '64 Oldsmobiles have a "4" here. The letter indicates the plant where built. M = Lansing, etc. Your manual will tell you this. The last six digits are just the serial number from the plant where built.
1964 VIN tags were located on the driver's door jamb in the hinge area. I've circled it in yellow in the photo below.
Since all 98s came with a V-8 engine, your VIN starts 884 or 894.
Where are you getting the model ID number? If it's off the cowl tag, which is under the hood on the firewall, please post a clear photo of that tag for the best chance of having it properly decoded. Usually a four-digit "model ID" would have the first two digits indicate the series and the second two the body style as shown in that column of numbers on the right side in your photo. You said the model ID is 3686. 36 would indicate the Starfire series, which is not a 98. There is no "86" body style, which makes me wonder if you're reading the cowl tag correctly, assuming this is where you got the model number, and this is why you want to post a photo rather than trying to relate what it says.
Let's see some photos of this car, by the way. We don't care the condition. We love them in all conditions.
Thank you. This is really the first time I looked back at it and I was reading the last 4 digits of the VIN as the model ID instead of the cowl tag
