coltsneckbob

I was told on my 442 that a VIN derivative was stamped onto the frame somewhere around the driver's doors. I was also told it would be difficult to see with the body on the frame, but perhaps not impossible with a mirror.

Does anyone know where this stamp might be exactly and the best way to see it. I took a quick look with a mirror and found nothing.

Thanks.

joe_padavano

It is usually, but not always, stamped on the top of the LH frame rail, on the section behind the rear wheel. It will be nearly impossible to read with the body on the frame. The only ones I've been able to see are ones on a bare frame that's been sandblasted or otherwise had rust removed.

stevengerard

I can see my VIN on the frame, it is on the frame facing outwards on the drivers side just under where the door hinges are maybe a little closer to the back of the front fender, not easy to see but its there. Need a light not necessarily a mirror. My frame is pretty clean but as far as I know has never been touched so maybe that's why it is a bit easier to see it. I have seen it on a few other convertibles as well.

TK-65

65 frame





Fremont 65, under the drivers door.

coltsneckbob

OK, that give me 2 places to concentrate on........! What is clear though is that it will take some unusual body contortions to get in a place to be able to see it with body on.

jensenracing77

this is a 70 442 convertible. it is on the side under the driver door. just forward of the center body mount closer to the bottom. there are also numbers and a date code at the very back drivers side. my Rallye350 and another 70 442 frame i seen have them in the same place as this one.

coltsneckbob

I spent an hour under the car looking in all these places and found nothing. Not a hint of a stamped code. Granted my frame has peeling black paint, and some rust and dirt, but I tried to scrape back as much as I could and found no trace.

To be ver specific I was looking at the outside part of the rail of the frame, under the driver's door. I looked very carefully from the front fender to just behind the body mount that is about 1/2 down the door from the fender.

I tried to peek on the top edge of the frame by holding a small mirror up there. It was very hard to manipulate and hold the mirror so I can't be certain I was thorough, but still I saw nothing.

I also took a quick look on the frame as it rose over the drive wheel (as per the above pics), but saw nothing.

I did not scratch the areas to bare metal and perhaps that is what I have to do...I dunno. I did not see any indication of these numbers having been previously ground out. The frame had no unusual indentations, scrapes or sharpened edge.

I'm fustrated !!!!

stevengerard

once I saw mine it was easy to see again, but its a challenge to find it the first time

jensenracing77

the one in the picture i posted could not be seen in any way till it was sand blasted. it is not stamped as good as the others i have seen.

Run to Rund

The ones I have seen on 66 frames were behind the body mount at the door, or behind the body mount behind the rear wheel, somewhere before the rear bumper braces. The numbers are always on the top surface. There is some variability because they were hand stamped with a big roller by guys in a hurry. If your frame is a replacement from GMPD, it may have no serial numbers.

coltsneckbob

Interesting. OK, why would a frame be a replacement? I never heard of such a thing?

Also, you're saying the numbers are always on the TOP of the frame....well that explains perhaps one reason I could not find anything. I was mostly looking at the outside side of the frame.

About the only way I can look at the top of the frame if the body is on is to put it on a left. Then I would have the maneuverability to wire brush and/or use a mirror.

coltsneckbob

Wow, those are very light stampings. OK, I was expecting something more bold.
Thanks, that at least gives me encouragement of sorts in that I realize that I probably did not scrape enough paint and gunk off.

My frame is not in terrible shape, but it does have a very old coat of black paint that is bubbled everywhere. And it seems a light, but solid coat of rust like junk is under the paint in a lot of places.

I did try and dampen the metal with water hoping that the numbers would show, but again I was probably looking in the wrong place. I think a solvent would work better though.

6inarow

Not sure if this helps but I have this frame I bought a few years ago and I found this number on the drivers side behind the rear tire. I have no idea what it means but it is legible. Maybe yours has a number in a similar place.

0223081133.jpg

0307081516.jpg

stevengerard

Again, the 70 frame number is NOT on top of the frame it is on the side facing out, now that doesn't mean there are not some 70 frames with it on the top but I have seen many frames including mine with the VIN on the side under the drivers door, maybe the guy who assembled my frame had an extra bowl of Wheaties that morning because the stamp is easy to see.

MN71W30

Thats where mine is on my 71 W30. It is clear and easy to read with the body off.

70Post

Come on Bob----I know what you are up to.

This is just a ploy to remove the body to ostensibly "look for the VIN"....then the frame off begins!!

BlackGold

The first 7 digits are the GM part number for your frame. I've never been real clear about the exact meaning of the other three digits. As I recall, they increment over the course of the year (based on several 1970's I've studied).

BlackGold

I'm not sure but would think that this statement needs to be qualified by assembly plant. It was not uncommon for the "other" plants to do things differently than Lansing.

coltsneckbob

Well, mine is of course a Lansing car.....I am beginning to hate those Lansing guys.....lazy with the build sheets, weak stampers....geez!

Well, it has got to be somewhere. I know someone suggested a replacement frame, but I just don't think that is a high probability scenario. Though admittedly I guess a car could be in an accident and have the frame irreparably bent. If the motor and other parts including interior survive I suppose they can be installed on a new frame. But, even in that case the cost would be tremendous and it is more likely the parts would be installed on a used frame (no?).

Well, come this weekend I will get my handy light, mirror and scraper and go at it again.

Stayed tuned for the tale of the missing stamp.............to be continued.

wmachine

Quite the contrary. They were faithfully following instructions!

Run to Rund

My experience is with 66-7 frames. On them the part number is on the driver's side near the rear, just in front of the bumper bracket. However, the partial VIN will be on the top, both at the door behind the body mount and at the trunk between the body mount and the bumper bracket.

BlackGold

Coldwar, any idea what kind of acid it was? The VIN derivative on my engine block fades to nothing as the digits progress; I'd like to try to raise them.

bil

There is a chemical that is sometimes used by coin collectors-some coins like the buffalo nickle have dates that wear off easily,this chemical makes them readable for a period of time.
As for complete frame replacement,a friends father has a 66 bonneville.convert.It had 6000 miles on it,brand new,when it hit a bridge.It was towed to the dealership where he worked and totaled.He bought it from the ins. co.,bought a brand new frame,and put on everything that was undamaged.It was only hit in one front corner,but trashed the frame.For short bucks he got a car he could never have afforded.Still has it,too.So full frame replacement is a possability. ---bil

Run to Rund

The numbers were applied on the assembly line with a huge roller machine. They numbered two places because one set might be illegible.

dk-52

I found the numbers on my frame just after I sandblasted it. I havent yet got it wearing paint, so I'll snap a picture tonight and point out where they are on mine.(70 442 W-30). I will post tomorrow, Dan

dk-52

Here are my pictures. The numbers are on the side of the leftside framerail, up towards the top. I covered them with green tape so they can be found in the pictures. The last picture shows how the stamp looks. I found these only after sandblasting, as they are pretty hard to see otherwise. Hope this helps, Dan

allyolds68

Here a quote from Daveh on ROP. It's from this thread.

http://www.realoldspower.com/phpBB2/...ight=frame+vin

Dave worked in Lansing until 73

coltsneckbob

This is a great help everyone thanks !!!!!!

Yellowstatue

A '68 frame has the brake hose hole near the centre of the cross rail and the '69 has it ten or twelve inches to the left side...

coltsneckbob

Busted !!!

BlackGold

I just found a VIN derivative stamp on the side of the left frame rail on my Lansing-built '70 442, about 12" forward of the rear edge of the door. Same location as the rearward green tape in Dan's pictures. I'll have to look for the forward location, too. It's stamped clear as day (Alabama car, no rust) and wasn't too hard to see even with the body on the frame. Just move the light around a bit to pick up the edges of the stamped characters. There is no leading "3"; it starts with the model year, "0".