Reading Vehicle ID Numbers

[llsimpson]

Help! I have what I am told is a 1949 Pontiac Silver Streak "Fastback" with the following number sequence on the driver's side A Pillar: P8RS24337. Can anyone help me decode the sequence to identify the "official" model number, optional features or color codes? Thanks!

[Bodyworx]

The Model Number will be on the cowl on the Body TAG. Body Style : ****

That parts Easy.

You Have

P = Pontiac Motor Division
8 = Eight Cylinder
R = Year Identifier ( I believe )
S = Standard Transmission ( Stick on the column )

24337 is the sequence number.

You'll find that the Cowl or Body Tag is much more handy for finding out what you have. They called your bodystyle a Torpedo Back

Also check on the Drivers side of the Engine toward the front there will be a small Platform ( Where the Head Plate meets the Block ) the number on this plate should be identical to your pillar plate. ( Numbers matching ) to the Engine. Otherwise like mine the Engine was changed at some point.

IE mine says P6TS22630 But the Engine says P8TH????? which means this Engine was Vin matched to a Car with the same Pillar tag. My car would have came from the Factory with a IL6 cylinder and a Standard transmission. The Engine number implies that it came out of an Eight cylinder HYDRAMATIC car. Mine has had an Engine swap. Let us know what you come up with and we can help you decode it.

Mine is a 2569 Body style. The paint code will display as a 2 digit number on the body tag but on a paint chip sheet will be 4 numbers but you just go off of the last 2

Send me your numbers and i will help you decode them.

If you E-Mail me you address i can send you a CD with some very helpful info on it. Just let me know if you can Read PDF files. Thats Adobe Acrobat.

Good Luck. Hope this helps.

[llsimpson]

Thanks Red -- I'll email you directly for the CD; a .pdf file is fine.

[Bodyworx]

I tried to make a copy of it and for some reason its not working but gimme a day or 2 and ill figure it out.

[Bodyworx]

Got it !! On the way !!

This will be your Savior for parts hunting.

Merry Christmas.

[Larry]

Bodyworx is correct that the "R" is in fact year. However the "P", while being PMD is more accurately manufacturing plant, in this case Pontiac, MI. The sequence number at the end puts your '49 about 1/3rd into production of the 8-cylinders with the last number having been 61,703. If anyone ever finds the books by Grace Brigham (now long out of print) "The Serial Number Book for U.S. Cars 1900-1975" and "The Production Figure Book for U.S. Cars", by all means grab them up. They are a wealth of information that you will use for years.

[Bodyworx]

Larry, I have never seen a first character other than "P" Have you ? Were there another plants that produced these cars ?

[Larry]

I have no real way of knowing how many of the plants produced the '49, but would have to assume all listed for 1939-'49 number decoding did. They are: A-Atlanta, GA, C- Southgate, CA, F- Farmington, MA, K- Kansas City, Kansas, L-Linden, New Jersey, P- Pontiac, MI, and W- Wilmington, DE. In 1950-'54 is shown the addition of T- Arlington, TX. Evenmore plants were added by 1964 and subsequent years; as well as letter designations changed.

[Bodyworx]

I was able to find one of those books you recommended and ordered it from a site specializing in out of print books. Ive always wondered if one of these books existed. Now ill have access to all the car info i can handle.

Thanks Larry !!

[stevep]

Larry, the "F" is for Framingham Mass. Not Farmington.

[Larry]

Steve,
I'm getting a little lysdexic in my old age!
Thanks for the correction.
Larry

[stevep]

Old age seems to be catchy!

[50scars]

P8RS is Pontiac Michigan assembly, 8 cylinder engine, 1949 assembly year, standard (stick) transmission.
The body tag for the 4 door Streamliner is 2508, and the two door sedan coupe is 2507.

[50scars]

Forgot to add that if you have the deluxe with the side trim instead of the plain sides, then there would be a D after the 2507 or 2508 for Deluxe.

[peterwillcock]

Hi....I'm about to invest in my first classic; a 1949 Pontiac Chieftain Dlx and was hoping to get some help de-coding the body tag. It reads as follows:

C8TH1404

From what I have read on this forum, the C indicates it was built in Southgate, CA and the 8 indicates the Straight 8 engine, however what does the TH mean and the 1404?

Also, on the engine tag, I am trying to de-code the Body number (BC 180), Trim number (71) and the paint (10).

Could somebody help me with this?

Much appreciated!

Peter