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johnmbignell



Joined: 05 Mar 2021
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:34 pm    Post subject: VIN Numbers/details Reply with quote

What does my VIN tell me about my car?

P8ZH38410

On the body:
Model # 2546
Body # 294
SILL# P-156
Date 54

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Larry
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Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4768




PostPosted: Fri Mar 12, 2021 4:23 pm    Post subject: 1954 VIN Reply with quote

The VIN P8ZH38410 decodes as so...

P= Pontiac, MI assembly plant
8= eight cylinder engine
Z= 1954 model year
H= Hydra-Matic transmission
38410= sequence number of production at Pontiac plant. The numbering started at 1001 and at that plant ended at 60,543. So your car was built just past mid-production time.

I is odd that in the 1954 VIN there is nothing of model or series like in later cars. But Pontiac did a lot of goofy things with their production accounting and numbering. Note that in 1955 Pontiac actually started recording production quantities by model and body style like most everyone had done for many years. Guess they were slow to catch on.

"The body:
Model # 2546
Body # 294
SILL# P-156
Date 54".......?

The model/series on the firewall tag should begin with 54- followed by series: 28 for Star Chief followed by 2 numbers to indicate body style. 69= 4-door sedan; 67= 2-door convertible; 37= 2-door hardtop. You may find an a D= deluxe or SD= super deluxe at the end. I also see a W and T but no information on what they mean.

This does not, however, correspond to your numbers. I'm betting those body numbers are (as I recall you have) for the ambulance body tag numbers. That would make sense as the body number is so low-- no where near what it should be for a car built midway though the model year.

I don't think it has anything to do with being in Canada either. We have found very little info on these north of the border cars, but below is some info we have found.

The only Canadian info we have is from a Canadian car book. It shows that the Chieftain and coupes were deleted from the Oshawa production (we assume built in U.S.). The built the Pathfinder, and supposedly nine different models for '54. There is no mention of a Star Chief. This pretty well rules out your Star Chief being a Canadian car. We're sure it is U.S. with a tag from the ambulance conversion companyy.

Hope this all helps. Yell if you haver any other questions.

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jbignell



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PostPosted: Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:25 pm    Post subject: Paper trail Reply with quote

We heard that in the '50-'60s it was used in New Jersey and then taken to Nova Scotia in the 1970s. It was then sold by Mill Valley Fire/EMS in 1986 to the person we purchased the ambulance from.

Thanks for the details. We know very little about this ambulance and what we do know seems to be hearsay and third-person information. No real paper trail or details of ownership.

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Larry
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:37 am    Post subject: Pontiac VINs Reply with quote

Pontiac was bad enough keeping good production records until 1955. Add to that an outside firm who had no really good reason to document their out-the-door conversions.

We hope all the bits and pieces eventually create a good picture of this unique car's heritage.

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