• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Possible rare VIN #

03commonrail

03commonrail

New Member
Local time
3:28 PM
Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
Michigan
Looking for some answers to help out if I have a rare VIN or not.
Have search all over for the answer to my question with no luck.
Question is regarding the 6th digit letter "I" for the year in my VIN #
VIN- WH23LIE104176
Title Says 1970 Dodge
VIN on title matches the "I" on the dash tag
Fender tag is hard to make out, but all matches except it does have a correct number "1" in "L1E" for 1971
Car is the 1971 body
Previous owner stated that the car was an Introductory model for the new '71 body style
Other things to note, the stamp/cast on the radiator support is all 0's

Car is solid from California, has a 4bbl swap, intake, headers, dress-up. All original parts removed are still on hand.

Any help and information is much appreciated
 
What's the build date? That's found on the fender tag or the door decal in the drivers door jamb. Sounds like just a misprint on the title.
All zeros on the body stamp is interesting, is the cowl stamp the same?
 
Unfortunately no sticker for a build date, long gone or removed whem the car was repainted the current sublime green, was originally a lighter shade of the dark green colors available.
E104176" on the cowl matches the fender tag and VIN plate on the dash.
Also the stamp I mentioned is "0000000" on the bracket/mount, right in front of the hood latch.
Both 6th digit on both title and dash plate match with the letter "I" for the year. While the fender tag does have the number "1" for the 6th digit
 
Sounds like whoever made the dash tag misread the 1 as a I and this was later transferred to the title. You would think an experienced tag maker would know an I wouldn't go there, but I've seen enough misaligned "hangover" stripes to suspect some employees might not have been in the best of shape when they came to work. :) Plus there were no standardized VINs until the 1980s, so some worker coming to the line from another manufacturer could easily make the mistake.
 
That is a very high possibility. Just curious if others had the same situation, with an "I" for the year or if that was intended to be a roman numeral.
If some introductory model car, being the title states 1970, I have had no luck randomly looking up info the last 6 months for a line of first built introductory '71 body-style.
Other scenario, if just factory mistakes, and/or a possible lost title claim over 25 years ago when an individual could say any relevant year to put on a title.
 
In these case, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one, and as I don't know of anyone who's heard of an introductory, interim, or inspection car, I suspect the issue is the guy who stamped out the dash tag mistook the 1 for an I. There are undocumented cars popping up every now and again that Chrysler has no record of ever making, but they all have the correct VINs, so if they didn't deviate for undocumented cars I don't see them deviating for early production cars, which your VIN shows yours wasn't. Your car was number 104,176 down the line, so I can't see it being an introductory car for anything.
 
Post a photo of your VIN tag. The 1 should look like a vertical line with no top or bottom. Your VIN number puts the build of your car at least a month after the start of production.
 
My GTX is obviously a 70.... title said 69 when I got it...
 
Bruzilla said:
... which your VIN shows yours wasn't. Your car was number 104,176 down the line, so I can't see it being an introductory car for anything.
Click to expand...

His car was actually the 4,176th car down the line. If I'm not mistaken, VIN's started with 100001.
 
Also the stamp I mentioned is "0000000" on the bracket/mount, right in front of the hood latch.
[/QUOTE] Oh, by the way, back in the 70's when we fixed these cars in the body shop, sometimes we'd have to replace the upper tie bar (this is what you're referring to) from an accident. And I don't recall what was stamped on the part, because nobody cared back then.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

mbc0724
VIN tag replacement 1971 Charger
Replies
8
Views
603
mbc0724
mbc0724
Pjrenu563
Vin location
Replies
9
Views
445
Fran Blacker
Fran Blacker
Virg464
66 VIN help
2
Replies
20
Views
776
YY1
YY1
mbc0724
Radiator support VIN number stamp 1971 B body
Replies
17
Views
562
mbc0724
mbc0724
B
1969 Super Bee vin question
Replies
12
Views
943
bob32268
B
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top