VIN locations for 69?
 

The CA DMV is sending me to the CHP to have my VIN verified. They are going to be looking for a 2nd VIN somewhere on the vehicle to match the one on the dash. IF they don't find one, they will assign a new VIN to it, NOT an outcome I want.

Can anyone help me out with everywhere on the car the VIN can be found? Is it stamped into the front sub-frame anywhere that can be seen from underneath for example?

Thanks!

Tag on the dash,under the heater box,under cowl panel and on the motor and transmission, are all the locations that I know of.

Under the heater box, on the firewall? I have vintage AC system so no heater box but maybe the VIN can still be found there.

Where exactly under the cowl panel? That's easy enough for me to remove for the inspection I think.

The car does have it's original trans so that helps too. The original engine is in storage and not accessible right now.

Should be on the engine compartment side between where the blower motor went in and the heater core opening. It was hidden behind the heater box. If your heater box has been removed for vintage air it should be easily accessible and fairly easy to see. Unless the firewall has been filled and finished with putty.

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why are they doing this

Easiest one to find probably under the pass. side window wiper on the cowl.

Think there is one on the rear driver side rail and front subframe.
But may be hard to find/see?

I also wonder why this needs done?

:confused:

They are doing it because the car was taken from CA and registered in TX for 4 years, now I am registering it back in CA. They just want to verify the car is legit is all. it's a standard thing the DMV in CA does.

Sounds like I'll remove the cowl.

I have reg tons of cars at AAA from out of state and have never had to show a second vin!I sold my 69 bird to a guy in TX and bought it back a year or two later and was no issue redoing it in CA.Tom

I thought only Ohio had laws that stupid.

Must be "new". I bought my '69 back in 1987-ish. I was in the USAF, stationed at Castle AFB (Atwater, CA). I registered it in CA for a year or two. Decided to register it in PA (I was born there) because of the CA smog rules. When I got out (1990) I stayed in CA. I registered it in CA again and I don't remember having to do that.

I have no answer to for that. I only know that all of the old 50s/60s cars I've ever brought from out of state needed to have eyes put on the 2nd VIN (which is usually on the driver side frame rail upside down for Chevys anyway). This is the newest 60s car I've had it done with. My understanding is that cars old enough to pre-date manufacturers door stickers need this done because the DMV employees don't know where to find the additional hidden VINs. The Highway Patrol on the other hand has an officer dedicated to this in every city and they have books from the manufacturers that say where the additional VINs are hidden.

If the car had the original engine in it I could have showed that to the DMV employee, but GM didn't even start doing that until the early 60s anyway.

Could be. I've only been doing it since 2009.

That's probably it. We drove our 1968 Coronet 500 convertible from PA to CA years ago and I don't remember having to do that. The insurance company wanted to see it, but not the DMV.

I did a New York 63 Tempest 2 years ago and the AAA only looked at one vin.Maybe it's a DMV deal.Tom

Far as I know AAA is allowed to function as an authorized agent of the DMV, just like certain other companies and individuals are. AAA must be either skipping it, or pencil whipping it. The rules should apply to everyone the DMV allows to act as their agent.

Just got a call from the DMV, my appointment is next Wednesday, 8am. He said if there is one under the cowl, to go ahead and have that removed when I show up.

Just occurred to me, does the trim tag on the firewall not have the VIN? I didn't think about that.

My heater box has been removed for VintageAir, so I'll check the firewall around where the heater box was before removing the cowl. There is a cover filling the hole in the firewall but maybe it's not covering it up.

Thanks allot for everyone's responses of where to look, it helps allot!

I've been wondering the same thing. If they can't find a second location, what'll they do? I can't imagine anyone expecting someone to know where a second VIN is on every car ever produced or even currently produced.

Ooops...Reading is Fundamental

To answer your question on what they do if they can't put eyes on a second VIN, they assign the vehicle a new state issued VIN number. Which of course tends to destroy a cars value.

It does not.

K

The one under the heater box is under the hole where the heater blower was and will be hard to see because of the inner fender if not at all. The easiest is up under the cowl.

That just doesn't make sense to me...they can't find the second VIN so there is something wrong with that in their minds that will be fixed by arbitrarily assigning a VIN. I don't get it.
And how about their 'new' VIN? Do they put it in two locations? If not, what is the point of requiring it on the original?
Not asking you personally, just venting about bureaucratic red tape and how Gov't always complicates things to make them 'better'...lol

Im concerned about this as well with my 67. I called AAA today and they said I need to go to the DMV because it pulled up in there system as "multiple vins" but didnt know what it meant. The car was a california car. Had a california title when I bought it. I got a florida title for it with no hassle at all.

I really dont want to have to deal with the CHP. And Im worried they might complain because it has longtubes on it if they inspect it.

I wouldn't worry about the CHP, allot of them are car guys too. Our cars are pre-smog so they aren't going to give you any grief.

Well I'm more concerned about "multiple vin" thing they pulled up. Could be nothing as started before of course my engine doesn't match. It's a 50 year old hot rod. But I'm just concerned it's going to cause a problem.

Has anyone seen one of the new state issued VIN's? Curious as to what it looks like. How many characters does it have (e.g. 13 or 17) ? Is it just a sticker/label or is it an engraved plate?

It's a metal plate if I recall, last I saw one was on a 50s Corvette. Since from the factory the VIN plate is screwed on with a Phillips on those cars, they get lost and assigned new VINs every now and then.

Here is one from Google.... http://smg.photobucket.com/user/jw97...10314.jpg.html

For what its worth, after calling and getting the run around I just showed up in person at AAA this afternoon with my FL Title in hand. Lady began my process and I paid for the registration with no trouble at all. Gave me a one day movement pass so I could drive it to them for a vin verification.

I guess Im not out of the woods, maybe I go back and someone tells the woman who processed me that she was wrong. Or maybe they want to see the vin in multiple locations. But she made it sound like it was all straight forward. I just come back, they look at my vin tag and we are done.

That is how all of mine have gone.They never asked for or looked for a second vin.Tom

I got mine done today. Pretty easy. AAA all the way. It was fun (if not scary because the brakes are trash) to drive it for the first time. I also managed to put a small crease in the rear quarter my first time out. Which Im not at all thrilled about. But I have nobody to be mad at but myself

Too bad I don't have AAA lol.

Can anyone tell me how to remove the wiper arms so I can take the cowl off? Thanks!

Honestly bro it's $49 bucks. I got it specifically for stuff like this. I won't notice $50 a year. I will notice sitting in the DMV.

I don't even have my card yet. Signed up the day before and then rolled into the office. Money well spent.

Its not on the cowl its on the firewall...

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Do yourself a favor and buy this wiper arm removal tool. Works like a charm and you won't scratch the paint. Can't believe a lived so many years without it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Windshield-W...-/262905092177

I thought it was under the cowl on the firewall? Are you saying I only need to loosen the cowl to see under it and not fully remove it?

What are you calling the cowl?

The piece of metal between the base of the windshield and the hood, with the vent holes and which the wiper arms mount on top of of.

You just need to remove the outer heater box cover, the one with the blower fan in that is mounted to the firewall...once removed the vin should be on the firewall between the blower fan hole and the heater core hole it is stamped there on the firewall itself. Between the two edges of the heater box marks on the firewall, I will take pictures of mine in the morning when I get home from work...

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c291eba8e5.jpg

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I hope those help...

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Sorry, when you mentioned loosening the cowl I thought maybe you were confusing terms. Carry on...

Thanks for the pics!

So it looks like the one on the firewall I need to remove the passenger fender to get to. I have a giant block off plate for my Vintage air plus a remote oil filter in the way too.

The one hidden under the cowl grill still looks like my best option. Do I need to remove the wiper arms, or can I loosen the cowl grill and lift it up enough to see the partial?

your best option is to buy a entry membership in AAA and avoid all of it.JMHO,Tom

Ok, well that was by far the easiest thing I've ever had to do on the Firebird lol! Just a few small hex head screws, the wiper arms come off piece of cake, the cowl comes right out and BAM, in your face is the VIN as clear as you could possible imagine and fairly large font too.

I head to the CHP in the morning, I put the wiper arms back on and left the cowl off. Don't even need to open the hood, the partial VIN couldn't be more in your face. It should be a cake walk.

Thanks for the help everyone on where the hidden VINs were!

Alex

Cool!

:)

CHP appointment couldn't have gone easier. No skin off my back for not having AAA.

Good to know. While I've had my 69 Firebird registered in CA for about 25 some years, I never had a title. When I was at the DMV a few months ago registering a new car, I asked about getting a title. They gave me the paperwork and told me the car had to be there. Possibly to verify two VIN locations.