[flea]

I am looking at what is possibly a 70 GTO and per the VIN tag it is a 1970 242 car built in Arlington Texas. What is interesting is that the trim tag on the cowl says otherwise. The cowl tag line 1...70 1367 OS570043....line 2 is TR 782 4545 and line 3 is 6A M38. If I have read correctly the trim tag shows it to be a 70 Malibu built in Canada? Am I wrong? The tag looked like it has never been removed from the cowl.

[johnta1]

Yes, that is a Canada cowl tag!?

Possibly the VIN tag was swapped?

[johnta1]

Can you post a pic of the cowl tag?
It doesn't seem right either?

Is the car Palisade Green?

[flea]

It has been repainted but has no interior so you can see green paint inside. Very possible that the Vin was swapped but it is a Lemans/Tempest body. The vin starts with a 2 for Pontiac but the cowl tag starts with a 1 which I thought was Chevy unless it's some funky Canadian deal

[johnta1]

That's one thing I wonder about.

The M38 is for a 350 TH tranny, which I don't think GTO's had in 1970?
(they would use 350 engine for that, or 6 cyl maybe)

The interior code may be strange also, but didn't look for that.

[flea]

My phone won't upload the picture so I will have to do it tonight. I have posted every single number and letter from every line on the tag. It doesn't look like enough info on it to me

[johnta1]

only 4 digits in the 1367 pattern?
(usually 5 I think?)

If they left off the '2' for Pontiac, still can't find a 1367?
(don't have any chevy manuals)

The 67 would indicate a convertible possibly?
(is it a convert?)



Could have mis-stamped chevy numbers and they didn't catch it I guess?
(put the wrong plate on?)

This still wouldn't have the VIN as being Arlington though.
One or the other is incorrect?

Possibly look for the hidden VIN?

[johnta1]

Actually forgot you were looking at it?
To buy?

I think maybe stay far away from it?
(unless doing a lot of investigating)

[flea]

I did mistype a number..it is 13637 Malibu sport coupe

[johnta1]

That kind of makes sense.
(for the tag)

But it doesn't explain the Arlington factory worker having/putting an Oshawa Canada Chevy tag on a Pontiac?

Or the Oshawa worker putting an Arlington Pontiac VIN on a GTO with a wrong chevy tag?

[Keith Seymore]

If the plant code on the cowl tag does not match the plant code on the VIN tag - then that's an instant red flag (VIN swap).

The cowl tag and the VIN tag are created in the plant of origin. It's not like Arlington is going to receive a batch of Oshawa tags and accidentally put them on. The detail on the Arlington tags is stamped in Arlington, etc.

K

[flea]

But why a Chevrolet Motor division tag on Pontiac? Someone obviously didn't do their homework before attempting a VIN swap

[flea]

Where else can you find the Vin stamped in the body of a 70?

[Judge273]

Behind heater box sometimes. Frame rail driver side towards rear on top..

[johnta1]

What's the VIN on it?

[flea]

242370R113426

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by flea

But why a Chevrolet Motor division tag on Pontiac? Someone obviously didn't do their homework before attempting a VIN swap

Correct.

And - it could happen during the original build if a particular assembly plant built both Chevrolet nameplated vehicles and Pontiacs down the same line (which is fairly common; Fremont would be one example).

But you definitely are noting an Arlington VIN with an Oshawa trim tag. That's a problem.

BTW - I know of someone who swapped a '65 convertible VIN onto a hardtop. That didn't go well.

K

[flea]

Just dreaming BUT if everything except the cowl tag matched would it be safe to buy? I'm talking VIN tag, title and if I happened to find the VIN stamped on the frame and body. The car is apart so it's a possibility.

[johnta1]

That would be around an Oct build for the VIN.
(10C?)

Way before the cowl tag build.
(6A)



Not sure why someone would put a wrong cowl tag on a car.
Understand why they would do a different VIN on a car.

But this almost seems like it could be a different VIN and different cowl tag on a car?

[flea]

It's hard to tell for sure John. I'm waiting on more info and pictures from the owner before I drive over an hour to look at it. The car is partially disassembled with the interior out of it. Hoping he can come up with evidence of the vin stamped in other locations that match the tag and title..I'm just baffled on why a Malibu trim tag was placed on a Pontiac cowl.