Body number Vehicle number

[Thomba48]

I am sure this has been covered many times here already. Somehow, however, I was not able to find exactly what I want to know. Especially as I am owning a P18. And for that car the resources section doesn't provide a lot of help. (Not a criticism, after all it it is a P15 dedicated forum :-).

My question is actually easy: What information can I draw from both my body and vehicle number? So what does it tell me beyond simply being a production tag number?

Vehicle number: I22900I0
Body number: 704 9518

thanks for a brief update on that insights question?

 

thanks/ thom

Edited December 10, 2017 by Thomba48

[greg g]

The body number is a number Briggs Manufacturing gave to their body stampings sold to Plymouth.  It is likely a sequential number assigned by the to their record keeping purposes.  The serial number is the number Chrysler assigned to the vehicle after body,chassis, power train come together.  That is the number that mother Mopar uses as the legal identifier for your car and served as that ID when the car was sold to the dealer. It can tell when and at which assembly facility screwed your car together.  You can get a build card facsimile for a fee, from Chrysler Historical ( if they are still providing that service) that will tell you the options on your car and who the dealer was that the car was first shipped to. 

 

[dpollo]

The serial #, 12290010    is in the sequence for the 1949 P18 Special Deluxe     12120001  to 12384178    built in Detroit

This does not match your description of the car as a P19 ( which is a short wheelbase 1950 model)

The body number bears no relationship to the serial number that I am aware of  It was assigned by Briggs Body works and was not used for registration

The engine number  can be found on the frame above the left rear axle.   as well as on the original engine above the generator.

Edited December 10, 2017 by dpollo
clarity

[Thomba48]

7 hours ago, dpollo said:

The serial #, 12290010    is in the sequence for the 1949 P18 Special Deluxe     12120001  to 12384178    built in Detroit

This does not match your description of the car as a P19 ( which is a short wheelbase 1950 model)

The body number bears no relationship to the serial number that I am aware of  It was assigned by Briggs Body works and was not used for registration

The engine number  can be found on the frame above the left rear axle.   as well as on the original engine above the generator.

Sorry - of course I ment P18 :-( 

[Thomba48]

Thanks for that. I shall approach Chrysler historical for more insights. Thom

[B-Watson]

The "704" is for a Detroit built 1949 P18-2 Special DeLuxe convertible body.   The "9518" is the sequential production number.

Bodies built at the Evansville Briggs body plant had an "E" after the model number while the Los Angeles body plant had an "L".

The San Leandro plant did not get its own body making facility until the 1954 model year, the last year they built cars and trucks at that plant.

 

[Thomba48]

thanks :-)