Hi guys:
While trying to get info on my car heritage, I used John Perry's VIN decoder (a valuable tool, no doubt), and was also able to find out some other info on my '76 wagon (color code and interior).
Yet, there is still some information I am "confused" about (translation - I need a decoder ring). In obtaining the car, the seller gave me an original piece of paper with a stamped metal plate on it. This paper was signed by the original owner with street address and city/state; I imagine it was given to him by the dealer when the car was first sold. While it looks similar to a buck tag (as on a Canadian car), this piece of metal has some other letters/numbers which do not mean anything to me.
If I may, this stamped plate reads:
6X12YXXXXXX 0 SM 52
73B AU 28E 4 7
Here is what I know: Large number indicates year, plant, S/N
73B is paint code
AU is interior code
Can anyone tell me what the other letters/numbers mean? 0? SM? 52? 28E? 4? 7?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
Chris
My apologies:
This stamped metal plate/piece of paper is the OWNERCARD (Warranty Identification card) that I got with the car. I also had one typo highlighted below. Thanks!
6X12YXXXXXX 0 5M 52
73B AU 28E 4 7
Chris
I have an owners card for my 71 along with some shop manuals. Assuming nothing changed from 71 to 76 this is what I think you've got.
On the Vin 6=1976 X=Assembly Plant Code (St. Thomas) 12=Body Serial Code (Wagon) Y=Engine Code.
5M=Interior Trim Code
52=DSO or District Code (Dallas)
73B=Body Style Code (Wagon)
These three should match the data sticker on the drivers door jam. The other numbers and letters I haven't a clue as to what they mean. I think they are codes that would have been on the build sheet identifying different pieces of the car as it came down the assembly line.
Bob
Thanks Bob! The DSO code makes sense, as the car was delivered to Dallas and sold in Dallas. What is interesting to me is that it >looks< like the car ha(s) factory undercoating - if there is such a thing - maybe it was a dealer option, who knows. That combined with mild winters in Texas is why the body survived all these years with very little rust/rot, except for the passenger front floor (from a leak).
It would be nice to know what the other letters and numbers mean, I'm surprised nobody else has been able to decipher tehse things over the years.
I'm going to look at my buck tag and see what it says as well. I DO know it has the letters "BAG" on it - maybe this was one of the first cars with an early airbag ::).
Chris
Hi Chris!
Not aware of any factory undercoating - but in those days, when I was working for a Lincoln-Mercury dealership, we routinely undercoated every new car before it ever went on the sales lot. The true reason? It cost us about $15 and we charged it out as part of a $250 dealer prep fee (which also included state inspection, wash, wax, and a tank of gas). All told, this represented about $200 pure profit on what we actually did and helped us out on tight deals by boosting the car's markup a bit. It was done prior to going on the sales lot so the customer couldn't refuse it. If they really balked at the charge, we could magnanimously offer them a substantial discount on the dealer prep and still make money! ;D
Air bags??? I think not ::)
Dwayne :smile:
These are the little known facts that make this all enjoyable - thanks for the "insider info" - very interesting.
Chris