Still can't find your VIN or Data Plate? Have a Question? Email Great Old Cars with the year and make. We will help you find it.

VIN Before 1950 Prior to 1950, VINs only acted as a serialization. The first characters of the VIN often identified the Make and Model. The remainder of the numbers identified the model year. Some manufacturers identified the assembly plant and the number of cylinders that the engine had.

VIN from 1950 to 1980 Around 1950 American automobile manufacturers began stamping and casting identifying numbers on cars and their parts. The obvious purpose was to give an accurate description of the vehicle when mass production numbers were starting to climb in very significant numbers. As years progressed, manufacturers increased the scope of the VIN. Information available varied from manufacturer to manufacturer and from year to year. As we progressed into the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s manufacturer's VIN information increased. The type of information often available included year, make, model, body style, engine and what assembly plant that the car was manufactured at. In addition the Body Plate included codes for paint, trim, rear end, transmission, price class, body type, build date, etc.

Modern Day VIN (after 1980) Since approximately 1980 cars have a seventeen character code that has become a standard throughout the world. The Vehicle Identification Number was originally described in ISO Standard 3779 in February 1977 and last revised in 1983. The ISO-VIN was designed to identify motor vehicles, trailers, motorcycles and mopeds and consists of three sections: WMI (World Manufacturer Identifier), which uniquely identifies the maker of the vehicle. It occupies the first three positions of the VIN. VDS (Vehicle Descriptor Section). These 6 characters occupy positions 4 through 9 of the VIN and may be used by the manufacturer to identify attributes of the vehicle. VIS ( Vehicle Identifier Section). The last 8 characters of the VIN are used to identify a specific vehicle. There are numerous sites on the web that will decode VINs for cars after 1980. Two such sites are CARFAX and Car Detective. If you own a car manufactured from 1980 to 2004 check these sites out. VIN decoding and history reports are available.

VIN Number Locations Common locations for Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) Vary but you can look in the following locations: • Firewall of the vehicle • Left hand inner wheel arch • Steering column • Radiator Support Bracket • Dash by windshield • Drivers door or post • Machined Pad engine pad • Component parts

Data Plate Locations (also refered to as Cowl Tag, Patent Plate, Body Tag) Common locations of the Body Plate or Data Plate vary but the following are common places to look: • The Firewall just under the hood • Left door lock panel or pillar • Left or Right wheel housing • Fender side shield • Radiator Yoke Sample Data Plates

Vehicle Ownership History

We are often asked if it is possible to trace previous ownership history of vehicles. This is an impossible task since ownership history is only a recent development by state DMVs. The simple answer to this question is don't waste your time. It just is not worth the effort. If you insist on doing it, try contacting the past owner and ask who they bought the car from and if they have the name and address. Keep working this process down the line to the prior owner, etc. The problem is, records aren't kept. Do you remember who you sold a car to 20 years ago? If you did, the chances are that person moved or died.

Trying to find the exact car that you had in High School? Same answer as above: You won't. The problem is cars have been junked, had major accidents and just are not around. Spend your time finding a similar car. That is a difficult task in itself. Enjoy finding and driving a car and not being a private detective unless you are into that kind of thing. Once you find it, have the VIN decoded and have an appraisal completed (Great Old Cars provides these services). The value of your car is important to you and your insurance company. Get an appraisal before you need it.