jbaron

Hi all,
How do I go about finding out the build date for my car using the VIN#?
I appreciate any help.

Thanks

hunt4cleanair

The build date is defined by most as the trim date code on the trim tag so if there is a trim tag...than you would have your build date. A build sheet offers a date that would approximate the build date as well.

Your VIN would be limited to the year of production and that depends on the year of your car. Don't believe the early ones had a digit code for year.

Easy Mike

That's doing it the hard way. Most of us use the time/build date Hunt4cleanair suggested (alpha-numeric 3 character code in the upper right corner of the tag).

IF you want to do the math: purchase any of the Corvette reference guides where monthly ending VIN production figures are published. Find your VIN in the range and jot down final monthly VIN for that month.

Subtract final VIN for the month before for total monthly production for your month.

Use a perpetual calendar to determine number of working days in the month your car was produced. Do not count recognized holidays or Sundays; count Saturdays.

Divide number of working days into monthly production for an average daily production figure.

Add your average daily figure to the ending VIN of the prior month OR subtract your daily average figure from the final VIN of your month until your daily VIN range shows up. Either (adding or subtracting) will get you in the ball park.

It could vary, but typical daily average Corvette production was 110-120.

FWIW: beginning about the middle of March, 1978 through about the middle of May, 1978 Pace Cars were in production and regular 78 assembly was suspended.

capevettes

The NCRS Corvette Birthday book can tell you with reasonable accuracy what the birth date of your car is. Alot of research went into the book. I just picked up a copy at Carlisle.

What's your VIN?

Ret.Horsecop13

Register on the C3 registry and they will tell you the build date.

Mike Ward

All of the books and calculators are just educated guesses based on statistics and a limited number of data points. All of them also have known and documented errors.

I don't understand why someone would use those in preference to the trim tag date on the car..............

u2bdet

Believe it or not ,there is an I-Phone app which supposedly gives you thebuild date using the last 5 vin digits...

Some one post their last 5 VIN and year and we'll see how accurate it is.

Neal

Nowhere Man

I have it. and its close

Mike Ward

How are you going to determine if it's accurate?

u2bdet

If someone already knows their build date ...we can see if the APP is accurate

Neal

joewill

corvette birthday calculator... good for ballpark figures... not as good as your trim tag though...

http://www.c3registry.org/index.php?uid=3279

Mike Ward

And how would they 'know' their build date?

u2bdet

This thread is going in circles IF someone had their build date ,tank sticker , documentation from Chevy, a voice whispered it to them in a drunken stupor or if they worked in the plant and build their own car .....then the "accuracy" of the app could be checked ...
I just offered it up ..it's not my APP ,I didnt develop it , not standing by it or charging anyone $.01 for looking it up!

Done,
Neal

Mike Ward

No, I'm again pointing out the irrational step of relying on calculators vs. simply looking at the date on the trim tag. Why make easy things difficult?

EmNash

I checked my 82 which I have the build sheet for and this site was off by 5 months.

hunt4cleanair

You do realize that the date on the build sheet is an estimated date for production to begin on any given vehicle. Most times it reconciles with the alphanumeric date code on the trim tag.

Easy Mike

Amen.

JBaron: What's your time/build code? Upper right corner of your trim tag.


J28 on this example. TRIM and PAINT are the factory codes for interior and exterior colors.

capevettes

Mike, you are preaching to the converted No real substitute for the trim tag, if one is present. If the car is missing the trim tag it can provide some reasonably accurate information. Alot of the info in the book was gathered by some well respected members of this and the Tech Board based on shipping info, UAW workers etc.

The dates in the book are within a couple of days of my trim tags on my mid year and 68.

No trim tags on the solid axles. I really wanted to check on my 61.

Easy Mike

Use Noland Adams' calculatioin method. If memory serves, it's in his Volume I Restoration Guide. I paraphrased it in my post. For '61, they may have been working less Saturdays than they did for the C3 model years.

You can get reasonably close.

capevettes

Yes, I have Noland's book. Mine was an easy one, serial #2271, last day of production (for October), Oct. 31, 1960.

Noland was also involved in the Birthday Book along with John Hinckley. Two pretty knowledgeable people