Classic/Antique Car Repair/ID/vin# location

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Expert: - 5/3/2011


Question
I have a 1931 Chevy pickup and need to find a number so that I can register it. So far we have had no luck. We have looked on the firewall, and under dash.

Answer
Chevrolet in that era had a habit of attaching a Car Number plate on the floor near the sill plates some times covered by the floor mat. They also at time stamped the chassis number on the tops of the frame rails in the engine bay. There are some states I believe that will accept the engine number that is stamped on a machined pad near the fuel pump. Most states have the provisions in the law to allow the DMV to assign a new number to the car. Check with the DMV in your state and ask the questions. If you can find a number on the frame rail that would be the easiest but ask about the engine number as well. There should have been a plate on the fire wall on the right side when the truck was built.

Classic/Antique Car Repair

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Brad Sears

Expertise

All automotive including antique and collectible. However if the car has been modified I can only answer in general terms and maybe get you pointed in the right direction.

Experience

Automotive tech instructor. Syndicated auto columnist 1970's though the early 1990's. Syndicated auto radio talk show, Ask Brad About cars, CBS Radio 70's through 90's TV Show "Last Chance Garage" 1980's PBS-TV syndicated. Auto instructor for the following companies: Fram Autolyte Holly Carter AMF Ford Motor University Of Conn Blue Hills Technical School Sugar River Technical Center Grew up in a family garage in Needham Mass and turned wrenches from the age of 14.

Publications
Manchester Union Leader, Nashua Telegraph, Motor Service Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Popular Mechanics (Saturday Mechanic early 80's), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and lots more.

Education/Credentials
More than I care to remember. Basically Franklin Technical Institute in Boston, Northeastern University, Fitchburg State Teachers College, Tufts University, and a lot of factory schools along the way.

Awards and Honors
Moto Award winner. And much more.

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