the only thing i can tell from this is the 796 white interior and i think i see a 138 in there too:D what do the other numbers mean? would the VIN help?

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=66061&d=1179099436

12D is the body build date. (12=Dec./D=4th week). 227 is a inter assembly plant number. (no one knows these that I'm aware of). 65 13867 is the year (1965) model and series (138=Malibu S.S./67= convertable). BAL is assembly plant car was built at( Baltimore ,Maryland). 1508 is body sequence number. 796 is interior code( Ivory Bucket seats). K1 is paint code (K= Artesian Turq./ 1= white conv. top.) Your VIN should also start 138675B......, last 6 digits being your car number. Hope this helps.

yeah, it helps alot:thumbsup: thats dec. of 64 right? any idea on the engine?

thanks

Yes, that would be December, 4th week of 1964. In other words... you have an early production car. The last 6 digits of your VIN should reflect this. The assembly plants started with 100001 at the begining of the model year.(September 1964). As for the engine... the cowl tag and VIN don't give you a clue. You could get a 6cyl.,283, or 327. You will have to check the engine to see if it has the correct date code for your car. The VIN won't be on your engine unless you have a L-79 327/350HP car. The engine can be between a week to 3 months OLDER than your cars build date. There is also the engine suffix code on the block in front of the pass. cyl. head. It should have the correct 2 letter code for a '65 chevelle. But neither of these prove if it is the factory engine. Only the VIN (L-79 engine) would tell you that.

thanks:thumbsup: its got a 283/powerglide in it. so theres no way to tell what engine came in it from the factory? where can i find the number on the engine and what am i looking for?

If you car has the original engine, it should have a DE suffix code (2 barrel 283/w powerglide) or DH suffix code(4 barrel 283/w powerglide). You can also check the casting numbers on the bellhousing flange on the driver side. It should be a 7 digit number... but this number isn't necessarily year specific,especially with the small block. Also Chevrolet used the same block for other models. The date code the engine block was cast would be on the pass. side above the oil pan rail, in front of the starter. The cyl. heads have a 7 digit cast number and date code, but you have to remove the valve covers to see them. Intake manifold has a 7 digit cast number as well and a date code, both are on the top side behind the carb. mount. I don't have my info on cast numbers with me at the moment, and as I said earlier, Chevy used block, head, intake,etc. parts more than one year and for more than one application. One thing is for certain though... the cast date on the engine parts should precede the body build date (12D) for it to be the original engine. If it is after, then something might have been switched either by the previous owners or possibly by a dealer for warranty/service work. If you find the dates and cast numbers you can P.M. them to me and I'll try and decode them for you or post them on this forum... someone else might be able to help you sooner. BTW, the suffix code I mentioned would be on the machined pad in front of the pass. side cyl. head. It would have a stamped date code, engine plant stamp lettering, and the 2 letter suffix code. If the deck has ever been machined for a rebuild, they might be gone. Good luck.

wow, thanks for the info:thumbsup: ill see what i can find out...

The "227" number is Job Number from Trim Broadcast Sheet. See this page about half way down for an example
http://www.chevellestuff.com/65velle/65_trim_tags-bal.htm

The VIN does give one a clue on the engine but will only tell you what type (6-cyl if 3rd digit is odd vs. V8 if 3rd digit is even) of engine the car came with and then only the base engine. If the VIN is 138xx then it came with a V8, if the VIN is 137xx, then it came with a 6-cylinder.

FWIW, the trim tag style number DOES NOT indicate 6-cyl or V8 status, only the VIN. I have numerous examples of trim tags with even style numbers but odd VINs. I'd be curious to know if your VIN plate reads 138xx or 137xx.

The "227" number is Job Number from Trim Broadcast Sheet. See this page about half way down for an example
http://www.chevellestuff.com/65velle/65_trim_tags-bal.htm

The VIN does give one a clue on the engine but will only tell you what type (6-cyl if 3rd digit is odd vs. V8 if 3rd digit is even) of engine the car came with and then only the base engine. If the VIN is 138xx then it came with a V8, if the VIN is 137xx, then it came with a 6-cylinder.

FWIW, the trim tag style number DOES NOT indicate 6-cyl or V8 status, only the VIN. I have numerous examples of trim tags with even style numbers but odd VINs. I'd be curious to know if your VIN plate reads 138xx or 137xx.
Dale, Thanks for the info on the "227" number. My '66 S.S. is a Baltimore car also. It has the number "579" above the body sequence number, and the number "5" beside the bottom right hand rivit.(stamped from the backside like all others.) Didn't know what they ment before now. Thanks again.

The single digit stamping is thought to be the body cradle number and was used by Fisher Body for quality control. Atlanta & Fremont tags have hand stamped numbers (from the front) and Framingham has a letter - all believed to be the same thing. Strangely KC tags do not have anything of this nature. :thumbsup:

The single digit stamping is thought to be the body cradle number and was used by Fisher Body for quality control. Atlanta & Fremont tags have hand stamped numbers (from the front) and Framingham has a letter - all believed to be the same thing. Strangely KC tags do not have anything of this nature. :thumbsup:
Dale, by any chance, does the 3-digit "job number" show any options or was it used by the plant to designate certain options on the car to be built?

Dale, by any chance, does the 3-digit "job number" show any options or was it used by the plant to designate certain options on the car to be built?

It lists the same group options that Atlanta, Framingham, and KC put on the trim tag itself - along with body number, style, interior trim, paint. No options are listed that wouldn't be on those other plants though - nothing like an optional engine, rear end, etc.

There's an example of one for a 65 at -
http://www.chevellestuff.com/65velle/65_trim_tags-bal.htm

It lists the same group options that Atlanta, Framingham, and KC put on the trim tag itself - along with body number, style, interior trim, paint. No options are listed that wouldn't be on those other plants though - nothing like an optional engine, rear end, etc.

There's an example of one for a 65 at -
http://www.chevellestuff.com/65velle/65_trim_tags-bal.htm
Yea, I understand what options are listed on the cowl tag. What I mean is do you have a listing, or say for instance, another '66 cowl tag with the job number "579"? My car is suppose to be a bucket seat, console,rear antenne, tinted windshield car. If it were an Atlanta car, I could verify this.(As a matter a fact I did translate a '67SS cowl tag today for a guy over the phone. It was an Atlanta car, Bolero Red/Black vinyl top, Red bucket seats, console, TH400,rear seat speaker, tinted windshield, deluxe seat belt car, built the 4th week of June.) My problem is that I can tell everyone else what is suppose to be on their cars, but I can't tell what my car came with other than common sense deduction from when I took it apart to resore it. If you need the numbers off my tag, let me know and I'll P.M. them to you. Thanks for any help.

The Job Number itself doesn't correspond to a particular group of options, i.e., "579" (or any other number) doesn't mean it was assembled with specific items, it's just a means of tracking the car. I've never seen a Job Number lower or higher than 3-digits so I'd assume the cycle started over when 999 was reached; kind of like taking a number at the DMV to get waited on, it doesn't verify what you want only that you're in a sequence of other patrons.

Baltimore built between 200 and 300 Chevelles a day in 66 so a worker wouldn't see the same Job Number repeated for 3 or 4 days and then it'd only be used to verify they're working on the correct car.

The bucket seats are easy enough to verify as bucket seats had their own trim code; if buckets are correct via the trim code (there are only 7 possible for a SS936/Malibu sport coupe or convertible) then the console is probably correct as well. Other things like antenna, glass, etc. are anybody's guess in this case.

The Job Number itself doesn't correspond to a particular group of options, i.e., "579" (or any other number) doesn't mean it was assembled with specific items, it's just a means of tracking the car. I've never seen a Job Number lower or higher than 3-digits so I'd assume the cycle started over when 999 was reached; kind of like taking a number at the DMV to get waited on, it doesn't verify what you want only that you're in a sequence of other patrons.

Baltimore built between 200 and 300 Chevelles a day in 66 so a worker wouldn't see the same Job Number repeated for 3 or 4 days and then it'd only be used to verify they're working on the correct car.

The bucket seats are easy enough to verify as bucket seats had their own trim code; if buckets are correct via the trim code (there are only 7 possible for a SS936/Malibu sport coupe or convertible) then the console is probably correct as well. Other things like antenna, glass, etc. are anybody's guess in this case.
Thanks for the info. I had my hopes up there for awhile, but anyway?! The trim code does show that my car was a bucket seat. "712" to be exact, 2-tone fawn vinyl. I was just hoping to verify some of the other options. I'm 95% sure of the ones I told you, and even some the tag wouldn't show. My car didn't have the broadcast sheet, (believe me, I looked!)or the p.o.p so I'll just keep hoping somewhere down the road I'll find out more about Baltimore cars. Thanks again.:thumbsup:

I've seen a lot of 64-67 Chevelles with BODY BROADCAST COPY sheets glued to the inner part of the front fenders, between the skin and skirts. See http://www.chevellecd.com/67cd/documentation/broadcast/body_broadcast.htm for an example of one. Usually pretty well gone and don't have a lot of info but if you could find an elusive CHASSIS BROADCAST COPY, that'd give you things like the engine code, radiator, carb, etc.

thanks for the help guys... vin is 13867SB119576:thumbsup: also on the door tag above the vin it says "chevrolet DD 3-12"

thanks for the help guys... vin is 13867SB119576:thumbsup: also on the door tag above the vin it says "chevrolet DD 3-12"

The "S" in the VIN is probably a "5" for 1965. :D Not often seen on the VIN plate is anything seen stamped after the DD (Delivery Date) like your 3-12. Rumor has it that (1) there was no standard format for stamping the delivery date, (2) VIN plates were ruined when someone at the dealer stamped it a bit too hard, or (3) the delivery date was on the bill-of-sale anyway so why stamp the VIN plate at all? Regardless, very few I've seen were stamped.

Not being stamped in a 'standard' manner is a case in point. The 3-12 could mean 3rd day of December but since the body wasn't built until the 4th week and the VIN sequence is very late December, what would the '3' mean? Can't be the week either. I have a 66 VIN plate with '6 66' stamped on it for June, 1966 (based on the body plate and sequence) but have another stamped 3-14 or March 14 (again based on other data). :confused:

interesting...thanks for the info:thumbsup: now i need to get those numbers off the block...

the numbers on the block are FO425JD. i couldnt decipher any of them. my dad got them for me so im not sure how accurate they are:D

The JD suffix code was used on numerous Chevrolet engines but being a small block and from Flint, MI. it's most likely a 1964 283/195hp Powerglide engine dated April 25. Other JD codes are a 65 409/400, 67 427/400, a 69 396/375 and maybe more.

If you car has the original engine, it should have a DE suffix code (2 barrel 283/w powerglide) or DH suffix code(4 barrel 283/w powerglide). You can also check the casting numbers on the bellhousing flange on the driver side. It should be a 7 digit number... but this number isn't necessarily year specific,especially with the small block. Also Chevrolet used the same block for other models. The date code the engine block was cast would be on the pass. side above the oil pan rail, in front of the starter. The cyl. heads have a 7 digit cast number and date code, but you have to remove the valve covers to see them. Intake manifold has a 7 digit cast number as well and a date code, both are on the top side behind the carb. mount. I don't have my info on cast numbers with me at the moment, and as I said earlier, Chevy used block, head, intake,etc. parts more than one year and for more than one application. One thing is for certain though... the cast date on the engine parts should precede the body build date (12D) for it to be the original engine. If it is after, then something might have been switched either by the previous owners or possibly...


Dale, so according to this info its not the original engine? it does have a 283/pg....

Dale, so according to this info its not the original engine? it does have a 283/pg....
Correct, a 1965 283 would have DE or DH as the engine ID code; the FD code is has is most likely a 1964 283 2-bbl w/Powerglide. For all intents and purposes, it's the same engine - same basic internals and horsepower rating - it's just not a 65 engine and not original to the car and that's not uncommon after 40+ years.

thanks:thumbsup: if its a 64 283 and the car was built in late 64, is it possible its original? ...or no?

No :(