[rodeoman357]

i have recently gotten two chevelles but only one has a vin tag both have cowl tags the one with vin is a 71 chevelle malibu and i would like to know more about it cause all i know on it is was made in k.c. and it is a auto tranny has no motor....the one without vin is a 72 supsoively had a big block with 4 speed in it but i found some things interior wise that is making me belave it is a heavy chevy such as the rubber floor with the raised groves in it and it apears to have bigger springs on it then the malibu...any information on this would be very helpful

[Dean]

Post some photos of what you have.

[rodeoman357]

i am unable to but the car in question of the heavy chevy has ben gutted unfortunetly other car is complete minus motor and the car that has ben gutted is in primer but i did find a lot of black interior parts

[DaleM]

Originally Posted by rodeoman357

i have recently gotten two chevelles but only one has a vin tag both have cowl tags the one with vin is a 71 chevelle malibu and i would like to know more about it cause all i know on it is was made in k.c. and it is a auto tranny has no motor....the one without vin is a 72 supsoively had a big block with 4 speed in it but i found some things interior wise that is making me belave it is a heavy chevy such as the rubber floor with the raised groves in it and it apears to have bigger springs on it then the malibu...any information on this would be very helpful

The 72 without a VIN is pretty much worthless without the VIN except maybe as a parts car. The rubber floor covering suggests a standard Chevelle as opposed to a Malibu but springs wouldn't necessarily be different. Springs were selected based on various options on the car and were computer selected to keep the car within the specs of ride height. Another way to tell a Chevelle from a Malibu is the wipers; Malibu wipers had an articulated driver side unit and the wipers 'parked' below the hood level where the Chevelle series did not - more like older Chevelles where you could see the wipers. The Fisher Body style number on the 72 should be 13437 if it's a Chevelle, a Malibu would be 13637. The 72 could still be a big block as the LS3 and 4-speed was available in the 13437 Chevelle series as well as the 13637 Malibu series.

Unfortunately the 71 VIN will only indicate an L6 series or V8 series. Nothing about the size of the V8 or any options it may have been ordered with. Same for the 71's trim tag, Baltimore, KC, and Van Nuys would show a 13537 or an L6 Malibu or 13637 for a V8 Malibu; not sure how Arlington coded there's as I've only seen 13637 from them to date. Again, no indication of what engine would be shown on the trim tag.

It the dash is still in the car, it may tell you what transmission it came with though.

If there is no automatic pattern (PNRDL2L1) in the cluster then it either came with an automatic on the floor or a manual 3-speed on the column. Small blocks would have a TH350 where big blocks would have a TH400.

Post data from both trim tags and it'll be easier to explain knowing some variables.

[rodeoman357]

unfortunetly no the dash is gone but the wipers were in trunk and the driver one did articulate and also it had power bench seats and power windows and locks i will post all numbers off cowl tag for the 72 and i will go get the cowl tag info off malibu although i do have the vin it migh help a little but ill type cowl tag exctly how i see it

st72 13637 b888206bdy
tr 743a52 26 apnt
07a b 0743


also has a 4 stamped in top right corner where it says body by fisher......


vin for 71 malibu is 136371k67798

[rodeoman357]

the trim tag for 71 malibu is


st71 13637 k 719004 bdy
tr 721 61 f pnt
03a 03395

[Ethan1]

Originally Posted by rodeoman357

unfortunetly no the dash is gone but the wipers were in trunk and the driver one did articulate and also it had power bench seats and power windows and locks i will post all numbers off cowl tag for the 72 and i will go get the cowl tag info off malibu although i do have the vin it migh help a little but ill type cowl tag exctly how i see it

st72 13637 b888206bdy
tr 743a52 26 apnt
07a b 0743


also has a 4 stamped in top right corner where it says body by fisher......


vin for 71 malibu is 136371k67798

72- 1972
13637- Malibu, 2-Door Sport Coupe
B- Baltimore, Maryland (Assembly Plant)
888206- Data Processing Number (Found in block 24 on build sheet for tracking purposes)
743- White Elk Coated Fabric
A52- Bench Seat
26 A- Mulsanne Blue w/ White Vinyl Top
07A- July, 1st Week (Build Date)
B- Unknown at this time.
0743- Data Processing Number (Found in block 24 on build sheet for tracking purposes)

Originally Posted by rodeoman357

the trim tag for 71 malibu is


st71 13637 k 719004 bdy
tr 721 61 f pnt
03a 03395

71- 1971
13637- Malibu, 2-Door Sport Coupe
K- Kansas City, Missouri (Assembly Plant)
719004- Fisher Body Unit Number
721- Antique Dark Saddle Elk Coated Fabric (Bench Seat)
61 F- Sandalwood w/ Dark Brown Vinyl Top
03A- March, 1st Week (Build Date)
03395- Data Processing Number

[Ethan1]

Originally Posted by rodeoman357

vin for 71 malibu is 136371k67798

1- Chevrolet
36- Malibu, 8-Cylinder
37- 2-Door Sport Coupe
1- 1971
K- Kansas City, Missouri (Assembly Plant)
67798?- Should be 6 digits in the Sequential Production Number

Maybe 136371K167798?

[rodeoman357]

i left out a 8 on the last part of the vin lol

[Ethan1]

Originally Posted by rodeoman357

i left out a 8 on the last part of the vin lol

The Sequential Production Number usually starts with a "1", except for the Oshawa plant in '71, which started with a "5". May look again.

[DaleM]

Since both are Malibus, the 72 could not have been optioned with the Heavy Chevy option, that was only available on a 13437 Chevelle. Ethan is correct on the sequence numbers and seeing it was a KC car it would have started at 100001 and gone up through 246160. Even Oshawa that began sequencing with 500001 only went to 559356.

http://chevellestuff.net/1971/plant_prod_no.htm

[rodeoman357]

well i was hopin it would have ben a heavy chevy but thats ok thank u everyone for ur help...now i just need to find a direction to go with this thing and put it back together