VIN Issue

One of the items that MMC pointed out to me as they were performing the disassembly of the Olds is that my Virginia Title did not match the VIN on the Cowl of the Olds. That got me worried and thinking, “Am I getting ready to embark on a major costly restoration and the Title is not even valid?”

VIN on the title: 344678M258B42
VIN on the Cowl:  344678M258842

Somehow, one of the number “8” was inputted as a alpha “B”!

Here is the VIN on the Cowl:

I looked at the Title from Massachusetts and it turns out that title also had a “B” where it should have been an “8”.

I went to the Virginia DMV and spoke to the branch manager about this. She said to bring  the car in for a visual confirmation and then they will make a determination on if they will make the changes or if the vehicle has a fraudulent VIN. This did not sit well with me and the fact that the car was torn about in lot of little pieces up in Hagerstown, Maryland. Rather than bring that up, I decided to do some more research before I go back to DMV and politely thanked the manager and left.

Thank goodness for the folks that keep www.442.com alive. There they had a VIN decoder. Here is how it works:

1965 THROUGH 1971 MODELS
From 1965 to 1967 the Serial Number identification plate was attached to
the left front body hinge pillar directly below the upper door hinge. From
1968 to 1971 it was attached to the top of the instrument panel on the
driver's side and is visible through the windshield from outside the car.

1st digit - Series - 3 = The Oldsmobile Division of GM (1968-71)

2nd and 3rd digits - Series - 31 = F85 L6 (1968-71)
 31 = Cutlass L6 Hardtop Coupe (1971)
 32 = F85 V8 (1968-71)
 32 = Cutlass V8 Hardtop Coupe (1971)
 33 = F85 V6 or L6 (1965-67)
 34 = F85 V8 (1965-67)
 34 = Vista Cruiser Wagon (1966-67)
 35 = F85 Deluxe V6 or L6 (1965-66)
 35 = Cutlass L6 (1967-71)
 36 = F85 Deluxe V8 (1965-66)
 36 = Cutlass V8 (1967-71)
 38 = F85 Deluxe Vista Cruiser (Custom) (1965-66)
 38 = F85 Cutlass (1965-66)
 38 = Vista Cruiser Custom V8 (1966-67)
 38 = Cutlass Supreme V8 (1967)
 42 = Cutlass Supreme V8 (1968-71)
 44 = 442 V8 (1968-71)
 48 = Custom Vista Cruiser V8 (1968-71)

4th and 5th digits - Body code - 07 = 2d Club coupe
 17 = 2d Holiday coupe
 27 = 2d Club coupe
 35 = 4d Station Wagon
 36 = 4d Station Wagon
 37 = 2d Holiday coupe
 39 = 4d hardtop sedan
 55 = 4d Vista Cruiser
 56 = 4d Vista Cruiser
 57 = 2d hardtop coupe
 65 = 4d Vista Cruiser
 66 = 4d Vista Cruiser
 67 = 2d convertible
 69 = 4d sedan
 77 = 2d Club coupe
 87 = 2d Holiday coupe

6th digit - Model year - 5 = 1965
 6 = 1966
 7 = 1967
 8 = 1968
 9 = 1969
 0 = 1970
 1 = 1971

7th digit - Assembly plant - B = Baltimore, MD
 G = Framingham, MA
 K = Kansas City, KS
 M = Lansing, MI
 R = Arlington, TX
 Z = Fremont, CA

Last 6 digits - Production number (numerical sequence)

Key here is the last six (6) digits are a numerical sequence of the production number. So having any alpha character in this sequence was clearly wrong. I was still very hesitant to bring this information to DMV, they really didn’t seem to want to help me. Finally in 2013, after I got my car completed, I decided to contact DMV’s main office in Richmond, Virginia. Initially, they told me to go to my local DMV office with form VSA 71 “Change Registration-VIN-Business Name” completed. I went ahead and did that, only to be told I would have to take this up with Richmond. Apparently, when I told the local DMV branch that my car had been restored, she thought that I had built a car and was requesting a DMV issued VIN, like they do to trailers and campers. I gave up for now!

I also contract the GM Heritage Collection and they were kind enough to send me a letter identifying the VIN and its decoded designations and additional literature that provided more details on the 1968 Oldsmobile 4-4-2. Here is the Letter:

Original Title (left) with incorrect VIN from 1999 and substitute Title (right) with correct VIN issued in 2015.

Once I received my letter from the GM Heritage Collection on 6 April 2015, I contacted the DMV in Richmond. I spoke to a gentleman who investigates VIN issues/inconsistencies. He told me to send him my original Title, photo of the VIN, the Letter from GM Heritage Collection and any other supporting documentation. I quickly obliged and overnighted the material to him. He actually called the day he received my package and informed me that he would be issuing a new Title to me and returning my original paperwork. The new Title, with the correct VIN was issued on 14 April 2015 and the rest is history!