Hi everyone! i am new to all this and I am attempting to restore a 69 skylark and i am pretty sure that the engine i have is not the original engine that came in the car. the vin clearly doesnt match where i believe it should and also the engine ID starts with the #3 and i was under the impression that buick engine IDs started with a 4. we have the dealership order sheet and it shows the 350 engine was chosen as an option by the original owner. and my boyfriends father is trying to say that that is why the #s dont match but i am not so sure. there have been multiple problems with this car and i was hoping that someone could help me decode everything so i can know what we are really workin with. The vin is : 435379Z127681. the cowl tag is: ST 69 43537 BF 06271 BDY TR 128 B80 40 40 PNT 07B 549713 320473 These are the #s i have been able to find on the engine so far 390Z112941 M 16 1382201 SB 236 (sorry i accidentally put the parts car engine number b4 but this is the right one) if there is anyone who can tell me what they all mean i would be very grateful. thank you!
The vin is : 4 35 37 9 Z 127681. 4 is Buick, 35 is a Skylark with the Chevy straight 6 cylinder, 37 is the 2 door Skylark Hdtp Coupe, 9 is the model year, 1969, Z is the Freemont plant, and 127681 is the sequential build number. So your car originally was a 6 cylinder. Looks like your 350 is a 1970 block, 1382201, and SB is a 1970 350 4 bbl with 9:1 compression and 285HP/375TQ
Off the top of my head I think the RO code 350 is a 69 2 barrel version. I would look it up but my internet connection is really weak right now.
Thank you for responding so fast. I am still kinda stuck on the 390Z112941 # tho. i just thought that buicks division # started with a 4. we got another 69 skylark custom as a parts car and for the interior all #s matching and the number on the motor was 49K117866. I dont get why the first one has 10 digits instead of 9 like it is supposed to. -thanks
3 was used for the Oldsmobile divison. The last 6 digits of the engine VIN should match with the last 6 digits of the car's VIN. I also wonder why there are 10 digits in that engine VIN.. o No:
Ya thats about as far as i have gotten too. i figured out 3=olds and then after that im stuck. even if it were and Oldsmobile there engine vins still only have 9 #s as well. Hopefully someone will be able to figure it out fer me cuz it is driving me crazy
435379Z127681 4 = Buick 35 = Skylark 37 = 2-door hardtop coupe 9 = 1969 model year Z = Fremont, CA 127681 = sequential number, range for Fremont V8 cars was 100001 to 129037 Your car originally came with a V8 engine. If it had come with an L6, the last 6 digits of the VIN would fall into the range 600001 to 600683 for Fremont. 35 = Skylark six cylinder only applies to 1965 and 1966. Starting with 1967 Buick used the last six digits of the VIN to indicate whether the car came an eight cylinder or six cylinder engine. For 1967-1971, V8 cars started at 100001 for each plant and six cylinder cars started at 600001 at each plant. See the attached pictures showing VIN tags from 1967, 1969, and 1971 six cylinder cars, including a 1969 Fremont L6 car. ST 69 43537 BF 06271 BDY TR 128 B80 40 40 PNT 07B 549713 320473 ST = style 69 = 1969 model year 43537 = style number (see VIN decode above) BF = Fremont, CA 6271 = body number TR = trim 128 = Black Vinyl with bench seat PNT = paint 40 40 = Solid Cameo Cream Option codes B80 = Roof drip scalp and windshield pillar molding 07B = July (07) 1969, second week (B) 549713 320473 = production sequence and broadcast number (should also find these on the build sheet) The original engine would of had the serial number 49Z127681 stamped on it.
Well Lindsey, maybe now is a good time to introduce yourself and the Buicks in the Wet behind the ears?? section of the board :Smarty: So I can post my ''Welcome aboard'' GIF: And we love to see photos :TU: (also from the cars...)
Sean, My information came out of the Steven Dove book. It says 35 is Skylark L6, and 34 is Special DLX V-8, and GS 350, and 33 is Special DLX 6. I guess that is wrong information?
Yes it is, 35 was for the base Skylark. They came with both engines, but the base engine was the L-6 :TU:
Its mostly correct for 1965-1966, but wrong for 1967-1971. I've posted a description of the situation in 1967 before since it is the most confusing, see this thread: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?266543-Unusual-67-Special&p=2191885#post2191885 The information is taken directly from the 1967 chassis service manual, which you can find here (look at the model numbers on the first page and the VIN decoding section on the third page): http://www.teambuick.com/reference/library/67_chassis/files/00-a.pdf To simplify it, for 1967-1971 look at it this way: -if the 8th digit of the VIN is a 6, then the car came with a six cylinder engine -if the 8th digit is anything other than a 6, then the car came with an eight cylinder engine Here are some other threads with more data for 1967: http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?68550-67-Special-need-help-to-ID-motor http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?262924-1967-Buick-VIN-GURU-S http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?117432-Help-1967-vin-trim-tags http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?120203-67-California-GS http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?152221-67-GS-340-Ca-Special-Clone http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?153393-New-member-w-67-special-Got-Questions http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?167415-1967-gs-340-VIN-doesnt-match!-need-help! http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?181421-1967-Gs-340 http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?213541-question-about-my-67-buick-skylark http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?237351-My-1967-Buick-Skylark http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?255789-Cowl-tag-help http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?260838-Questions-about-the-numbers http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?260873-Body-Tag-Help http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?48484-1967-VIN-Cowl-tag-relationship http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?9520-67-GS-340-info http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=107040 http://forums.aaca.org/f117/sale-1967-califonia-gs-special-179238.html http://forums.aaca.org/f118/1967-buick-skylark-gs-special-s-151899.html http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?12768-67-Skylark-Mystery-HELP!! http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?14164-67-Special-POP-and-Body-tag-decode-help http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?22211-Need-help-decoding-body-tag http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?23012-Bought-a-really-cool-67-Skylark http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?6204-1967-GS-340-California-Model 1962 was the first year for the six cylinder engine (after six cylinder production ended for the 1930 model year) and 1972 was the first year the VIN contained a digit that identified the specific engine the car came with. So, for 1962-1971 you can tell if your car came with a six or eight cylinder engine from the serial number or VIN using this: -For 1962-1964, if the first digit of the serial number is a letter (A, B, or C), then the car came with a V6 -For 1962-1964, if the first digit of the serial number is a number (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, or 8), then the car came with a V8 -For 1965-1966, if the third digit of the VIN is an odd number, then the car came with a V6 -For 1965-1966, if the third digit of the VIN is an even number, then the car came with a V8 -For 1967-1971, if the 8th digit of the VIN is a 6, then the car came with a six cylinder engine -For 1967-1971, if the 8th digit is anything other than a 6, then the car came with an eight cylinder engine
