looking for the history of my Corvette

guzman31 said:
You mean the car was in an accident and the repairer used the parts on another corvette ?
I have nothing about that possible case, just that the engine is not the original.
But what's the story before that situation ? I think there's no issue of that. The knowed owner does not answer me.
Click to expand...

Yes it could have been in an accident but signs of that should be obvious with some poking around under or in the car. If a previous owner had some other issue and replaced the dash, there is a good chance that the VIN plate would have changed. Not sure how you tell if that happened. Or it could be as simple as Taylorsk8 suggested, the BC government registry system may not have been able to handle only 13 digits.
 
I see. Today I tryed to find informations at ibc.ca but there's nothing in Canada, on my BC VIN.
I think, there's no issue.
Can you tell please what mean the letters BGV , digits # 2,3 and 4 in my VIN
 
As for VIN'S.....1981 the industry changed to a standard 17 digit standard format for all manufacturers. Some had switched prior knowing it was coming. Corvettes changed in 1981 as far as I know.

In a standard 17 digit VIN: (might be corvette specific for some)
Digit #1 = Country of Origin
Digit #2 = Manufacturer
Digit #3 = Make
Digit #4 = Car line or Series
Digit #5 = Specific Infor (Manufacturer Choice)
Digit #6 = Body Style
Digit #7 = Restraint System
Digit #8 = Engine
Digit #9 = Check Digit (generated based on all other digits)
Digit #10= Model Year Code
Digit #11=Assembly Plant
Digit #12-#17 = Assembly Order

This would imply: 2BGV071043S422188

#1 = Canada
#2 = ?
#3 = ?
#4 = ?
#5 = ?
#6 = ?
#7 = ?
#8 = ?
#9 = Check Digit
#10 = 1973 (typical tables only go back to 1980 so not sure how they picked this)
#11 = St. Louis
#12-#17 = Build Sequence

I can't match 2BV (first 3 digits) to any known World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). VIN's starting in 2 are always Canada origin though. Chevrolet's built in Canada should start 2G1. Digits 4-7 are company specific choices so it is impossible to say what they mean without knowing a manufactuer

If the VIN followed industry standard format it would be something like: (keep in mind this would never have existed because GM wasn't using this VIN format in 1973)

#1 = 1 - USA
#2 = G - GM
#3 = C - Chevrolet
#4 = Y - Corvette (Car line)
#5 = Y - Corvette (series: Base, Z06, Zr1, etc)
#6 = 2 - Coupe
#7 = 3 - Manual Seat belts (might have been a different number)
#8 = J - Base 350 4 BBL
#9 = Check Digit
#10 = 1973 (typical tables only go back to 1980 so not sure how they picked this)
#11 = S - Built at St. Louis
#12-#17 = Build Sequence

It would be safe to say that this VIN was made up by the BC government and doesn't actually mean anything when it comes to each digit other than #1, #10, #11 seem to line up with Canada, 1973, and St. Louis assembly plant. I would suggest you will find much more use from the original GM VIN. Only issue is finding out whether it is original to the car......

hope this didn't make things worse in your mind.

T
 
taylorsk8 said:
As for VIN'S.....1981 the industry changed to a standard 17 digit standard format for all manufacturers. Some had switched prior knowing it was coming. Corvettes changed in 1981 as far as I know.

In a standard 17 digit VIN: (might be corvette specific for some)
Digit #1 = Country of Origin
Digit #2 = Manufacturer
Digit #3 = Make
Digit #4 = Car line or Series
Digit #5 = Specific Infor (Manufacturer Choice)
Digit #6 = Body Style
Digit #7 = Restraint System
Digit #8 = Engine
Digit #9 = Check Digit (generated based on all other digits)
Digit #10= Model Year Code
Digit #11=Assembly Plant
Digit #12-#17 = Assembly Order

This would imply: 2BGV071043S422188

#1 = Canada
#2 = ?
#3 = ?
#4 = ?
#5 = ?
#6 = ?
#7 = ?
#8 = ?
#9 = Check Digit
#10 = 1973 (typical tables only go back to 1980 so not sure how they picked this)
#11 = St. Louis
#12-#17 = Build Sequence

I can't match 2BV (first 3 digits) to any known World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI). VIN's starting in 2 are always Canada origin though. Chevrolet's built in Canada should start 2G1. Digits 4-7 are company specific choices so it is impossible to say what they mean without knowing a manufactuer

If the VIN followed industry standard format it would be something like: (keep in mind this would never have existed because GM wasn't using this VIN format in 1973)

#1 = 1 - USA
#2 = G - GM
#3 = C - Chevrolet
#4 = Y - Corvette (Car line)
#5 = Y - Corvette (series: Base, Z06, Zr1, etc)
#6 = 2 - Coupe
#7 = 3 - Manual Seat belts (might have been a different number)
#8 = J - Base 350 4 BBL
#9 = Check Digit
#10 = 1973 (typical tables only go back to 1980 so not sure how they picked this)
#11 = S - Built at St. Louis
#12-#17 = Build Sequence

It would be safe to say that this VIN was made up by the BC government and doesn't actually mean anything when it comes to each digit other than #1, #10, #11 seem to line up with Canada, 1973, and St. Louis assembly plant. I would suggest you will find much more use from the original GM VIN. Only issue is finding out whether it is original to the car......

hope this didn't make things worse in your mind.

T
Click to expand...

Thanks,
I have the original GM VIN there's no problem. I would just want to know the history of my car during the period of 1973 to 2008. As this car was for long Time in Canada before exportation to France. I know the beginning from St Louis plant in 1973, ( thanks to the factory voucher I discovered inside the dash), to a GM dealer in Lachine BC. But after that is the very big black hole until february 2008, time that I have a new file with all mechanical interventions.
 
"A mystery without any clues". Well maybe not in your case, keep digging some one must know something about this one. Do you know who imported it to France? Was there a Canadian plate on it then? Any chance you could find shipping documents?

Good luck.
 
this probably doesn't apply in this situation but I purchased a 1995 Cadillac STS in 2000 in Ontario from a dealer with a 2nd VIN on the door frame. I was told that this was because the car had been stolen from GM prior to be registered to any owner & that these cars would usually be crushed but because of the value of the car it was deemed worthwhile to re-VIN. Prior to this I had never heard of such a thing & after owning it I found out the hard way that many police officers are unaware also! Just out of curiosity which VIN is on your ownership?
 
MuskokaMac said:
this probably doesn't apply in this situation but I purchased a 1995 Cadillac STS in 2000 in Ontario from a dealer with a 2nd VIN on the door frame. I was told that this was because the car had been stolen from GM prior to be registered to any owner & that these cars would usually be crushed but because of the value of the car it was deemed worthwhile to re-VIN. Prior to this I had never heard of such a thing & after owning it I found out the hard way that many police officers are unaware also! Just out of curiosity which VIN is on your ownership?
Click to expand...

The original GM VIN
 
“Homebuilt” or “reconstructed” (ie: written off and rebuilt) vehicles are often given a unique vin.

I’ve never seen it with stolen/recovery vehicles, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

either way, something happened in the vehicles past that required a new vin number...thats usually indicative of something “destructive” having happened to the extent the vehicle was determined to be unsafe or unrecoverable. Its not hard to imagine a 73 Vette getting hit hard in the nose and writing it off, and then aomeone drops the back half body on a new frame and front end. Et Viola, reconstructed vehicle and new vin required. We all know that if someone wants to spend enough cash, you can put any car back on the road. That doesn’t mean theres anything mechanically wrong with the vehicle, its a “legality” thing.

if we look at it with a skeptical eye, it may be why a Canadian vehicle ended up in France. It might have not be “registerable” in BC/Canada and as such, sold over seas. Not likely, but possible....
 
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Really hope the OP can get to the bottom of this. The "curiosity" factor is high on this one.

The frame has a stamped VIN as well does it not? Is there anyway to see that number on the C3 without taking the car apart?

Good luck.
 
Black 03 Z06 said:
Really hope the OP can get to the bottom of this. The "curiosity" factor is high on this one.

The frame has a stamped VIN as well does it not? Is there anyway to see that number on the C3 without taking the car apart?

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure you would have to lift the body to read the frame VIN stamp. If I remember reading right, it's up high on the frame right behind the driver's door. There's also a partial VIN stamped on the front of the engine block I think but that may not tell you anything conclusive if it didn't match the dash #.
 
Rruuff Day said:
I am pretty sure you would have to lift the body to read the frame VIN stamp. If I remember reading right, it's up high on the frame right behind the driver's door. There's also a partial VIN stamped on the front of the engine block I think but that may not tell you anything conclusive if it didn't match the dash #.
Click to expand...
I would agree with the engine block.

of all the date coded items on a car, the engine is usually the first piece to either be swapped out or otherwise replaced in service.
If it does match the dash vin date code, great! But that still doesn’t mean the car hadn’t suffered some type of incident that made it “unroadworthy” or otherwise unable to be registered. Swapping out a frame and front clip from an accident doesn’t nessesarily mean the original engine and running gear couldn’t be re-installed.

I’m betting this was a salvage/recovery car. Hense, the “new” vin code on the door.

or, its entirely possible just the door was swapped on from another wrecked vette that just happened to have the BC vin on it already.

To the OP: what vin is on the registration papers? The oem vin or the BC vin?
 

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