Has anyone found a build sheet in their Flint, MI Chevelle?

[Berg]

I have looked in my new 1970 SS396 Chevelle project and i'm not sure there is a build sheet present in this vehicle. The gas tank and rear seat have both been taken out of it so no build sheet there, the only thing I found was a trim code tag for the black bucket seat interior that was hidden in the seat back cover of the the drivers bucket seat. I have been searching for examples of Flint, Michigan build sheets and NOBODY seems to have them. Is it possible there was a memo put out at the plant that no cars were to leave the assembly line with a build sheet? Since I don't have the original engine does that mean that I won't be able to verify my car as a true SS unless I find the original block with VIN or partial VIN and CTW code. I'm at a loss. I wanted to put this car in the SS registry. All signs are pointing to this car being a real 1970 SS396 350HP car with TH400 and 12 bolt rear. I have one more shot of checking the door panels and maybe in the headliner or under the carpet. i still have not totally taken the seats apart but I couldn't see anything stuffed in the springs. I'd think even if the mice got to it there would still be a remnant of it. I know they also weren't required to be put in cars but a lot of them found their ways into them anyways. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can prove it is real. I'd also like to find out what dealership it came through and if it was local if there were dealer records still available. I hear about sometimes these folders are found with the original owners name and original sale sheet and key numbers and all that good stuff. I'm still not giving up hope.

[smokenjoep01]

How do you determine were the car was built?

[72ss383]

some one could have found it in the past 40yrs..when i had a buick skylark i found mine under back seat...buddy of mine had same yr skylark he found his on top of the gas tank.. weird thing is both our grand parents bought them new back in the day the odds were good... good luck hope you find it

[Berg]

I hope I can find it too. You can tell where your car was built by the 7th digit of your VIN. 13637 breaks it down as a Chevrolet Chevelle coupe 2 door. The 6th digit is the year so if your car is a 70 you will simply have an 0, 71=1 72=2 etc.. then there is the plant code as follows:

R = Arlington, Texas
A = Atlanta, Georgia
B = Baltimore, Maryland
F = Flint, Michigan
K = Kansas City, Missouri
L = Van Nuys, California
1 = Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Then the remaining 6 digits are your production line sequence number.
For example, the first part of my chevelle VINs for both my Malibu and SS read the same because they both came out of the flint plant in 1970.
My VIN reads: 136370F. I might be able to help you out if you wanted to decode your cowl data tag as well. It doesn't tell you a whole lot but it will give you interior and exterior colors which is cool if you can't figure out what the original color of your car was. The funny thing is that for 1970 and 1971 you could not tell if the car was a 6 cylinder Malibu or an LS6 454 powered beast by the VIN or cowl tag. in 72 they changed the VIN again and used the 5th digit as the engine designation which is as follows:

W - LS5 454 V8 4bbl
U - LS3 402 V8 4-bbl
J - 350 V8 4bbl
H - 350 V8 2bbl
F - 307 V8 2bbl
D - 250 Inline 6

Most of this is believed to be true although with GM there were always some exceptions for some reason but I guess out of a million cars produced 40 years ago with spotty documentation it is possible to have a few oddballs every now and then.

[Berg]

72SS383 where on Long Island are you? I'm out in Suffolk County.

[72ss383]

Suffolk also south shore

[Berg]

I was born in Blue Point but now i'm living in Wading River. Do you go to any of the local car shows or cruise nights?

[72ss383]

grewup in holbrook now mastic beach..back in the day yes..now no

[72ss383]

ahhh swap meets..those were the day

[Berg]

I don't get out much but I try to make it to 1 or 2 show/swap meets a year. I work in Riverhead and Thursday from about 6pm-9pm they have a classic car hangout on the waterfront behind Main St. I know Yaphank has been having a small gathering too lately but I forget which day it is.