year and VIN

[disco]

Do the last two digits of the VIN indicate the year of the truck?

Just bought me a "new" toy and now I have to get it titled.

Tried the search but didn't find anything specific.

The truck is out of town so I can't run out and scrape the 80 layers of paint of the frame to find a date. That's this weekends project I guess. Strip-Ez or aircraft stripper?

I took plenty of fuzzy pics of the dash data plate and one incredibly useless pic of the rear axle. I do have a good engine plate pic. Engine is a -1D redone(?) in '86. Of course, I didn't actually WRITE any numbers down. That's what the fuzzy pics were for.

The brakes are shot too. Maybe I should add "All go and no whoa" to my sig.

 

[Brad900]

Check the tags on the diff housings, if all 3 are the same that should be the year.

 

[disco]

Thanks. I'll go look at it Friday. Clear pics and a notepad this time.

The front diff tag is missing entirely, the rear is pretty well painted and crudded over but the middle tag is in good shape.

The truck is over an hour away so I have to wait for Friday to look at it. (drumming fingers)

 

[disco]

Reviving the thread....

I checked the driver side frame on the truck, same #'s as the VIN on the title and the dash plate: 0125-xxxxx

All of the dash plates are held on with phillips head screws and not rivets. I guess somebody messed up the original plates and didn't try too hard making the new ones.

The first axle tag is a buddys truck, serial no. is R15 73 and was overhauled 8 74. I think with his truck we'll call it a '73.

The second picture is of the mid axle on my truck. The axle tag doesn't have any dates on it. (axle 1 - tag missing, axle 2 - good, axle 3 - same as 2)

My transfer case was overhauled 7/89 Engine done in 86.

Should I just pick my favorite year and go with that or what? I've been watching the thread started by jrbamatex. There's a lot of good info but I seem to be missing all the relevant tags and plates.

I checked both door frames and doors. Driver side is missing a small triangular tag. I can see where it used to be.

Any ideas folks?

 

[Opie]

Triangular tag could be for a Materials Work Order (MWO) - Seat belts were an addition for my truck and that's where the little tag designating the completed work was placed in my deuce.

 

[Recovry4x4]

You can pick a year if you like but knowing what MFR it is helps a bunch. I see that the data plate doesn't say. Do you have anything denoting if its a Kaiser Jeep, AM General or maybe even a Utica Bend? There are other things that point to years such as the headlight doors, spring seats, air shifts and frame handles. Share the wealth with pics and I'll give my opinion on he approx years that it was made.

 

[disco]

The title says AM General but my buddies VIN is way different than mine and his title says AM Gen too.

Headlight doors? My headlights are mounted high with an elelctric horn below the passenger side light.

I have the air shift front axle and a spring seat. The only frame handle I'm positive of is the one right over the front tire because I was chipping paint off that whole area.

I have to track down my other camera card with the exterior pics.

Thanks for the info. I'll keep digging and looking.

 

[Recovry4x4]

The first 4 of the VIN usually denote original body style.

 

[jld66]

Disco, It is unlikely that you have an electric horn under the headlight. The M35s have air horns on the curbside inside fender. The object under the headlight (driver side) is a blackout driving light. They are used under blackout driving conditions so that the driver can see the ground guide leading him.

 

[Recovry4x4]

If it's the passenger side as he said, its probably the electric horn. I've seen lots of them with that horn. Those are older (mid to early 60s or older) headlight doors. They can be swapped to make the low headlights

 

[disco]

I have an electric horn. It's on its last leg and sounds pretty pathetic. The other truck I was looking at has an air horn mounted on the pass. side fender.

I think my black out light is on the driver side. I haven't gotten my camera card yet with the exterior pics. As soon as I get it, I'll try and post up some more pics.

Thanks again for the info. I've searched and seen this topic a hundred times but my tag-less truck is kicking my rear.

 

[williamh]

i have a 1967 m35a2 with the elect. horn on the outside on the passanger side below the headlight ... my 1970 m50 and it has the airhorn on the passanger side inside fenderwell


i guess it just matters when it was rebuilt / upgraded

 

[Recovry4x4]

So true as to the updates. My 1953 Stude has air horns and they're older since they have Douglas connectors.

i have a 1967 m35a2 with the elect. horn on the outside on the passanger side below the headlight ... my 1970 m50 and it has the airhorn on the passanger side inside fenderwell


i guess it just matters when it was rebuilt / upgraded

 

[disco]

Alright, I finally got my card back. Here's a shot of the engine tag and a shot of the truck. I have more pics from walking around the truck if there is something specific I should be looking for.

 

[emmado22]

Your truck belonged to the 64th Corps Support Group, 13th COSCOM.. Corps Support Command. They are located in Ft Hood. http://www.hood.army.mil/13coscom_64csg/ I bet that truck didnt see much field time!!!

 

[disco]

Cool! Thanks man. I was wondering.

 

[Recovry4x4]

The headlight doors are indicative of a mid 60s or earlier truck. Thats not to say they weren't switched. Also doesn't had the rock guard on the grill that later trucks had. Probably a Kaiser Jeep if I had to guess. If you have paperwork that calls it an AM General, I would follow suite and keep it an AM. If you do choose to keep it an AM select a year of 1971 or later as that was the first year for AM. There were some 1970 trucks called American Generals too! As far as production trucks, the one piece headlight doors came out in about 68, the air shift about 69 and the spring seat in 70 or 71 but nothing is absolute and all of these things got change at direct support and depot levels anyway. Probably even got changed at unit levels too by the enterprising fiddler.

 

[disco]

The paperwork say AM so I'll probably pick a year from '71 to '75. Maybe the age will work to my benefit down the road.

I'm wondering if the rock guard was pulled off. I'm gonna put a new one on eventually. I'm still (impatiently) waiting on my goodies from Saturn to get here. Thurs and Fri were UPS holidays so nothing moves and I'm five days transit from Saturn already.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I like the rock guards too. I've got one here for the wrecker. I know its not right for it but I'm putting it on anyway. Some states have a year break for vehicles classified as antique so consdier that when you assign it a year.

 

[67Beast]

The headlight doors are indicative of a mid 60s or earlier truck. Thats not to say they weren't switched. Also doesn't had the rock guard on the grill that later trucks had. Probably a Kaiser Jeep if I had to guess. If you have paperwork that calls it an AM General, I would follow suite and keep it an AM. If you do choose to keep it an AM select a year of 1971 or later as that was the first year for AM. There were some 1970 trucks called American Generals too! As far as production trucks, the one piece headlight doors came out in about 68, the air shift about 69 and the spring seat in 70 or 71 but nothing is absolute and all of these things got change at direct support and depot levels anyway. Probably even got changed at unit levels too by the enterprising fiddler.

My 67' Kaiser has one piece headlight doors that appear to be original. When I took it apart you could see were the layers on repaints met on the fenders. And it went all the way back to a repaint with OD #24087 from the late 60's early 70's before 4 color camo was applied. But like any of these trucks who knows for sure? I have a buddy who has another 67' and it has the doors with the electric horn in it.