Pontiac VIN decoder, 1946-1980

1946-1948

Looks like C6MB3629 (8 characters)

The letter in position 4 is a body-style letter in this era (B = Streamliner in the sources); only B is confirmed, other letters are shown as not listed.

Sources describe the number as a frame/engine serial; the engine number equals the serial number from 1942 (JJ-PONT, forum statement). Location of the serial tag is disputed among posters (firewall, cowl, frame) so none is stated here.

Source quality: forum posts and auction listings only. No factory or club table was reachable.

Sources: [JJ-1947] [JJ-PONT] [LIST-PONT46]

1949-1954

Looks like P8XH80863 (9 characters)

Engine number equals the serial number (JJ-PONT, forum statement for 1942 on).

A Pontiac Registry thread cites the C8TH series (South Gate, eight-cylinder Hydra-Matic) as running from 1001 to 29,630 for the 1949-50 run (PREG-2092).

Plant letters are the 1954-58 list from PSAFARI; the sources used for 1949-53 show only P, C and A in examples.

Sources: [PREG-2092] [JJ-PONT] [LIST-PONT53] [PSAFARI-PLANTS] [PSAFARI]

1955-1957

Looks like W756H15431 (10 characters)

Serial tag is spot-welded to the driver door jamb, hinge side; the number is also stamped on the front right side of the engine block (PSAFARI).

Each assembly plant numbers cars separately per transmission type, starting at 1001 (PSAFARI).

The pattern allows 4 to 6 sequence digits because the source gives a 5-digit example and no maximum.

Plant letters are listed by the source for 1954-1958; the structure itself is documented by the source for 1955-57 only.

Sources: [PSAFARI]

1958

Looks like P558H1045 (9 characters)

Plant letters: PSAFARI lists them for 1954-58 and says the first character of the number identifies the plant up through 1958.

No table of 1958 series digits or the transmission letter was found. The layout is taken from the 1955-57 scheme and from 1958 Bonneville auction listings (P558H1045, K558H1522, W558H2385, C558H3252); some listings show a digit in position 4 (C55841312), probably transcription errors, so that position is accepted as any letter or digit.

Sources: [PSAFARI] [LIST-PONT58]

1960

Looks like 860P1001 (8 characters)

The number is on a plate attached to the left front door hinge pillar (TPOCR for 1961-63) and, for 1961 full-size cars, on a triangle pad on the front of the right engine bank (a 1961 shop manual summary seen in search results).

Sequence length varies in the sources (4 digits in the 1960 and 1962 tables, 6 in 1961 and 1963); real examples show 4 to 6 digits, so 4 to 6 digits are accepted. Example sequence is a placeholder.

TPOCR lists series 1/3/4/7/8 for 1960. TPOCR does not give a 1959 table, so 1959 is not covered.

Sources: [TPOCR-P6061] [PSAFARI-PLANTS]

1961

Looks like 861D3337 (8 characters)

The number is on a plate attached to the left front door hinge pillar (TPOCR for 1961-63) and, for 1961 full-size cars, on a triangle pad on the front of the right engine bank (a 1961 shop manual summary seen in search results).

Sequence length varies in the sources (4 digits in the 1960 and 1962 tables, 6 in 1961 and 1963); real examples show 4 to 6 digits, so 4 to 6 digits are accepted. Example sequence is a placeholder.

Real 1961 numbers seen in listings (861D3337, 361S4536, 861K8319) fit this layout (LIST-PONT61).

Sources: [TPOCR-P6061] [PSAFARI-PLANTS]

1962

Looks like 862P1001 (8 characters)

The number is on a plate attached to the left front door hinge pillar (TPOCR for 1961-63) and, for 1961 full-size cars, on a triangle pad on the front of the right engine bank (a 1961 shop manual summary seen in search results).

Sequence length varies in the sources (4 digits in the 1960 and 1962 tables, 6 in 1961 and 1963); real examples show 4 to 6 digits, so 4 to 6 digits are accepted. Example sequence is a placeholder.

Sources: [TPOCR-P6263] [PSAFARI-PLANTS]

1963

Looks like 863D37243 (9 characters)

The number is on a plate attached to the left front door hinge pillar (TPOCR for 1961-63) and, for 1961 full-size cars, on a triangle pad on the front of the right engine bank (a 1961 shop manual summary seen in search results).

Sequence length varies in the sources (4 digits in the 1960 and 1962 tables, 6 in 1961 and 1963); real examples show 4 to 6 digits, so 4 to 6 digits are accepted. Example sequence is a placeholder.

863D37243 is a 1963 Bonneville number seen in a listing, consistent with this layout.

Sources: [TPOCR-P6263] [PSAFARI-PLANTS]

1964

Looks like 824P16475 (9 characters)

RTRW-PONT documents this layout for the 1964 Tempest/LeMans/GTO only. Whether Catalina, Star Chief, Bonneville and Grand Prix share it is not confirmed by any source reached.

Example sequence is a placeholder; sources give no sequence range.

Sources: [RTRW-PONT]

1965-1971

Looks like 242376P100001 (13 characters)

TEUFERT says sequence numbers start at 600001 at all plants except V8 models, which start at 100001.

Engine is not encoded in the VIN for 1965-71 (CCHK says so; TEUFERT and RTRW-PONT give no engine code for these years).

Only the Tempest/LeMans/GTO series (33, 35, 37, 39, 42) are corroborated by two sources. Catalina 52 and Bonneville 56 are single-source. Executive, Star Chief, Grand Prix, Safari and Firebird series codes were not confirmed and are deliberately excluded; those VINs will not match this format.

Example sequence is a placeholder.

Sources: [RTRW-PONT] [TEUFERT]

1972-1974

Looks like 2D37M2P100001 (13 characters)

Covers the Tempest/LeMans/GTO/Ventura intermediate line only. Full-size (Catalina, Bonneville, Grand Prix) and compact lines for 1972-74 are a gap.

Position 5 is the engine code from 1972 (RTRW-PONT, TEUFERT).

Example sequence is a placeholder.

Sources: [RTRW-PONT] [TEUFERT]

1972-1980

Looks like 2W87Z8L500001 (13 characters)

TPTAP: sequence numbers start at 500001 in 1972, 1975 and 1976, and at 100001 in other years.

Engine letters are year-dependent. Letters listed as unconfirmed rest on the RTRW-PONT list alone, which is itself internally inconsistent.

1967-71 Firebird VINs are not covered (gap).

Sources: [RTRW-PONT] [TPTAP]