Can you help decide this cowl tag?

You can download all the information from gm media archive for free. The cowl tag tells us it was made the third week of March (3C) 1963. Model number 1867 is a two door, five passenger convertible. It was painted Monoco Blue (914) with Blue interior and bucket seats, optional (831). It was a stick shift car, no "P" after the model number. The VIN tag should be on the driver's side door jamb. If it's missing DO NOT buy it. It was probably stolen at some point! Neither the VIN or the cowl tag (Trim Tag) will tell you if it's a real SS model. You may be able to get a copy of the original factory to dealer invoice from Allied Vaughn, for $50,:if 1963 is available. That would tell you. But you need the VIN for that. My advice is, without the VIN, walk away. Hope that helps!! Jim

Other than stolen cars, I've never seen one with a VIN tag that wasn't original to the car. VIN tag info is pretty basic. They tell you the date the car rolled off the assembly line. The basic car type, Full size, Chevelle, Corvette, etc. Color code. Engine type, V8, I6, etc. And maybe a trans type, but this is really rare..... There are lots of classic cars that have been modified just to keep them running and serviceable. Most of the SSs I've seen in the past thirty years are cloned Impalas. If you don't know cars, stay away from them, or get someone who really knows to help. Novices buy old cars thinking they'll be able to restore or fix them, but then find that parts are no longer available. My "66 396 Impala SS convertible, which I've owned since "88, was down for a year awaiting one part..... Best advice is to take pictures of everything then go to a Chevrolet Owners Club and talk to seasoned members. Best guess, you might be able to buy the car cheap and sell it to someone as a parts car..... I'm 76 and have been working on, collecting, and racing cars since I was ten.

Exactly. Pre 1968 models don't have the VIN visible through the windshield. The VIN for this vehicle, according to what I was able to download for free from gm media archives, will have the model number, build plant, and sequential unit number of the vehicle. That's it. I believe it wasn't until the early 70s that a character was included for the engine. VINs didn't become standardized until 1981 with the seventeen characters that we have today. I don't know about Chevrolet Division, but Cadillac, at the time, also put the complete VIN on the intake manifold and the passenger's side frame rail just behind the radiator. Perhaps he can find it there. But I still wouldn't buy it if the VIN isn't on the title or it's a replacement VIN. Smells fishy to me! Jim