Classic Chevrolet · 1965 – 1980 · 13-Character VIN

Decode a classic Chevrolet VIN — position by position, straight from the cowl tag.

Decode a

Camaro Z/28

the way the factory built it.

Camaro SS. Chevelle Z16. LS6 Chevelle. L88 Corvette. Impala SS 427. Every muscle-era Chevy carried a 13-character VIN that names the division, series, body style, engine, model year, and assembly plant. Here is what every position means.

17-character VIN? Check it free

Pre-1981 VIN (11 or 13 characters)? The check above only accepts 17-character VINs — the 1981+ federal standard. Read the position tables below to decode your classic VIN by hand.

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VIN length (1965-1980)

US assembly plants

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Body style positions

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Format in service

Why a classic VIN decodes differently

The 17-character VIN did not exist yet

From the 1965 model year through 1980, Chevrolet used a 13-character VIN format shared with the wider General Motors family. Read position by position it names the division that built the car (1 for Chevrolet), the series and body style, the engine family, the model year, the assembly plant, and the sequential production number. There is no NHTSA decode for these VINs — the federal database only covers 17-character VINs from 1981 forward — so the way you confirm a classic Chevy is by comparing the VIN, cowl tag, engine pad stamping, and body build sheet against the reference tables Chevrolet issued at the time. That is what this page collects: the actual position-by-position keys, the assembly plant codes, and the archives serious buyers use before wiring a deposit on a 4-speed 396 Chevelle or a real L78 Camaro.

Position-by-position VIN decode

Read your VIN one character at a time

Different eras used slightly different conventions — the tables below cover each. Match your car's model year to the correct era, then read left to right.

1967-1971 Camaro / Chevelle / Nova / Impala

13-character VIN

124379N1000011969 Camaro Z/28 sport coupe, Norwood plant

Position	Meaning	Example	Detail
1	Chevrolet division	1	Always 1 for Chevrolet-built cars (2=Pontiac, 3=Olds, 4=Buick, 6=Cadillac)
2-3	Series	24	13=full-size 6-cyl · 15=full-size V8 · 24=Camaro · 34=Chevelle · 11=Nova (varies by year)
4-5	Body style	37	37=2-dr hardtop coupe · 39=4-dr hardtop · 67=convertible · 69=4-dr sedan · 27=2-dr sedan
6	Model year	9	Last digit of MY: 7=1967, 8=1968, 9=1969, 0=1970, 1=1971
7	Assembly plant	N	N=Norwood OH · L=Van Nuys CA (Los Angeles) · A=Atlanta · B=Baltimore · K=Kansas City · T=Tarrytown · Z=Fremont · S=St. Louis · U=Lordstown
8-13	Sequential unit number	100001	Starts at 100001 each model year at each plant. Not proof of production order — proof of build order at that specific plant.

Pos 1: Always 1 for Chevrolet-built cars (2=Pontiac, 3=Olds, 4=Buick, 6=Cadillac)

Pos 2-3: 13=full-size 6-cyl · 15=full-size V8 · 24=Camaro · 34=Chevelle · 11=Nova (varies by year)

Pos 4-5: 37=2-dr hardtop coupe · 39=4-dr hardtop · 67=convertible · 69=4-dr sedan · 27=2-dr sedan

Pos 6: Last digit of MY: 7=1967, 8=1968, 9=1969, 0=1970, 1=1971

Pos 7: N=Norwood OH · L=Van Nuys CA (Los Angeles) · A=Atlanta · B=Baltimore · K=Kansas City · T=Tarrytown · Z=Fremont · S=St. Louis · U=Lordstown

Pos 8-13: Starts at 100001 each model year at each plant. Not proof of production order — proof of build order at that specific plant.

Notes: Engine is NOT encoded in the VIN on 1967-1971 Chevys. Instead, the engine is stamped on a machined pad in front of the passenger-side cylinder head (small-block) or the top of the block behind the water pump (big-block). The pad stamping combines a plant code, a build date, and a suffix that identifies engine family and horsepower. Cross-reference the pad stamp with the VIN derivative (partial VIN restamped on the block) to confirm matching numbers.

1972-1980 GM Body/Series

13-character VIN

1Q87Z8N1000011978 Camaro Z28, Norwood plant

Position	Meaning	Example	Detail
1	Chevrolet division	1	—
2	Series line	Q	Q=Camaro · A=Chevelle Malibu · C=Impala · N=Nova · Y=Corvette · X=Vega
3	Engine code	8	6=250 L6 · L=305 V8 · U=350 V8 4bbl · X=350 LT-1 · Z=Z28-spec 350 · T=400 V8
4-5	Body style	87	87=2-dr coupe · 37=2-dr hardtop · 67=convertible · 69=4-dr sedan · 15=El Camino
6	Model year	8	2=1972, 3=1973, … 8=1978, 9=1979, A=1980 (some late 1980 VINs)
7	Assembly plant	N	Same plant codes as 1967-71 (N/L/A/B/K/T/Z/S/U). Norwood-built Camaros are more common; Van Nuys cars are the West Coast-delivered pool.
8-13	Sequential unit number	100001	—

Pos 2: Q=Camaro · A=Chevelle Malibu · C=Impala · N=Nova · Y=Corvette · X=Vega

Pos 3: 6=250 L6 · L=305 V8 · U=350 V8 4bbl · X=350 LT-1 · Z=Z28-spec 350 · T=400 V8

Pos 4-5: 87=2-dr coupe · 37=2-dr hardtop · 67=convertible · 69=4-dr sedan · 15=El Camino

Pos 6: 2=1972, 3=1973, … 8=1978, 9=1979, A=1980 (some late 1980 VINs)

Pos 7: Same plant codes as 1967-71 (N/L/A/B/K/T/Z/S/U). Norwood-built Camaros are more common; Van Nuys cars are the West Coast-delivered pool.

Notes: From 1972 the engine code moved INTO the VIN (position 3). This is what lets you confirm from the VIN alone whether a 1978 Camaro is a base L48 350 or a genuine Z28-spec Z-code engine. Before wiring a deposit on a real Z28, LT-1, L82, or L88, verify the pad stamp matches the VIN derivative and that the block casting number matches the year.

Reading it like an authenticator

What the position tables don't tell you

Position 7 tells you which plant — and that changes value

Norwood-built Camaros (position 7 = N) outnumber Van Nuys / Los Angeles cars (L) roughly 2:1 across the first generation. Both are legitimate. But because the LA plant closed earlier and the surviving fleet is smaller, Van Nuys cars can carry a documented-provenance premium — especially for Z28s, SS396s, and pace-car packages that a plant assignment can partly authenticate.

Engine is NOT in a 1967-1971 VIN — the pad stamp is

The biggest mistake private buyers make on first-gen Camaros and Chevelles is assuming the VIN confirms the engine. It does not. The engine is stamped on a machined pad on the block; that stamping combines a plant code (T=Tonawanda for big-blocks, F=Flint for small-blocks), a build date, and a suffix code that names the horsepower rating. A real L78 396 has a suffix of MX (auto) or MW (manual); an LS6 454 stamps as CRV (auto) or CRT (manual). No pad stamp match, no matching-numbers claim.

Cowl tag is a second reference — and easier to fake

The metal cowl tag under the hood carries the trim, paint, and interior codes. It is the fastest place to check whether a claimed Cortez Silver Z/28 was actually painted that color from the factory. But cowl tags are also the most-replicated documentation on the muscle-era Chevy market. Cross-reference the cowl tag with the pad stamp and the VIN derivative before you treat any single document as authoritative.

Coverage across the era

Which model year sits where

1965-1966First GM 13-character format

Impala SS 396, Chevelle SS 396 Z16, first-year small-block 327 in Corvette. Format shared across the GM divisions.

1967-1969Muscle era peak

First-gen Camaro SS/Z28/RS, Chevelle SS 396 L78, L88 Corvette, COPO 9560 ZL1 Camaro. Engine not in VIN — pad stamp is the proof.

1970-1972LS6 and last of the high-compression

LS6 454 Chevelle SS, LT-1 350 Camaro Z28 and Corvette, big-block Nova SS 396. 1971 dropped compression; 1972 dropped power ratings to SAE net.

1973-1977Smog era, colonnade Chevelles

Colonnade Chevelle/Malibu, second-gen Camaro Type LT and Z28 (which returned for 1977). Engine code enters the VIN in 1972.

1978-1980Downsized rear-drive Chevys

Downsized 1978 Malibu and 1977 full-size B-body. Third-gen Camaro launches for 1982 with the new 17-char VIN.

Where to authenticate

The archives serious buyers use

Position tables tell you what the car was supposed to be. These archives — some free, some paid — are what confirm what the factory actually built. Standard-of-care due diligence on any claimed halo car.

Paid

National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS)

The reference standard for Corvette VIN, trim tag, and engine pad decoding from 1953 forward. Membership required for the full judging manuals but the public VIN look-up index is free.

Free

GM Heritage Center — Vehicle Information Kits

Free downloadable factory brochures, dealer albums, and press materials for every GM division back to the 1900s. The source of truth for period model codes and body styles.

Free

Chevrolet Assembly Plant Codes (public reference)

The plant-code table (N/L/A/B/K/T/Z/S/U) is the same across muscle-era Chevrolet body lines. Wikipedia's model-year articles include the plant assignments per body line.

Free

Team Chevelle & Nova Resource forums

Owner-run forums with decades of archived pad-stamp photos and cowl-tag rubbings — invaluable for cross-checking a suspect L78 or LS6 claim against how a real one was stamped at the plant.

Free

NHTSA vPIC (17-character VINs only)

The free federal decoder. Only decodes 17-character VINs (1981 model year forward). If your Chevy is 1981 or newer, run its VIN here or through our free lookup.

Frequently asked

Chevrolet VIN decoder — questions we get most

How do I decode a classic Chevy VIN from the 1960s or 1970s?

Read the 13-character VIN one position at a time against the tables above. Position 1 is always 1 (Chevrolet). Positions 2-5 encode the series and body style (24-37 is a Camaro 2-dr hardtop, 34-67 is a Chevelle convertible). Position 6 is the last digit of the model year. Position 7 is the assembly plant code (N=Norwood, L=Van Nuys, etc.). The last six digits are the sequential unit number at that plant for that year. Engine code sits in position 3 from 1972 onward; before that the engine is stamped on the block pad, not encoded in the VIN.

Where is the VIN on a classic Chevy?

Through 1967 the VIN was on a plate riveted to the driver-side door post or the door hinge pillar. From 1968 forward federal law required the VIN to be visible through the driver-side windshield. On muscle-era Chevys you should always cross-check the windshield VIN against the door-jamb build sheet (where present), the cowl tag under the hood, and the partial VIN stamped on the engine block and transmission case. All four should agree on the year and the plant.

Can NHTSA decode a 1969 Camaro VIN?

No. The NHTSA vPIC decoder only supports 17-character VINs, which were mandated for the 1981 model year and later. A 1969 Camaro has a 13-character VIN and returns no data from vPIC. To decode it you use the Chevrolet position tables (above), NCRS references for Corvettes, and the GM Heritage Center archive for original build documentation.

How do I confirm a matching-numbers 1970 Chevelle SS 396 or 454?

Four checks in sequence. First, verify the 13-char VIN matches the plate location and cowl-tag rubbing. Second, pull the partial-VIN stamp on the engine block (behind the passenger-side head, near the timing cover) and confirm it matches the last digits of the car's VIN. Third, read the pad stamp for the plant/date/suffix and cross-reference the suffix against the 1970 Chevrolet suffix chart (CTX/CTY=LS5 454, CRV/CRT=LS6 454, CTB=396 L78 auto, CKO=396 L34, etc.). Fourth, verify the trans stamping and rear-axle date code fall within the correct build window. Any one of those failing is a red flag; three of four passing is not enough for a matching-numbers claim.

What is the difference between a Norwood and a Van Nuys / LA Camaro?

Same car, different plant. Norwood (Ohio, VIN position 7 = N) built the majority of first-generation Camaros; Van Nuys / Los Angeles (California, position 7 = L) built the rest — primarily for West Coast delivery. Van Nuys survivors are less common today, which can support a small documented-provenance premium on cars with intact plant paperwork. Both plants used the same VIN structure and the same suffix codes on the engine pad.

Do you decode 1981-and-newer Chevrolets too?

Yes — those cars use the 17-character VIN standard, which our free lookup decodes instantly through the NHTSA feed. If your Chevy is a 1981 or newer Camaro, Corvette, Monte Carlo SS, Impala SS, or truck, run it through the free 17-char check on the classic VIN check page and you'll get year, engine family, transmission, body style, and trim in seconds.

Where can I get a factory build sheet or dealer-order copy?

Chevrolet does NOT provide production copies of individual build sheets the way Ford does through Marti Auto Works. For Chevys the closest equivalent is (a) an owner-found original build sheet — sometimes tucked above the fuel tank or under the rear seat springs from the factory, (b) an NCRS Shipping Data Report for Corvettes, or (c) the GM Heritage Center's Vehicle Information Kit which provides the year-and-model-level build book with plant, options, and RPO code definitions. There is no per-VIN factory certificate for a 1969 Camaro the way there is for a 1969 Mustang.

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For 1981-and-newer classics — run the check.

Our free 17-character VIN check decodes every modern classic through the NHTSA feed. Fox-body Mustangs, C4/C5/C6 Corvettes, third-gen Trans Ams, first-year Vipers, air-cooled 911s — instant, no signup.

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