How Do I Decode a VIN on a 1969 Chevy Nova?
by Gail MarieUpdated November 07, 2017
Items you will need
1969 Chevy Nova VIN
Paper
Pen or pencil
A vehicle identification number (VIN) is a combination of letters and numbers, each of which represents information about a vehicle, including the country, assembly plant and the year it was built; its make, model and serial number; and sometimes equipment specifications. Vehicle registration documents, auto insurance forms and a vehicle’s title require a VIN. You can find the 13-digit VIN on a 1969 Chevy Nova etched into a metal plate that is attached to the top of the instrument panel on the driver’s side and is visible through the windshield.
Look through the windshield to find the VIN number. It's stamped on a plate attached to the top of the driver's side instrument panel.
Write down the 13 digits so you can decode the VIN. The first digit is the number 1, which stands for the General Motors division that made the vehicle: Chevrolet.
Note the second and third digits, which indicate the vehicle’s series:
15 = Nova, L6 16 = Nova, V8 17 = Nova SS, L6 18 = Nova SS, V8
Check the fourth and fifth digits, which indicate the body code:
27 = 2-door sedan 37 = sport coupe 69 = 4-door 6-passenger sedan
Look for the sixth digit, which stands for the model year. On a 1969 Chevy Nova, this digit should be 9. (On a 1965 Nova, the sixth VIN digit would be a 5; on a 1966 Nova, it would be a 6; etc.)
Note the seventh digit, which stands for the location of the assembly plant where the vehicle was built:
A = Atlanta, GA B = Baltimore, MD C = Southgate, CA F = Flint, MI G = Framingham, MA J = Janesville, WI K = Kansas City, MO L = Los Angeles/Van Nuys, CA N = Norwood, OH P = Pontiac, MI R = Arlington, TX S = St. Louis, MO T = Tarrytown, NY W = Willow Run, MI Y =Wilmington, DE Z = Fremont, CA 1 = Oshawa, Ontario, Canada 2 = Therese, Quebec, Canada
Check the eighth through 13th digits of the VIN, which indicate the production sequence of the vehicle. The sequence for vehicles made in 1969 starts at 300001, so if the last six digits of your VIN are 300101, your 1969 Chevy Nova was the 100th one made.
References
Writer Bio
Gail began writing professionally in 2004. Now a full-time proofreader, she has written marketing material for an IT consulting company, edited auditing standards for CPAs and ghostwritten the first draft of a nonfiction Amazon bestseller. Gail holds a Master of Arts in English literature and has taught college-level business communication, composition and American literature.
