1956 Corvette serial number

[John S.]

I have purchased a barn find 1956. The title goes back to 1978. The serial number starts with a VES56. I have looked in the Corvette black book and Nolan Adams book to find no information on this V. All examples I have looked at and the books say that the serial numbers for the 1956 started with the E. Does any one have any info they can help me with? thanks john

[Todd H.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

john, here's some good discussion on this issue.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/archive/index.php/t-31497.html

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c1-and-c2-corvettes/2658259-mike-hunt-s-1956-and-1957-vin-disparities.html

[John S.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

Thanks for the info Todd. This car is a Indiana car. It has set for 32 years. It is 123 rd car from the end. The frame matches the title. My next question is, the tag on the door jamb has been lost, I can get a repro tag, do I have the tag stamped with just the E or should I put VE on it. thanks again.

[Richard M.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

John,

Basically it was a paperwork glitch. Some cars had a V stamped in front of the E to signify it had a V8. This was common for the 1955 model year, but for some reason it carried over to some 1956 cars. The selling dealer added the V to the paperwork and sometimes stamped the prefixing V into the vin tag.

See the links below for Mike Hunt data which explains the V.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?117965-Mike-Hunt-1956-1957-Database&p=807599#post807599

this link has the same files but they include a PDF search capability...

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthread.php?117965-Mike-Hunt-1956-1957-Database&p=807779#post807779

The file with "V" data for particular 1956 cars is in the files: "Mike Hunt RP 56-7 1956 36th Year Survivor Cars Rpt.....pdf "

Check if there is a record of your vin# as being prefixed with the "V". If your vin isn't listed it just means the owner never sent it in to Mike when he was compiling the data.

If your title vin# listed on it has the V, and the vin Tag has the V, you should have no issues. However, if the two don't have the V it may be a problem. If so, and your car is listed in the database with this anomaly, the paperwork may help you at your DMV office as it is documented proof of this historically documented paperwork "glitch" back in the 50's.

Rich

[Todd H.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

John, you say your frame matches your title, but it does not have the V stamped in it, correct? And you say it's the 123rd car from the end? So that would seem to mean that it is not listed on Mike Hunt's VE list. #4340 is, but not what I'm guessing your VIN is. Unfortunate.

Rich, if John has a tag made for his car (which I know is another area of considerable debate), and he has it stamped with a V, it won't match what I'm assuming his frame stamp to be; in other words minus the V. Since I assume his frame stamp and title already don't match, adding the V to the new tag would only further confuse the issue.

Several of these VE '56 and '57 Corvettes must still exist. I wonder what they do about their non-matching titles and VIN tags?

If John's frame has the stamped V, it would seem to throw out Mike's prevailing theory that the added V appeared at dealerships. Unless the V has clearly been added by someone wanting the frame to match the title, which seems unlikely on a car that has been sitting since the 70s.

[Richard M.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

John, you say your frame matches your title, but it does not have the V stamped in it, correct? And you say it's the 123rd car from the end? So that would seem to mean that it is not listed on Mike Hunt's VE list. #4340 is, but not what I'm guessing your VIN is. Unfortunate.

Rich, if John has a tag made for his car (which I know is another area of considerable debate), and he has it stamped with a V, it won't match what I'm assuming his frame stamp to be; in other words minus the V. Since I assume his frame stamp and title already don't match, adding the V to the new tag would only further confuse the issue.

Several of these VE '56 and '57 Corvettes must still exist. I wonder what they do about their non-matching titles and VIN tags?

If John's frame has the stamped V, it would seem to throw out Mike's prevailing theory that the added V appeared at dealerships. Unless the V has clearly been added by someone wanting the frame to match the title, which seems unlikely on a car that has been sitting since the 70s.

Todd, Yes this is a unusual situation. I too just saw in the database that his vin isn't listed. The title has the V. I'm not certain how his DMV would handle it. I believe most DMV criteria is to verify that the Title Vin# matches the Tag vin#.

I don't think any frames were stamped with the V since the dealers did not have access to stamp a V in the frame. Some stamped the tag, some did not.

Mike's research requested owners to specify if their "Paperwork" had the "VE". He simply asked in his info requests if it was a "VE" or not. He didn't specify asking if both Vin tag AND Paperwork had the VE, i.e. 2 separate columns in his database.

Mike's research surmised that St Louis did NOT specify a V in the MSO paperwork when delivered to the dealers. He concluded that the dealers added the V. He also states this likely happened because the 1956/1957 Chevrolet Passengers cars used the V prefix for V8 equipped cars and some dealers did it also for Corvettes, even though by then all of them had a V8. Unfortunately, the paperwork glitch in the past can now create some difficult issues today.

Rich

[Dick W.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

Thanks for the info Todd. This car is a Indiana car. It has set for 32 years. It is 123 rd car from the end. The frame matches the title. My next question is, the tag on the door jamb has been lost, I can get a repro tag, do I have the tag stamped with just the E or should I put VE on it. thanks again.

Be very careful. If you get a repo tag and have the car judged, if the judges detect the tag, it will be branded in the NCRS database.

[John S.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

Thanks Dick; This is a old race car and will only ever be hot rod or a rat rod. Right now it is being used as a mule to test the power tops I rebuild.

[Gary C.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

John,

Recommend a State Reissued VIN tag as it's against the law to have a "reproduction" VIN tag.

JMTCW,

Gary
....

[Darryl D.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

[QUOTE=Gary Chesnut (5895);826678]John,

Recommend a State Reissued VIN tag as it's against the law to have a "reproduction" VIN tag.

JMTCW,

Gary
....[/QUOT
That is absolutely bull****. I had one done 30 years ago with the full acknowledgment of law enforcement. As with most things into depends on the circumstances.

[Gary C.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

[Darryl D.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

could

Read the key word here, there are exception to the law. I have been through this in the past before with others. You need to know ALL of the circumstances before you make a blanket statement.

The below is from the horse's mouth not second hand info from someone else, it happened to ME.

30 years ago I had a Corvette stolen. The thieves had ripped both of the trim tag and V.I.N. plates in 1/2 tearing them out of the car. The car was recovered and the pieces of the plates were laying on the floor of the car on the passenger side. When they arrested the thieves they were in the process of removing the engine from the car. I later had to talk to the arresting officer to get a form detailing the incident in order to have the V.I.N. tag reproduced along with the trim tag from AG back East doing business as http://www.datatags.com/ This was not illegal under the circumstances but the producer of the tags has to follow the Federal law guidelines to be able to do this. His tags and equipment will create an original type undetectable reproduction tag that will maintain the value of your car rather than the “curse of death” state issued replacement tag that will greatly de-value your car.

[Don H.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

NCRS only accepts original factory tags or DMV issued tags. With proper documentation like this example, I think it could be accepted if the plates did not pass inspection. Doing any altering or replacing VIN tags is a very sensitive (and legal) topic. Cars have been seized and sometimes lost for this. Don H.

[Dick W.]

Re: 1956 Corvette serial number

[QUOTE=Darryl Dayton (63266);826689]

John,

Recommend a State Reissued VIN tag as it's against the law to have a "reproduction" VIN tag.

JMTCW,

Gary
....[/QUOT
That is absolutely bull****. I had one done 30 years ago with the full acknowledgment of law enforcement. As with most things into depends on the circumstances.

I suggest that you check the laws today. They have cracked way down on repo VIN tags and anything that has VIN on it. Ask M. F. Dobbins about his decals that went in the door Jambs of C-3's. He will tell you his horror story and how many thousands of dollars spent in legal fees