new to me 81 with a vin question

[wagon]

picked up an 81 el camino over the weekend, the cl ad was horrible with pictures so blurry they were useless but it was less than a mile from my house so looked at it and dragged it home. has a newer header panel and fenders on it, header panel is kind of hanging on for dear life, seems 78-81 radiator supports are a little different. 3.8/3 speed standard car, both of which are long gone. last owner had a 350/4 speed in it with a hydraulic clutch which i may use since i have a bellhousing but i have g body ones too. gas door and license plate pocket were shaved, put gas in from inside the bed now. parts missing in addition to engine and trans are crossmember, driveshaft, steering box, steering column, gauges, some trim, headliner, hood, grill, and rear bumper. luckily i have half this crap in my basement and theres 2 salvage yards near me that have 3 caminos each so i should be able to slam it together easy enough. problem right now is the vin plate is rusted to hell and he couldnt find paperwork so now i'm guessing at it. since chevy considers it a truck my factory car manuals arent much help. i can see 1gccw8dk5br13375, the d may not be right and i cant see the last number but i'm not too worried about that, just need the rest correct and i'll figure the last one out easy enough since i know its a number.

 

[Neuron]

Hope this helps.

1981 El Camino VIN Breakdown



Location – The VIN number is stamped on a plate located on top of the instrument panel and visible through the windshield on the drivers side. It is composed of 17 numbers and letters.



A sample 1981 El Camino VIN would look like this: 1GCCW80HXBR100001



1st digit - This is the Country of origin

1 = U.S.A
2 = Canada
3 = Mexico


2nd digit – This is the manufacturers identity

G = General Motors


3rd digit - This is the Make

C = Chevrolet Truck
T = GMC Truck


4th digit - This is the GVWR Brake System

C = Hydraulic brake system - GVW 4001-5000


5th digit - This is the Series

W = El Camino/Caballero


6th and 7th digits - This is the Body Style

80 = 2dr Sedan Pick-up


8th digit - This identifies the engine

K = V-6, 229cid
A = V-6, 231cid
J = V-8, 267cid
H = V-8, 305cid

9th digit -Check Digit

10th digit - This is the Model Year

B = 1981


11th digit - This is the Assembly Plant code

B = Baltimore, MD
D = Doraville, GA
K = Leeds, MO
R = Arlington, TX
Z = Fremont, CA
1 = Oshawa, Canada


12th through 17th digits – Sequential Production Number

100001 – Sequential Production Number

 

[wagon]

only off by one digit, not bad for needing glasses now i just need to get the last number figured out.

 

[MeanBuicks]

1gccw80k5br133752 is the only combination that Carfax acknowledges as being valid. I don't have an account but you can enter VINs on their homepage and if it's valid, they will try to sell you a report. All other combos gave an error.

 

[wagon]

i used a pick and cleaned the plate, the last 2 are 27. at least now i can register the damn thing without hassle.