Aero VIN locations

[mpc]

Do Aeros (mine is a 1952 Wing) have a serial number on the chassis somewhere?  Mine has the original Willys plate on the driver's door pillar and I have the engine number. DMV is asking if there is a number somewhere on the chassis and I don't know the answer.
Thanks

[Barnum]

There is supposed to be one....but very often unreadable...I would just say no.

[joefrazer]

The Willys mechanics manual states that the serial number is located on a plate affixed to the left front door post. It makes no mention of it being stamped anywhere else. That would make sense given the car is of unit body construction so there's no separate frame to stamp a number on.

Ive parted out several Aeros over the years...and I'm ashamed to admit one or two were very solid restoration candidates...and I never ran across a VIN stamped anywhere but on the door post tag.

[MarkH]

I've been told it's also on the rear passenger inside side panel near the floor, and inside face of passenger side front suspension support. I've only heard 2 accounts of guys actually finding them. My body shell was stripped bare & I couldn't find a trace of a stamp in either location although I've considered stamping another while the car's apart.

Telling DMV "no" certainly would'nt be untruthful from my experience.

Which state DMV is asking?

[mpc]

It's for California.  I was attempting through AAA, but they weren't quite able to check all the boxes required for transfer  of an out of state title. They like to see the VIN in two places on the vehicle. I told them there was likely only one due to the unibody. They are sending me to DMV proper, and they may have reference books available to help them verify the year of the vehicle.
It's a Texas car and back then they apparently used the engine number for the VIN. My engine number matches my Texas title with registration documents through the decades back to the 50s that also match. That doesn't satisfy CA, as they would still like to see a 652.... VIN in two places (if a second one exists).

I just checked the two mentioned possibilities for nada.

[vt2000driver]

i don't know what county you are in so this is the best i can do here is a list of independent Vin verifiers  in California hope it helps but it may cost you $       http://www.asapvehicleverifiers.com/VV2LocationsServed.html    auto club just can't do it I have tried.

[mpc]

Thanks for those links.  I'll check and see if they can do anything with a car of this vintage.

Joefrazer, would you mind posting or emailing to me that page of the mechanic's manual? It may be helpful to show a VIN verifier that there is no mention of another location.

[mpc]

I found Service Bulletin 328 on the cj3apage.  It lists the metal plate attached to the left front hinge post, but no other location.  It also lists the primary (plate) locations for other Willys vehicles, but this bulletin does not discuss secondary (frame) locations and I'm pretty sure the various Jeep models had stamps on the frames.  I would sure like to find a second # on my car.  I'll keep looking.

[Aeroman]

We discussed this on the Willys Aero Facebook page and there was a Kaiser-Willys bulletin posted with the info that MarkH states. I'll see if I can locate it and post it here. Look just in front of the rear seat riser towards the passenger side.

[Gordie]

California used the motor numbers for registration through 1955 and then switched over to serial numbers from the body plates.  Vehicle verifiers charge from about $60.00 to $100.00 to come out to verify vehicles and they won't have an issue like the DMV verifiers do and DMV accepts verifications from licensed vehicle verifiers without question. You might also try going to a different DMV office as most DMV employees don't know much about old cars.  Also the CHP in California does verifications free.

[MarkH]

We discussed this on the Willys Aero Facebook page and there was a Kaiser-Willys bulletin posted with the info that MarkH states. I'll see if I can locate it and post it here. Look just in front of the rear seat riser towards the passenger side.

I knew I'd actually read that bulletin somewhere but couldn't remember where so was just passing info anectdotaly, hoping you'd weigh in. I'm going out on a limb here but I think you were the one guy I heard say you'd found it on your RF suspension support in the past.......?

I believe Lew Retzer knows who found it in the side rear seat location. He was the one that quizzed me repeatedly if I'd found mine when the car was in the metal shop a couple yrs ago.

[Aeroman]

I believe Jake posted that bulletin on here once. Also Jim Betts may have it.

[mpc]

That bulletin would be nice to see.  Maybe one of them will chime in with it.   I am still cleaning up the areas mentioned. If there is a picture of secondary numbers on someone's Aero somewhere, I would love to see it.
 
Thanks.

[pnw_oldmags]

Here is a bulletin discussing Serial location ... Bulletin KW229 pg 8 ... It says Left Front Door Post Pillar.

http://circlekf.com/sourceslideb.php?pub=KW&typ=SB&nbr=229&pag=1

[mpc]

Thanks for posting that Jim.  There is no reference to a secondary serial number marking that I'm trying to find.

It's worth the effort for me to find that second number to make sure CA titles it with the original serial number and not assign it an arbitrary new number. 

I'm thinking it probably doesn't exist, at least on my car.