1965 Chevelle Vehicle Identification Number Plate

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United States

Canada

1965 VIN Breakdown (U.S.)

Do not confuse the Vehicle Identification Number plate information with that found on the Fisher Body Number plate (trim tag). The series depiction on the VIN  plate does NOT have the meaning as the Fisher Body Number plate.

The Vehicle Identification Number plate (VIN) has similar information to the trim tag such as the model, year, and assembly plant. One difference is the last six numbers relating to the assembly plant sequence as opposed to the trim tag's Fisher Body sequence and the series will designate a 6-cyl (odd 3rd digit) or V8 (even 3rd digit) on the VIN plate where the 3rd digit on the trim tag does not.

A typical 1965 U.S. built Chevelle VIN might read: 138375Z108031 being a Malibu SS V8 2-door sport coupe assembled in Fremont, CA. DD was initially to be used by dealers for "Delivery Date" but few were stamped. The VIN plate was riveted to the A-pillar on the driver side with unique 'rosette' rivets.

See VIN plate examples here

First Character: Division of General Motors
1 ~ Chevrolet

Second and Third Character: Series Designation *
31 ~ Chevelle 300, 6-cylinder
32 ~ Chevelle 300, 8-cylinder
33 ~ 300 Deluxe, 6-cylinder
34 ~ 300 Deluxe,  8-cylinder
35 ~ Malibu, 6-cylinder
36 ~ Malibu, 8-cylinder
37 ~ Malibu Super Sport, 6-cylinder
38 ~ Malibu Super Sport, 8-cylinder

Fourth and Fifth Character: Body Style/Model
11 ~ 2-door sedan
15 ~ 2-door wagon, 2-seat
35 ~ 4-door station wagon, 2-seat
37 ~ 2-door sport coupe
67 ~ 2-door convertible
69 ~ 4-door sedan
80 ~ 2-door sedan pickup

Sixth Character: Year of Production
5 ~ 1965

Seventh Character: Final Assembly Plant
A ~ Atlanta, Georgia
B ~ Baltimore, Maryland
G ~ Framingham, Massachusetts
Z ~ Fremont, California
K ~ Kansas City, Missouri

Eighth through Thirteenth Digits: Sequential Production Number
The sequential starting number for the 1965 Chevelle was 100001 at all U.S. Chevelle assembly plants. Each assembly plant sequenced Chevelles of all series/models without regard to specific series/models. For example, if a series 13435 station wagon followed a 13667 Malibu convertible, the sequence number would be one unit higher for the wagon. It's also entirely possible to have the same sequence number from all five 1965 U.S. assembly plants with the only difference between the VINs being the plant code.

Production at the Kansas City plant exceeded 100,000 units sometime in mid to late June so the VIN sequence from that time frame to the end of production would be 2nnnnn for the Kansas City plant.

* The El Camino is not a separate series nameplate but rather a body style in both the 300 Deluxe (33/34) and Malibu (35/36) series although it's often listed as such. The base (33/34) El Camino Deluxe is a 2-dr sedan pickup body style with 300 Deluxe trim where the (35/36) El Camino Custom is a 2-dr sedan pickup body style with Malibu trim.

Typical Canadian Chassis Serial Plate

The Oshawa, ON. assembly plant had a different schema with their VIN (or Chassis Serial) plate than the U.S. counterpart.

Example:
First Character: Model Year (5)
Second, Third and Fourth Characters: Division/Series Designation - Chevrolet, L6 Malibu (135)
Fifth and Sixth Characters: Body Style/Model - 4-door sedan (69)
Seventh through Twelfth Digits: Sequential Production Number beginning with 000001 (050001)

VIN plate location

1964-1967 VIN location

1965 Chevelle VIN plates used special rivets.

1965 VIN Assembly Plant Codes

Letter Code	Assembly Plant	Series *
A	Atlanta, Georgia	1, 4 **
B	Baltimore, Maryland	4 **
C	Southgate, California	1
D	Atlanta, Georgia (Doraville)	1
F	Flint, Michigan	1
G	Framingham, Massachusetts	1, 4
J	Janesville, Wisconsin	1
K	Kansas City, Missouri	4 **
L	Los Angeles, California (Van Nuys)	1
N	Norwood, Ohio	1, 3
R	Arlington, Texas	1
S	St. Louis, Missouri	1, 2
T	Tarrytown, New York	1
W	Willow Run, Michigan	3 (after June)
Y	Wilmington, Delaware	1
Z	Fremont, California	4 **
0	Oshawa, Canada	1, 3, 4
* 1-Passenger; 2-Corvette; 3-Chevy II; 4-Chevelle ** Included El Camino (Atlanta, Baltimore, and Kansas City assembled El Camino bodies were built at Euclid, Ohio)

1965 Chevrolet VIN Sequence Numbers

Series	Begin Sequence	Plant
Passenger	100001	All
Corvette	100001	St. Louis
Chevy II	100001	All
Chevelle	100001	All