1970 Chevelle Fisher Body Number Plate General Information

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  • In-depth analysis of 1970 Fisher Body Number Plates

  • Decode your 1970 Chevelle Fisher Body Number Plate

  • Generally, in 1970 the series/model designation on the trim tag is a trim level and not an indication of the engine type installed in the vehicle as Fisher Body didn't care what engine type was to be installed. Baltimore, Kansas City, and Oshawa are the only three known plants to match the Fisher Body style number with the series/model of the VIN. Atlanta, Flint, and Van Nuys are not certain and only the Vehicle Identification Number plate can determine whether the model was delivered with a V8 or L6 engine.

  • 1970 continued the Concours Estate wagon with the 13836/46 series designation as well as the newly introduced Monte Carlo 2-door sport coupe with series designation 13857.

  • The SS Equipment option package (RPO Z25) was dropped from the Standard series sport coupe and was limited to the Malibu series 2-door sport coupe, convertible, and sedan pickup. Although there are theories about certain letters appearing on certain final assembly plant body number plates indicating the SS option was installed on the car, there is NO PROOF in the form of GM documentation. The Monte Carlo only offered the SS454 package (RPO Z20) with the 454 engine.
    * Strong evidence, yes.
    * Proof, no.

  • Baltimore shows a data processing number from block #24 on the trim tag and not the body number from the build sheet.

  • A popular publication states, "On all 1965 through 1971 trim tags, the engine identification portion of the model identification number always indicates a V-8 engine. No 6-cylinder engine identification numbers are stamped on any trim tag." This is an incorrect statement for not only 1965 through 1971 but includes 1972 as well. There are numerous examples of trim tags with an odd 3rd-digit style on this website. For 1970 it's been determined that at least Baltimore, Kansas City, and Oshawa used an odd 3rd-digit on the Fisher Body trim tag; no examples of Arlington, Atlanta, Flint, or Van Nuys has shown up yet to prove one way or the other for those plants.

  • Atlanta continued their trim tag physical size of 1-3/4" x 4" and newly joined plants Arlington, Flint and Van Nuys (Los Angeles) compared to 2-3/16" x 3-1/2" of Baltimore, Kansas City & Oshawa plants.

    1970 model year plant 1-3/4" x 4" 2-3/16" x 3-1/2"
    Atlanta yes  
    Arlington yes  
    Flint yes  
    Van Nuys (Los Angeles) yes  
    Baltimore   yes
    Kansas City   yes
    Oshawa   yes

  • Links to Fisher Body Number Plates (a.k.a., trim tag, cowl tag, firewall tag, etc.)

  • A ~ Atlanta, Georgia

    Click tag to see more Atlanta examples...
    • Assembly month padded with leading zero where applicable.
    • Almost all have a hand-stamped number visible. This is a Believed to be the body assembly platform number indicating the vehicle was ready for shipment.
    • No station wagons were built in Atlanta in 1970.
    • Special Paint (RPO ZP3) is indicated on the trim tag with a dash character (-) where applicable; vinyl and convertible tops on special paint cars still retain the letter code for the top color.
    • Two pair of 6-digit numbers are found on the last line. These are data processing tracking numbers and have no significance today. The first 6-digit group and the last 4 digits of the second 6-digit group are found on the build sheet in block 24. The first 2 digits of the second 6-digit group are found on the build sheet in block 10 and represents sequential production date (01...99) matching the Fisher Body Number plate to the build sheet for an Atlanta Chevelle is shown here.

  • B ~ Baltimore, Maryland ~ El Camino
     
    Click either tag for more Baltimore examples...

    • Assembly month padded with leading zero where applicable
    • Special Paint (RPO ZP3) is indicated on the trim tag with a dash character (-) where applicable; vinyl and convertible tops on special paint cars still retain the letter code for the top color.
    • All examples of 2-door sport coupes (37), 2-door convertibles (67), and sedan pickups (80) have either the letter "B", the letters "B" and "D", or the letters "B" and "L" (on sedan pickups) following the assembly date. The meaning of these letters is not known. It is suspected by some the "B" is for SS cars but the letter "B" have been seen on both SS optioned and non SS optioned Malibus. It's also been reported that the letter "D" may indicate factory hood & deck stripes but that has not been confirmed  but every instance where I have a trim tag & matching build sheet on a 1970 Baltimore Chevelle, the D and D88 stripes do match up. The presence of D88 stripes, by themselves though, DO NOT automatically mean an SS396 or SS454 Chevelle since D88 stripes were available on any Malibu sport coupe, convertible, and pickup.


      This tag is from a non-SS Malibu sport coupe - note the letter "B"

      Anyone with photos of a Baltimore trim tag along with the corresponding build sheet is encouraged to contact me to assist in the search for the possible meaning of these letters.
    • Numbers following plant designation code (B for Baltimore) are not the body number shown on the build sheet (in this case BB00292) but rather the first 6-digit number from block 24.
    • The 4-digit number at the bottom right is a data processing tracking number and has no significance today. This number is found in block 24 of the build sheet.
    • Special Paint (RPO ZP3) is indicated on the trim tag with a dash character (-) where applicable; vinyl and convertible tops on special paint cars still retain the letter code for the top color. Special Paint could also be a factory color (such as Cranberry Red, 75) but white stripes where black would normally be used as found on Baltimore build sheet.
    • The Fisher Body Number Plate does depict an L6 or V8 via the style number.
  • BL ~ Los Angeles (Van Nuys), California ~ El Camino
     
    Click either tag for more Van Nuys examples...
    • Assembly month not padded with leading zero where applicable.
    • Two pair of 6-digit numbers are found on the last line. These are data processing tracking numbers and have no significance today. The first 6-digit group and the last 4 digits of the second 6-digit group are found on the build sheet in block 24. The first 2 digits of the second 6-digit group are found on the build sheet in block 10 and denote the date of the month.
    • Special paint trim tags show DuPont mixing formula such as 926-99616, 927-AF017, etc.
    • Los Angeles has E-week coded tags for at least January of 1970.
  • BT ~ Arlington, Texas

    Click tag for more Arlington examples...
    • Assembly month padded with leading zero where applicable.
    • Three digit number after assembly date is a data processing tracking number and has no significance today. The number is found in block 10 of the build sheet.
    • Special paint trim tags show a blank space. At least one Arlington Chevelle has been reported with a single 51 paint code for Daytona Yellow.  Paint code 51 was an optional color for Oldsmobiles that were built at the Arlington plant as well as Chevelles. A former GM employee confirms that it was possible that since the paint was available at the plant (although not a Chevelle color), it could have been coded on a Chevelle trim tag.
    • No convertibles were built in Arlington in 1970.
  • FL2 ~ Flint, Michigan

    Click tag for more Flint examples...
    • Assembly month padded with leading zero where applicable.
    • Special Paint (RPO ZP3) is indicated on the trim tag with a blank space (  ) where applicable; vinyl and convertible tops on special paint cars still retain the letter code for the top color.
    • No data processing numbers other than the body identification is found on Flint body plates.
    • No convertibles were built in Flint in 1970.
  • KAN ~ Kansas City, Missouri ~ El Camino
     
    Click either tag for more Kansas City examples...
    • Assembly month padded with leading zero where applicable.
    • A 5-digit number follows the assembly date. This is a data processing tracking number and has no significance today. The first 4 digits are found in block 24 but the origin or meaning of the last digit is unknown.
    • Special Paint (RPO ZP3) is indicated on the trim tag with a dash character (-) where applicable; vinyl and
      convertible tops on special paint cars still retain the letter code for the top color.
    • Controversy continues over the letter "L" that appears after the data processing number. Of the examples I have, the letter "L" appears on every known SS-optioned Chevelle Malibu and does not appear on Chevelle Malibus known NOT to be SS-optioned. Other Chevelle owners have stated they have seen the "L" on other known non SS-optioned Chevelles and not just the Malibu series. Other body plates are displayed with the letter "Z" (on 13437 standard sport coupes and standard sedans) or no letter at all.
    • To continue with this, it appears that sometime in February Kansas City began including "B" or "W" where applicable to indicate black or white hood & deck stripes. If you have access to a late March, early April or later Chevelle with "B" or "W" on the trim tag and can document via build sheet that it does indeed have black or white stripes, please contact me at with particulars.
    • Conversely, if you have access to a late March, early April or later Chevelle that has "B" or "W" on the trim tag but build sheet does NOT show hood & deck stripes or vise versa, no "B" or "W" on trim tag but build sheet does show hood & deck stripes, I'd be very interested in those cases as well.
    • The Fisher Body Number Plate does depict an L6 or V8 via the style number.
    • It's purported the 5-digit number after the body date is the number of the particular car on a given work day of the week such as 07671 would be the 767th car built on the 1st work day of the week. It is uncertain if this is a known fact though.
  • OS ~ Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

    Click tag for more Oshawa examples...
    • Assembly month NOT padded with leading zero where applicable.
    • Paint color sales names differ from U.S.-built paint color names. Canadian color name is listed with U.S.-built color name in parentheses.
    • Some RPO codes like Z25 are listed on the body plate making it easy to identify an SS-optioned Malibu built in Oshawa.
    • The Fisher Body Number Plate does depict an L6 or V8 via the style number.

Just for fun, here's a trim tag for a full size Chevrolet convertible from Tarrytown, N.Y. Information is generally the same as found on 1970 Chevelle trim tags. Fisher Body style number 16467, TA to identify assembly plant (and the only year TA was used for Tarrytown), Fisher Body unit number 02525, interior trim color/material identification (806 is black coated fabric bench seat), paint code of 25 B noting Astro Blue with black convertible top, body date of 05D for May, 4th week, then alphanumeric tracking codes used at Tarrytown.