Serial Number Decoder (For 1947 - 1955 1st Series Chevy Trucks)
Serial Number Location
The serial number is located on the left (driver's side) front body hinge pillar, except on models with a cowl less windshield, where the serial plate is located on the left hand cowl side inner panel except forward control chassis serial number plates installed by the body builder.
Serial Number Composition
The serial numbers for 1947 through 1955 US made Chevrolet Advance Design trucks are 8 to 12 digits long*. They are comprised of two sections. The first section ends with the last alpha character. It is arranged in one of two distinct formats, depending on the year the truck was built, as explained below. The second section, all numeric, is the plant production number, with the first truck built at a given plant receiving the number 001001.
Serial Number Order
1953 - 1955
1947 - 1952
First Digit
Series
Assembly Plant*
Second Digit
Year (Decade, always 5)
Year (E, F, G, H, J, K)
Except for 1947 through 1952 1-1/2 & 2 Ton Heavy Duty Trucks, which used Q, R, S, T, U, V
to designate the year.
Third Digit
Year (3, 4 or 5)
Series*
Fourth Digit
Assembly Plant
Month (A - L for Jan - Dec)
Assembly Plant
1953 - 1955
1947 - 1952
Atlanta, GA
A
8
Baltimore, MD
B
14
Flint, MI
F
1
Janesville, WI
J
21
Kansas City, MO
K
5
Los Angeles, CA
L
20
At least one document for 1947 specifically lists Van Nuys, not Los Angeles, as assembly plant location 20
.
Norwood, OH
N
9
Oakland, CA
O
6
St. Louis, MO
S
3
Tarrytown, NY
T
2
Year
1953 - 1955
1947 - 1952
1947
-
E
1948
-
F
1949
-
G
1950
-
H
1951
-
J
1952
-
K
1953
53
-
1954
54
-
1955
55
-
Series
1953 - 1955
1947 - 1952
A partial list that does not include COE, Forward Control or School Bus models. 1947 - 1948 used Thriftmaster or Loadmaster rather than a series designation or the series was not well known, as indicated by a cross reference chart in the 1948 - 1951 Chevrolet truck shop manual. The 6500 & 6500S series were first listed in 1951.
1508
D
J
3100
H
P
3600
J
R
3800
L
S
4100
N
J
4400
P
K
6100, 6100S*
V, SV
V, VS
6400, 6400S*
W, SW
W, WS
6500, 6500S*
X, SX
Y, YS
Month
1953 - 1955
1947 - 1952
Production month was discontinued after 1952 when the serial number format changed, therfore all 1953 - 1955 year trucks do not have the month they where produced as part of the serial number.
January
N/A
A
February
N/A
B
March
N/A
C
April
N/A
D
May
N/A
E
June
N/A
F
July
N/A
G
August
N/A
H
September
N/A
I
October
N/A
J
November
N/A
K
December
N/A
L
* 1947 - 1952 serial numbers on 1-1/2 & 2 Ton Heavy Duty Specials may contain an extra S
character as part of the series code. 1947 - 1952 assembly plant codes may be 1 or 2 characters. 1947 - 1952 plant production numbers did not include leading zeros.
Thanks to Don Moen for this information.
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