Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

My vin number doesn't decode 120ba1231

Attach file:

---

  IMG_20220716_115446301.jpg (132.35 KB)

1936 120 Bus/Ambulance/Commercial chassis.

right? What is your vehicle?

Interesting. My thought is that the first 3 digits (120) could match the model of your car, and the other 6 could match your Theft Proof number, the large digits embossed on the engine side of the firewall, usually on the passenger side.
Example picture is on the decoder page if you scroll down. May be worth checking this...

Why this may exist on your car is if the original VN plate was destroyed, or if some time in the past your car was stolen or had a defective title, someone could have purchased a VN plate and stamped their own VN on, and gotten new registration from that. The plate certainly looks old, and this wasn't difficult to do back when most states had lax or no titling laws. It was actually quite a problem back in the day as car theft rings would steal cars and simply repaint, swap the interior, etc. and change the VN tag, and the car was nearly untraceable as the description would not match any report, and the VN would be different too.

Important: this response is my speculation... for all I know someone will comment on here saying that Packard just made them this way on Tuesdays under a full moon in 1934, and that's why it's different... EDIT: see the comment right below mine...

Could you post a slightly more zoomed out picture of the plate? Can you tell if there's tooling marks around where you would pry the plate off? Also there are people here who could tell you if the method of attachment is factory correct.

G'day Mark the Packard, to PackardInfo.

I invite you to include your '35(?) Packard in the Packard Vehicle Registry.

I believe Flackmaster has nailed it.

That the VN begins with the chassis designation (120B) rather than a body type indicates that the sale by Packard was a chassis and not a finished vehicle, this type of numbering was standard Packard practice for chassis deliveries to coachbuilders. The 120B indicates a 1936 120 chassis, and the A indicates a commercial chassis such as would be used to mount an ambulance or other commercial vehicle. The remainder of the VN is the sequential production number of that particular chassis.

The font, specifically for the numerals, indicates this is original factory stamping.

120 business coupe

Attach file:

---

  16586272390731195938168975046748.jpg (214.54 KB)

Can you provide the theft-proof number, please?

Where do you find the theft proof number I don't understand it is the VIN tag on the firewall that's all I got

It's definitely a 120 business coupe

Attach file:

---

  6692.jpeg (74.93 KB)

If it has an anti-theft number, it is probably on the cowl (firewall) on the upper right and will be large embossed number stamped directly into the sheetmetal from the inside. I’m not sure when they started using them, though, but they are not the VIN and have no relation to it.

Based on what others have said, the plate on your car might just possibly have come from some other Packard but I’m no expert on the model designations of this era of Packards so will let the experts give their advice.