Missing VIN badges

[yuza]

Hello all

I just got a ‘79 Chief 4.2 that I plan to restore with low budget (And I guess I will end up spending 3x the budget, as usual...)

It was registered in Italy with just the serial number from the chassis (J9126071) and not the full VIN

I just realized that both the metal badge on the firewall and the (plastic?) one on the dash are missing, therefore I cannot decode the VIN to see the original specs

Is there any chance to find the full VIN and/or specs from the serial number?

Maybe from Jeep archives?

Also, can you confirm all cherokees/wagoneers were 5 seaters? I do have back seats installed but it was registered as a commercial vehicle in Italy which means that I might not be able to accomodate more then 2 people

Thanks

[Cecil14]

I hate to be the one to say this, but are you 100% sure that vehicle was not stolen at some point? Missing VIN tags is generally suspicious.

As far as decoding the serial number, I am not aware of any database that catalogs just those numbers. I don't know if there is anywhere else you could look for the full VIN. Maybe someone else has more info.


aa

[Stuka]

Here in the States, you would be unable to register that vehicle at all without a VIN. You can re-VIN vehicles here, but lots of hoops there. Not sure if its possible there.

The dash vin is metal, just as an FYI, although I thought they were not added until '80, but maybe '79 got em. Jeep didn't track VIN to S/N back then. So it won't be in any database.

Not all Cherokee's were five seaters. They were available without a back seat. And Wagoneers were available with a bench seat up front and would seat six.

[yuza]

I was also surprised but it has legal italian documents with just the serial reported as “frame number”

We need here to register the change of property at dept of transportation via an authorized agency, which I did last week and all went well, I am legally owner of it

If it was stolen somewhere back it didn’t happen in Italy for sure

The PO told me he bought it in 2010 close to a US airforce base, maybe it was imported by a Usaf member back in the days and the plate with vin was already missing...who knows?

It is a pity I cannot track back what was the original trim etc but as long as I can make some restoring and have it fully functional it wouldn’t be a showstopper

I might keep the back seats and just use it as a 2 seater

I need now a pair of front seat in Levi tan design since mines are gone, found a full set front/back here in Italy (very rare) but pricey

[RamJetFSJ]

My 80 didn't have a dash VIN plate. Only the one on the firewall.

[babywag]

Even if you had the full vin you would only get limited info.
Model/engine/trans.
No paint, trim, or options would be told by VIN.

[mud89]

IIRC : no dash VIN plate before '81
I agree with babywag

[yuza]

Thanks guys

So I will base my little restoring on what is currently the layout of my Chief

It’s receving a new clutch kit and new tyres, later I’ll need to restore dash and seats

Looking forward for the first drive!

[tgreese]

If you have the sequential serial number, you can deduce the VIN from the equipment of the Jeep. There is a complete 1979 TSM here http://oljeep.com/edge_parts_man.html that tells you about the 1979 VINs (p. A-6). A 1979 wide track Cherokee with a T-15 3-speed and 258 is J9F17NC126071. Look at how the Jeep is equipped now, and that will tell you what the VIN should be.

[yuza]

Wow thanks, didn't consider this so far
Question: once "recoded" is there a way to have a VIN badge made? Anybody producing replicas?

[yuza]

I guess this is a “no”...?

[tgreese]

Search the internet. You can do that as well as we can. There are places that make replacement VIN badges. Also check Hemming's Motor News, which caters to old car restorers.

[yuza]

That’s what I am actually doing, I was just hoping you could recommend someone

[tgreese]

Yes, well... to me, the right response is nothing if you don't have anything relevant to contribute. So yeah, it's a "no," but not because we aren't reading your posts.

If you searched and found nothing, you might post with a request for suggestions of where else to search. I'd assume missing the VIN tag is quite uncommon if there's nothing shady in the vehicle's history.

[yuza]

I had a positive feedback from a US based company named Nostalgic Reflection, just found it googling.
I guess anybody producing metal plates can do actually, also in Italy
I still have few questions though, and I would appreciate help from experts
I know my VIN should be J9M17NC126071 based on car's specs and VIN decoders (eg oljeep)
I know paint code should be 9B (white) since I found a paint code chart online
What I do not know is trim option code and of course sales order code
Can anybody help with trim code? I remember I saw a chart somewhere but can't recall where, in case I can "recode" from my current trim set
In the bottom right corner there should also be a "jeep model" code, 4 digits. Mine is a "17", right? I saw some examples of Vin plates with "1700", is this the same?
I guess I will need to invent a sales order number, right? Is there any logic in the sequence? domestic/export, date etc for instance?
Thanks

[tgreese]

Beige denim (not Levis by '79 IIRC) with folding buckets for a 17 is FY. Sales order code will remain a mystery, since any record of that was long ago destroyed - I would just pick an example code from somewhere. If yours is a wide track, 1700 will be correct, I believe. Again, that's a Jeep internal number, so it's not explicitly decoded for us. I presume it's just the model number plus a couple of zeros. Maybe someone with a '79 VIN tag will give you an example for inspiration re the missing numbers.

[yuza]

That would be great indeed
Anybody with a ‘79 cherokee please post your vin badge!

[toothofwar]

I have a 79 wide track Cherokee that I can post up, but it will have to be this weekend sometime. I am currently out of town. Mine is the 360 v8, auto, quadratrac with black interior.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[yuza]

Thanks, I would appreciate it
Just need to see how the vin plate looks like and later invent a sales order number, feel free to blur the vin code

[yuza]

@ tgreese trim code would just be “FY”? No other digits?
Thanks