1971 SS-Optioned Malibu
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
The 1971 SS optioned Chevelle can not be identified by the VIN. Since the SS option was just that, an option,, the VIN will not identify that option.
First Position Number - GM Division
1 ~ Chevrolet
Second & Third Position Numbers - series
36 - 8-cylinder Malibu
Fourth & Fifth Position Numbers - body style
37 - sport coupe
67 - convertible
80 - sedan pickup
Sixth Position Number - model year
1 - model year
Seventh Position Letter - assembly plant
R - Arlington, Texas
B - Baltimore, Maryland
F - Flint, Michigan
K - Kansas City, Missouri
L - Los Angeles (Van Nuys), California
The sequential starting number for the 1971 Chevelle was 100001 at all Chevelle assembly plants except Oshawa, Ontario which started at 500001. Each assembly plant sequenced Chevelles of all series/models without regard to specific series/models. For example, if a series 13857 Monte Carlo followed a 13667 Malibu convertible, the sequence number would be one unit higher for the Monte Carlo. It's also entirely possible to have the same sequence number from all five 1971 U.S. assembly plants with the only difference between the VINs being the plant code. Oshawa, Ontario would not have a matching sequence number of a U.S. plant Chevelle due to the starting sequence of 500001. No 1971 Monte Carlos were built at Arlington.
Production at the Baltimore assembly plant in early May and the Kansas City plant exceeded 100,000 units sometime in late April, so the VIN sequence from those time frames to the end of production would be 2nnnnn for the Baltimore and Kansas City plants.
* The El Camino is not a separate series nameplate but rather a body style in both the base Standard (33/34) and Malibu (35/36) series although it's often listed as such. The base (33/34) El Camino is a 2-dr sedan pickup body style with standard trim where the (35/36) El Camino Custom is a 2-dr sedan pickup body style with Malibu trim.
VIN Plate Location
The location of the VIN plate is located on the top left of the dash. This allowed law enforcement, and anyone else, to verify the VIN without having to open the car door to find it. One negative side effect is the special rosette rivets are no longer visible making it harder to detect whether or not the VIN plate has been removed.
It should be noted that the Monte Carlo and Chevelle were built on the same assembly lines at Baltimore, Flint, and Los Angeles (Van Nuys) and sequencing numbers would be the same range. This means that if the Monte Carlo was sequence number 123456, the Chevelle next in line would be sequence number 123457.