Taxiguy has an discussion to do away with platform name and start using chassis code only. I need your opinion if we can allow using the platform name and chassis code interchangeably.

I would propose using the platform name as generic name if we cannot narrow down to the chassis code.

What do you think?

Ah, I was thinking about creating a topic on this discussion, you beat me to it.

Well I guess everyone already knows my opinion on this issue I think the idea of using the platform name when we don't know the chassis code is ok, though for cars like the Crown Victoria we almost always do (i.e. P71 P70 P74) so using "panther" wouldn't really be necessary in that case.

I do have a book however, that has the chassis code for every single model of American car from 1935-2006, which I suppose could be helpful in this instance, the only thing is it does not include police and taxi models

I suppose another solution could be to create another set of brackets (or something similar) to put the platform name in addition to the chassis code.

But of course the final decision is up to antp and the other admins I guess...

I do not know if it is useful to include that info... Chassis code was originally for well known ones like Mercedes/BMW where that code is usually more useful than the model name.
So even if it is not a problem to include the codes of other cars, too much detail is not always useful either.

What's it called? I have an irrational fixation on chassis codes, and detailed information is hard to find on the internet. I'd probably buy something like that, even if it was only for American cars.

"The Encyclopedia of American Cars"
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=97814127135- 42&ourl=Encyclopedia-of-American-Cars/The-Auto-Editors-of-Consumer-Guide

It also has production figures, original prices, and detailed histories of all makes and models in that time period. A very wonderful book, a must have for any car lover Oh yes, and it also has literally thousands of original factory photos of the cars too

If you would like, I could take some pictures of the inside pages of the book, just so you can see what it's like

If you all are wanting chassis codes then should I stop putting the vehicle program codes (U324, U222, UN93, V229, UW137, D471 and so on) for the Ford’s? They are sort of like chassis codes. Someone [I think] has removed some of the UW137 codes btw.

I think the body codes can be useful for specific series...

That does sound great. Since you say it doesn't have police or taxi models, I assume strictly commercial/industrial (tractors, semi trucks) and military vehicles (Chevy CUCV) are also omitted. Has it got pickups and SUVs though?


I'm trying hard not to come up with too many...
-Pontiac 6000, esp. STE and AWD.
-Any special edition (Warlock, Midnite Express, Lil' Red Express) '72-'80 Dodge D series.
-'77-'79 Ford Ranchero.
-GMC Syclone/Typhoon.

No pick-ups or SUVs sorry The book is limited strictly to cars, though a few minivans are in there due to their importance in many comapny's line-ups, specifically Chrylser. There is a chance that the El-Camino and Ranchero are in there, I'll have to check on that.
So it doesn't have the D-series (that is a truck right?) and there are no GMCs in the whole book either, sorry
I can get you 6000 pictures though, and any other cars (not trucks) you can think of too

Well that's unfortunate, the synopsis said it had Willys in it, so I sort of assumed it would. Even with that limited scope (American market*, American manufacturer consumer passenger cars), it still sounds like a phenomenal resource.
Yes, the D-series was Dodge's full-size truck line before the Ram ('50-something-'80). There's reams of info on the Lil' Red Express, less on the Midnite Express (which is the same, but black), but the Warlock is pretty obscure. I can't even find out what it is, could be a drag racing homologation special or just a tape package.

Here's some more long shots :
-Panoz Esperante.
-Saleen S7.
-In 1940 Hupmobile and Graham-Paige remade the Cord 812, but it was rear-drive. Any chance that's in there?
I really appreciate your looking these up for me (even if they turn out not to be there).

*I'm just assuming it doesn't have foreign market cars by American manufacturers, even to such a limited extent as Mexican-market Dodges (K body Magnum, 90s Ramcharger) and Canadian-market Pontiacs (Beaumont, Parisienne).

No it does not include cars like the rebadged Pontiacs that are in Canada (Tempest, Firefly, Wave, Parisienne, etc...)
But I think there's a good chance it has the Sallen, as I did see a section for that, and it probably has the Panoz too, and the other car you mentioned. There are some pretty obscere brands in there, it really does have everything that's "American" even if they were only sold for a couple of years.
I'll get those pictures for you soon

I do agree with the point taxiguy has brought up. I know that cieraguy has been the one that has been adding a lot of these codes in the chassis field. With all due respect for him, I disagree with what he's doing. I think that if he's going to do that, then he should do it for all of the vehicles because it seems useless to add the code for just some (Chevrolet Cavaliers, for example) when all of the other ones listed on the site don't have them.

As you guys know, I use 5 different VIN codes for identifying Crown Victorias (only when I'm 100% sure the VIN actually applies, many CV's don't have a VIN listed for this reason). I did it to separate the different models. If I had put "panther" in the platform, it would have been correct as that is the name of the platform, but useless since it wouldn't have helped narrow down any specific models.

So I think that whoever adds any type of code to the chassis field should add it to ALL of the cars to which it applies, as it looks a bit sloppy, in my honest opinion, to only add it to some cars and leave the rest blank. I did so with the CV's when I first started using the VIN codes (and it was difficult as there are A LOT of CV's on the sit.e



I think it's good information to have. Taking the Expeditions as an example, the codes differentiate between the different generations (1997-2002, 2003-2006, 2007+ ) and you've added it
to all of the vehicles to which the codes apply.

I don't know who has been removing them. During your absence, I added in the codes as best as I could, but left the years blank as you're more of the expert on that.

so that's my opinion on the matter.

ford guy, I have noticed you have never used any [P73], but just [P74]. How do you know that all the civilian models are LX and not the standard version? Also what does [P72] stand for?

Another tidbit of info I thought you might want to know, appearantly since the 1995 model year Ford has used "P" codes for all of their passenger cars, not just Crown Vic.
For instance, Taurus uses [P52] through [P59] depending on the trim level and body style (sedan vs. wagon). Focus uses [P31] through [P39], Escort uses [P10] through [P19], Contour uses [P65] through [P67], etc...
I could post a list of all of them, but other than the Escort ZX2, which uses one code for all models [P11], I don't think it would be paticularly helpful for the site since we would have to pinpoint the exact trim level and body style to know the right code for each car. It's up to you...

Anyway, just thought you should know that

That's true; if we're going into chassis-code level detail identifying cars, there's going to be a lot we simply can't identify with the information we have access to.
I know BMW is relatively easy, their chassis codes identify one generation of one car. I think a few cars have different codes for wagon or convertible bodystyles, but that's not hard to spot.
On the other hand, there's manufacturers like Toyota, their chassis codes include both trim level and engine.
Even then, those two manufacturers have rather well known and documented chassis codes, most don't. I've never even heard of a Volvo code.
That said, I'm all for including them to whatever extent we're able.

When chassis include trim and engine we can also use some "generic" code.
Like on Toyota, instead of FJ55 we use J50 to mean "50-series".
So in Taxiguy's example of Ford codes, we could use P5 for Taurus, P3 for Focus, etc.
Or maybe it would just look weird and not useful... (probably not useful, since they are already grouped by their model name, unlike Mercedes or BMWs)

If I remember well was Wickey (or someone else) said, Volvos have the model number as start of VIN, at least for old ones.
And when they replaced the ending 4/5 by a 0, they kept the old system in the VIN. So a 740 wagon has the 745 code (as we currently list them on the site).
I do not know for the recent S/V/C+number though.

As I said before, I think that codes should only be used if we can differentiate between different models/trims. I see no point in including the code in if it applies to a wide variety of vehicles/trims and can't be used to differentiate between different trims and such.

But if you guys do decide to include such codes in anyways, then I think that you should go through all of the pages and put in the code to all of the models to which it applies. As I said, it's pointless if only (for example) 3 out of 50 Cavaliers on the site have the proper chassis code. It looks sloppy and people might think it only applies to those 3 and not the rest.

The truth is that I have never been able to figure out what a [P73] comes equipped with as opposed to a [P74]. I can tell the LX models apart from the rear badging and other details, such as whether they have a leather interior.