real 340 GTS 4 speed Help? no fender tag just VIN

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Cole Andews

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I've been looking at a 1969 dodge dart GTS for sale but it had been in and accident at some point in its life and no longer has a fender tag. Is there a way to tell if its a real 340 GTS car from the VIN or any other chassis number? Thanks
 
look for things like torque boxes on the frame , the coin welded to the k-frame , does it have buckets and a console? if so do the console mounts look factory,
 
Cole Andews said:
I've been looking at a 1969 dodge dart GTS for sale but it had been in and accident at some point in its life and no longer has a fender tag. Is there a way to tell if its a real 340 GTS car from the VIN or any other chassis number? Thanks
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What’s the first five of the vin
 
69's had the VIN number stamped on the core support drivers side top, usually there is an antifreeze decal over the stamping. If it has been wrecked the core support may have been changed though. Under the weatherstrip on the trunk lip rail on the drivers side has a VIN stamped also. The problem is you have to pull up the weatherstrip and scrape paint to see it.
 
Also if it is numbers matching the full VIN will be on the engine and trans.
 
Is there not a VIN stamp on the package tray frame also? Or is that just B bodies?
 
HemiSSDart said:
Also if it is numbers matching the full VIN will be on the engine and trans.
Click to expand...

Full VIN on the engine and trans ONLY if built before Jan 1st 1969. After that only the last 8 numbers of the VIN, such as 9B232689
 
mbaird said:
look for things like torque boxes on the frame , the coin welded to the k-frame , does it have buckets and a console? if so do the console mounts look factory,
Click to expand...

Torque boxes ? I did not know A bodies got them.
My ‘68 is all numbers matching 340 4 speed and does not have them. Mine also does not have the washer welded to K frame.
 
68's are hit and miss with torque boxes, 69's are much more common and could even have front boxes like my 383 4-speed does. No washers on K-frames until 1970...
 
69 Swinger 340 4sp... has both front and back torque boxes .
My 73 340 4sp Dart Sport had neither but did have the coin...

its not exact but it is something to look for.

I didnt mention VIN decoding because I assumed it was obvious.
 
There was a huge thread on this recently..........do a search. OldManMopar posted some info about the mountings for the exhaust hangers under the rear seat
 
LS23P9BXXXXXX should be the VIN for a 340 GTS. You can't tell if it is a 4 speed from the VIN. 383 cars and convertibles got the torque boxes. The last six digits of the VIN should be stamped on the radiator support between the battery and the rad. It will also be stamped under the weatherstripping on the driver's side of the trunk rail. You will have to crawl into the trunk and look up to see the VIN stamping. Any seats in the car? You may get lucky and find the broadcast sheet in the springs of the back seat. My GTS had multiple owners and multiple interior changes and it still had the sheet in the springs!
 
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