I bought a chltons manual and looked up the vin numbers. My vin is : 1G1 FP 87 F 0 G N 183677. I added the spacing to read through it better. Here is how it deciphers if it is correct. US made, General motors, Chevrolet.
I am missing the fourth position which should be an A, B or C for restraint type.
Then I have FP for camaro sport coupe, 87 for coupe two door sport.
Now it gets bad for me , I have an F , and in 83 to 88 that is supposed to stand for pontiac 2.5 liter 4 cyl. TBI.
Then I have a check digit of 0 , I'm not exactly sure how they get that. And G for built in 86, N for Norwood OH built, and it was the 183,677th camaro built.
This contradicts a few posts on here about how to read vin numbers. Or my vin is wrong on the title. The title says 86 chevy camaro, 8 cyl car, CP, PASS, 000 for GVW.
Also the car has a V8 with TPI on it and it runs so I guess the ECM is correct, the suspension is hard, it has Z28 Iroc decals indented in the dash. Would someone go to that much trouble to fake an Iroc? I just got a wiring harness at a junkyard from a V8 car that looked like it was TPI car but had only a 4bbl intake on it.
I have looked at the vin and thought it matched the title, haven't checked the engine number yet. Anybody see something I am missing? That would explain the messed up wiring, I can check wires and try to run them according to the chiltons schematic. Can I trust this chiltons manual on this vin? or the wiring?

 

Nope, Chiltons are not accurate when it comes to VINs.

 

Your sixth number the (8) is for body style, and the seventh number the (7) is for the restraint type, the eighth number (F) is the engine type a TPI.

Here is a link. The microfilm is messed up for 1986 so enter 1987 and it breaks it down.
http://service.gm.com/dealerworld/vincards/

 

How can chiltons mess that up? Chiltons almost caused some big problems over wrong vin reading. Can they be trusted for any repair info? Should I take it back and buy a haynes manual?

 

A couple of observations about your post:

1. The # on the title could be a typo. Use only the VIN that appears on the driver's side dash visable thru the windshield if its there and is unmolested.

2. Your car was NOT the 183,677 th Camaro built at Norwood. That is the sequential production # of ALL cars built at Norwood of that year which includes Camaros, Firebirds, full sized cars, etc.

3. The eight th digit is the engine code and yours is 'F' and stands for a RPO LB9 which is a 305 ci, 190hp V8, Z28 only.

4. Check ALL of the numbers on the motor and record them. All of them are cast into the iron like the block and heads. The stamped # on the front of the block (if original) will reveal many important things about the motor but NOT the car.

5. I think the wiring harness for a factory TPI car is the same as all other V8s but don't quote me on that. Putting a carb on a factory TPI car was common and doesn't reveal anything about how the car was born.

6. Although Thirdgen.org is the Best Website I've found, there is still a lot of Misinformation and pure BS floating around here. Use caution and good judgement.

 

just wanted to point out that my car has the TPI on it and it works somehow still. thanks for the help. The junkyard car had the 4bbl intake.

 

The Norwood plant was producing only Camaros and Firebirds during the 3rd gen years, so the above information of about sequential numbers of ALL cars is incorrect. The last 5 digits tell the production run number as the first 99,999 cars all started with a "1". If the sequential number you posted above is the same number that's on your VIN plate thru the windshield, then your car is the 83,677 Camaro produced in Norwood that year.

As 82RZ says, even some of his information is incorrect.

 

You should invest in one of these,http://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-Chevy-C...42c696&vxp=mtr
Their also on a disk.

 

Buy a GM shop manual for your year and never look back.

JamesC

 

never trust a haynes manual, they give very vague and sometimes incorrect info. i bought a factory shop manual for my 86 camaro from "helm inc" and couldnt be happier

 

Thanks guys, I have sold the car now due to lack of funds to properly take care of it. I did have it running through the help of wiring diagrams from chiltons and tripod on here.