Serial numbers

[Andrew85]

Hi, I have a oddball Dodge. It's a 68-69 D-400 with 6 window Wayne school bus body. I bought it from a scrap yard in Thunder Bay no ownerships,I saved it from crusher. Ontario doesn't recognize the vin, and where the bus came from in Manitoba also doesn't register. The Windsor Dodge plaque on firewall says serial # S4L2J25488. I even tried the decipher website. Has anyone else had trouble locating documentation for their vin#. Thanks

[soopernaut]

S=School Bus
4=400 (D400)
L=8 cylinder-next longest wheelbase
2=S series (1962 and after)
J=Canada (built in Canada)
25488=Sequential serial number (488th truck built)

I don't know if there is a way to determine the year by the serial number unless you know the total number built each year, and maybe not even then.

The hood and dash are different for 69 than the 68, however with the bus body it may have a different dash all together.

[Andrew85]

Ok, thank you for your help. Alot of the parts say 68, so I'm guessing it was put into service in Sept of 68, so maybe branded as a 69. It has the rectangular grille with vertical signal lights 6 section grille. Been trying to get the owner history, ran into dead ends so far in both provinces.

[PwrWgnDrvr]

The hood would be definitive for the model yr.