If you own a Saab vehicle, you might have come across the term “shell body number.” It’s a unique identifier that helps Saab enthusiasts and mechanics identify specific vehicles and their corresponding parts. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what the Saab body number is, why it’s important, and how to decode it.
What is a Saab Body Number?
The Saab body number is a unique identification number that is assigned to each Saab vehicle. It’s also sometimes referred to as the body tag or VIN tag. The shell body number is typically found on the driver’s side of the firewall in the engine compartment.
The Saab body number is composed of a series of letters and numbers that provide information about the vehicle’s model, year, body style, and production number. By decoding the shell body number, you can learn a lot about the history and specifications of a particular Saab vehicle.
Location on the Saab Body Number
The Saab body number is a unique identifying code given to each Saab vehicle during the manufacturing process. This code can be found in several locations on the car, including the engine bay, the dashboard, and the door jamb.
One of the most common locations for the Saab body number is on a metal plate attached to the inside of the driver’s side door jamb. This plate typically contains a range of information about the vehicle, including the Saab VIN Number, the manufacturing date, and the model number. The Saab shell body number is usually located in the upper right-hand corner of the plate, and is typically stamped in a series of letters and numbers.
In addition to the driver’s side door jamb, the Saab body number can also be found in the engine bay. On some Saab models, this number is stamped directly onto the firewall or onto a metal plate attached to the firewall. On other models, the Saab shell body number may be located on the front fender or the radiator support.
Location on the Saab Model 9-3 MY 1998-2003
6= Riveted to the radiator yoke, on the left, viewed from the direction of travel.
Close-up:
Bodywork license plate: Covarnished serenely stamped characters in car color.
The SAAB 9-3 Sport Saloon from MY 2003 and the 9-3 Sport Estate MY 2006 –
Bodywork license plate: Finding place beside the Kofferaumschloss under a plastic cover. Serenely stamped.
9-3 Convertible from MY 2004
The Saab body number (punched) is located under the carpet in the boot, on the left, near the spare wheel well.
1st line: Date of production (JJJJMMTT)
2nd line: Body shell number (8 digits)
3rd line: Left-hand or right-hand drive
Location on the Saab 9-5 Body Number
On the rear spar near the boot lock
Body shell number plate.
Embossed characters.
Overpainted in the colour of the vehicle
Appearance of the Saab Body Number
The Saab Body Number is a series of letters and numbers that are stamped onto the body of the vehicle. It typically consists of 17 characters, including both letters and numbers. The body number is unique to each Saab vehicle and cannot be duplicated or modified.
Significance of the Saab Body Number
The Saab shell body number is significant for several reasons, including:
- Vehicle Identification: The Saab body number is used to identify the vehicle for registration, insurance, and servicing purposes. It provides essential information about the car’s model, year of manufacture, engine type, and transmission type, which is required for many administrative processes.
- Authenticity: The Saab shell body number is used to authenticate the car’s originality and provenance. It confirms that the car is a genuine Saab vehicle and has not been subject to fraudulent activity, such as identity theft or cloning.
- Restoration: The Saab body number is used to identify the car’s original color and trim specifications, which can be useful when restoring or repairing the vehicle. It ensures that the car is restored to its original specifications, which is important for maintaining the car’s authenticity and value.
- Parts Identification: The Saab body number is used to identify the correct parts for the car. It ensures that the parts are compatible with the car’s model, year of manufacture, and engine type, which is important for maintaining the car’s safety and performance.
Decode a Saab Body Number
The Saab body number is a unique identification number that helps to identify the specific body of a Saab vehicle. It contains a series of characters that provide information about the year, model, and other key details about the car. Here is a breakdown of how to decode the Saab body number:
- First character: This character indicates the model year of the car. For example, a “B” indicates a car manufactured in 1981, while an “X” indicates a car manufactured in 1999.
- Second character: This character indicates the manufacturing plant where the car was produced.
- Third and fourth characters: These characters indicate the body style of the car. For example, “00” indicates a two-door convertible, “06” indicates a four-door sedan, and “08” indicates a five-door hatchback.
- Fifth character: This character indicates the engine type. For example, “B” indicates a 2.0-liter engine, while “L” indicates a 2.3-liter engine.
- Sixth and seventh characters: These characters indicate the transmission type and drive configuration. For example, “01” indicates a manual transmission with front-wheel drive, while “02” indicates an automatic transmission with front-wheel drive.
- Eighth character: This character indicates the model year of the car. For example, “B” indicates a car manufactured in 1981, while an “X” indicates a car manufactured in 1999.
- Ninth character: This character is a check digit that is used to verify the accuracy of the shell body number.
- Tenth through seventeenth characters: These characters are the serial number of the car and are unique to each vehicle.
By decoding the Saab shell body number, you can learn important information about the year, model, body style, engine type, transmission type, and drive configuration of a Saab vehicle. This information can be helpful when purchasing a used Saab or when trying to identify specific parts for your vehicle.
Importance of the Saab Body Number
It serves as a key piece of information for tracking the history of a vehicle and is essential for various purposes, such as registering the car, ordering replacement parts, and verifying the authenticity of the vehicle.
Here are some of the reasons why the Saab body number is important:
- Vehicle registration: The Saab body number is used to register the vehicle with the local authorities. It is a mandatory requirement for all vehicles to have a valid body number to be registered for road use. The body number provides crucial information such as the model year, trim level, engine type, and transmission type that is required for vehicle registration.
- Vehicle history: The Saab body number is a crucial piece of information for tracking the history of a vehicle. It is used by insurance companies, car dealers, and buyers to check the history of the vehicle, including accident reports, previous ownership, and any outstanding liens or loans. This information can help potential buyers make an informed decision when purchasing a used vehicle.
- Replacement parts: The Saab body number is essential for ordering replacement parts for the vehicle. Every Saab model has different body parts, and the body number helps to identify the exact model and trim level of the vehicle, ensuring that the correct parts are ordered. This is particularly important when ordering parts for older models, as some parts may no longer be in production.
- Vehicle authenticity: The Saab body number is also used to verify the authenticity of the vehicle. It is a unique identifier that can be used to check whether the vehicle is genuine or has been cloned or stolen. The body number is often checked by car dealers and buyers, and any discrepancies can raise red flags and indicate potential issues with the vehicle.
- Vehicle resale value: The Saab body number can also have an impact on the resale value of the vehicle. A well-maintained vehicle with a matching body number and a clear history report can fetch a higher resale value than a vehicle with an unclear history or discrepancies in the body number.
