Finding a Mopar, Chrysler, Dodge or Plymouth Broadcast Sheet

Carchaeology 101

I've received many requests from individuals looking for their broadcast sheets. So here's a short article concerning possible broadcast sheet locations.

First, you need to understand that your car may not have left the factory with a broadcast sheet. Or it may have had more than one. Or it may have had someone else's broadcast sheet. Or your car's broadcast sheet may have been placed in someone else's car. Remember that there was really no reason at all for the line workers to keep the broadcast sheets with the cars. Once the car left a particular shop, the broadcast sheet was nothing more than a scrap of trash. The cars were not collectible back then and the line workers were cranking out upwards of a thousand cars per day and didn't have time to worry about such things.

Each shop had their own broadcast sheet printer. The sheets were printed prior to the car's arrival in that shop, so that parts would be in stock, etc. This is why there is sometimes more than one sheet in a car. Maybe the final line shop left one in the seat and the trim shop left one taped to the glove box liner. Or maybe they threw them all away.

If you find a build sheet that does not belong to your car, don't throw it away. Someone may be looking for it. There are several registries that try to unite them with the car they belong to, such as lynchroad.com.

The most common places to find build sheets are:

  1. In the seat springs of the rear seat back cushion
  2. In the seat springs of the rear seat bottom cushion
  3. In the seat springs of the front bucket seat backs, behind the plastic or metal seat back cover
  4. In the seat springs of the front seat bottom cushion
  5. Under the carpet, commonly on the driver's side in front of the front seat, but I've found them on the passenger side (common with Hamtramck cars) and under the rear compartment carpet (commonly on the driver's side with St. Louis cars and later M-body and F-body cars, though I've seen them on the passenger's side as well)
  6. Taped to the top or the back of the glove box liner
  7. Taped to the heater core under the dash

The most uncommon places to find them are:

  1. Stuffed in the headliner above the driver's seat (found in a St. Louis car)
  2. In between the gas tank and the rubber gas tank mat (Los Angeles car)

Wherever you look, keep an eye out for any scraps of paper. If a scrap looks like it came from a build sheet, you're in the right area of the car. Don't be too disappointed if that's all you find. Rodents, insects and mildew often destroy build sheets. Save any scraps with your car's documentation. Also, if you find any other scraps that may have come from the factory, save them. A small piece of paper that says "TX9", for example, might be from the trim shop and indicate the car's interior color.

If your car is 1967 or older, you can request the build record from Chrysler: Click Here.

Decode a '62-'65 Mopar VIN here:
Decode a '66-'75 Mopar VIN here: