Originally posted by Swifster
Matt, that's on late model cars over the last 15 years. Some organizations such as the Pontiac Historical group or the Studebaker Museum have access to build sheet information. Mopars have all their equipment stamped on a plate affixed to the radiator support or fenderwell.

The only thing the VIN (serial number) on a '57 T-Bird will tell you is which engine is original. There are 4 choices. The Patent Plate on the firewall will tell color, trim, and build date.

Now I doubt Ford has kept anything on these, but there may be an organization outside of Ford that may be the keeper of the data (but I doubt it).
I read on a site that they ( GM ) just need the vin for verification you own the car, and they send you everything for the car that the car decodes to ( like my '51 Chevy, being a JK vin code, would decode to a '51 Styleline or Fleetline Deluxe ) so they would give you all the information on that model car that they had, and it even said Restoration parts information. I guess it's not for the car you have specificly because the body tag holds the info.