Ok, so you're wondering what that long number is applied to the driver's side dash panel. Well here it goes....(any info that isn't correct please e-mail me).
Example...my VIN is 4B17H3L105000
The 4 means it's a Buick..all Buick's start with a 4.
The B17(in my case) means it's a 2-dr hatchback. B27 means a 2-dr coupe. B69 means it is a 4-dr sedan.
The H means it was originally equipped with a Buick 350 cu.in. 2bbl carb. J means it was originally equipped with a Buick 350 cu.in. 4bbl carb. D means it came with a Chevy 250 cu.in. straight six.
The next digit (3,4, or 5) is the year. Ex: 3=1973.
New info! Evidently there were a few early Apollo's built in Norwood, Ohio (VIN N) and Kansas City, MO (VIN K) that don't come up in the VIN sections! I have had a couple people write and wonder where they came from! Up through '72 and I guess early '73, the Nova's and Ventura's were built in Ohio as well and then discontinued and no info sheet that I have seen shows the Norwood plant! Strange, huh?
The next digit is where it was made. L=Van Nuys, Ca. All the Apollo's built in Ca were ORIGINALLY equipped with California emissions. W=Willow Run, Mi. Those lucky enough to have theirs built in Michigan don't have to deal with that stuff (ie: don't have to remove it!!). All Apollo's were built at GMC sites not Buick-only production sites. I've heared since the Apollo, Nova, Omega, and Ventura's were built at the same factories, there were a few non-production models that contains parts of each car! Like Ventura front ends with Apollo tail lights etc.
The next digit being 1 is in all Apollo VIN numbers
and all the numbers after that are sequential for the production numbers.
Ex: mine is the 5000th '73 Apollo built.