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Fri Jan 07, 2005 10:30 am

I think I might have a big problem with my car. Because I didn't know about the numbers being stamped on the chassis right under the rear seat, I never check to make sure everything was ok. I just noticed that they cut off the section where the numbers used to be. I bought the car since 2001 and I had it in my garage waiting for restoration while I was finishing school. I registered it under my name right after I bought it, and haven't been notified about the car being stolen. I noticed that the driver side apindle has a number, would this help me identify the chassis? The title shows the vin number to be the body number stamped right under the silver identification plate located in the spare tire section, which is the onlyone I checked when I bought it, and I was wondering if this is the way it should be or the chassis number should be the title vin number. I can't contact the person that I bought the car fron because I don't know where he lives, and I don't have his number anymore. Would the DMV be able to provide me the history of the car? Does anyone have had this problem, and what would be the apprpiate approach to take. Any info would be appreciated..

Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:29 pm

"...I noticed that the driver side apindle has a number, would this help me identify the chassis? The title shows the vin number to be the body number stamped right under the silver identification plate located in the spare tire section, which is the onlyone I checked when I bought it, and I was wondering if this is the way it should be or the chassis number should be the title vin number..."
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I'm not sure what you mean by the driver side apindle. If you mean spindle, as in steering knuckle, then, no, it won't tell you anything.
The vin for your car is stamped into the steel plate that is attatched to the front panel you described. It should be six digits. The numbers stamped directly into the panel below the ID plate are only a body production number, something that only meant anything to the factory when it was built.
Unfortunately, it sounds like titling the car according to the actual VIN is going to be involved. If you know you are definitely keeping it, just register the car as you already have, and don't worry about the number being incorrect. If you sell the car, you will then be faced with the problem, unless you know the person buying it, and they have no problem with the number being incorrect. Sorry to tell you, you bought a sticky wicket.
The only other alternative I can think of, is to contact one of the out-of-state title companies with the correct VIN, and pay to have a new title drawn up.

Fri Jan 07, 2005 5:46 pm

What year do you think your car is? Another place to find your VIN number (besides on the front metal tag & on the pan to the rear) is at the leftside brake hose bracket. It is stamped in that bracket on cars built prior to 1960.
Do you have the title/pink slip to the car? If not, you're going to be in a world of hurt when you visit the DMV. Before they issue you a new title, they will want to verify the original VIN numbers to make sure they are titling an actual car.
As for finding about the cars history, the local DMV won't be able to help what-so-ever. You have to write to the VW Museum in Germany for that info

Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:24 am

in wisconsin anything 1954 and older was titled by engine number not pan number. my 52 zwitter had a 356 engine when i bought it. i ended up getting birth certificate with all factory info and stamped a replacement engine (i had a 36 hp -could not find a 25hp) and getting it titled to vin. number.

Tue Jan 11, 2005 11:37 pm

l227vw@yahoo.com wrote: What year do you think your car is? Another place to find your VIN number (besides on the front metal tag & on the pan to the rear) is at the leftside brake hose bracket. It is stamped in that bracket on cars built prior to 1960.
Do you have the title/pink slip to the car? If not, you're going to be in a world of hurt when you visit the DMV. Before they issue you a new title, they will want to verify the original VIN numbers to make sure they are titling an actual car.
As for finding about the cars history, the local DMV won't be able to help what-so-ever. You have to write to the VW Museum in Germany for that info

According to the number (1377739) on the front metal tag, the car should be 57. I tried looking for the number on the brake hose bracket but I couldn't find it. I might be looking for it in the wrong section. Would it be on the front or rear section of the car. If the front, is it the one welded next to the brake cylinder? Thanks for the help.....

Wed Jan 12, 2005 12:24 am

apolo68 wrote: According to the number (1377739) on the front metal tag, the car should be 57. I tried looking for the number on the brake hose bracket but I couldn't find it. I might be looking for it in the wrong section. Would it be on the front or rear section of the car. If the front, is it the one welded next to the brake cylinder? Thanks for the help.....

Yes, it's stamped on the "L" bracket welded to the pan next to the master cylinder. You may have to beadblast the entire bracket to get a clear view of it.

Mon Jan 17, 2005 12:39 pm

l227vw@yahoo.com wrote: apolo68 wrote: According to the number (1377739) on the front metal tag, the car should be 57. I tried looking for the number on the brake hose bracket but I couldn't find it. I might be looking for it in the wrong section. Would it be on the front or rear section of the car. If the front, is it the one welded next to the brake cylinder? Thanks for the help.....

Yes, it's stamped on the "L" bracket welded to the pan next to the master cylinder. You may have to beadblast the entire bracket to get a clear view of it.

I cleaned the bracket but I don't see any numbers stamped on it. I guess it might be a late pan, and I don't know how to differentiate 50's pans from later ones. I only know that the engine is late 60's, but they could have replaced it. I'm going to try to find out if the car was ever stolen, and if it was I will sell all the parts I can remove and junk it. Sad that another oval has to be destroyed..Thanks a lot for your help.....

Mon Jan 17, 2005 5:36 pm

apolo68 wrote: I guess it might be a late pan, and I don't know how to differentiate 50's pans from later ones.....

Where is the heater controls? If you have a heater knob next to the shifter, you're pan is 1956-64. If you have duel levers flanking the e-brake handle, you have a 1965-later pan.
Do you have a swingaxle (1968-earlier) or IRS tranny (1969-later)

Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:06 am

My '51 doesn't have them there on the bracket either.

Tue Jan 18, 2005 8:10 am

Splitdog wrote: My '51 doesn't have them there on the bracket either.

It should. All my Pre 57 cars have them. Even books such as Progressive Refinements, Car of the Century & 1949-59 Authenticity Series lists them.

Tue Jan 18, 2005 9:15 am

Why would you destroy it becase the pan is suspect?I just sold a clear titled '57 pan,and I'm sure there are other pans available at a reasonable price! I'm so tired of people cutting up clean cars because of bad pans

Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:39 pm

Where on the bracket exactly? Is it small? I will go look again. Thanks 1227vw.

Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:33 pm

l227vw@yahoo.com wrote: apolo68 wrote: I guess it might be a late pan, and I don't know how to differentiate 50's pans from later ones.....

Where is the heater controls? If you have a heater knob next to the shifter, you're pan is 1956-64. If you have duel levers flanking the e-brake handle, you have a 1965-later pan.
Do you have a swingaxle (1968-earlier) or IRS tranny (1969-later)

The heater knob is next to the brake handle so I guess that will make it 1956-64. Since there are no vin numbers on the brake bracket, then it might be 60-64. As you might alraedy noticed, besides liking them a lot, I don't know much details about vw's. If you don't mind explaining the differences between swingaxle and IRS trannies. I would really appreciated. Thanks for all your help..

Thu Jan 20, 2005 10:38 pm

apolo68 wrote:
I don't know much details about vw's. If you don't mind explaining the differences between swingaxle and IRS trannies. I would really appreciated. Thanks for all your help..

Swingaxle has rubber boots attached at the tranny with screws keeping it closed. Swingaxle also only has one "cv" joint, at the tranny, while and IRS has two. One joint at the tranny, and one at the trailing arm.

Fri Jan 28, 2005 2:54 am

I have never heard of the number on the L-bracket... :?:

I know that the chassienumber is on the rear end on the tunnel, framenumber on the leftside under the rearseat, body number under the VIN tag behind the sparewheel and the frontsuspension number on the left bumpstop horn... And none of these numbers match...

http://www.kabriolett.com/stvw/numbers.htm

http://www.kabriolett.com/stvw/agefind.htm

Fri Jan 28, 2005 7:23 am

The shape of the inner rear section of the floorpan should help to narrow things down. The early pans had a very narrow dropped section corner, compared to the later style- 1958?
Man, it sucks getting old. I find myself forgetting things that I've known for decades....
Maybe someone has photos?

Sat Jan 29, 2005 9:00 am

Split floorpan... :wink:

Heater knob behind parkingbrake, and choke knob besides the gearshifter.

Short shockabsorber towers both in the front and rear.