TheSamba.com :: View topic - VIN check quiz (tell me if this is a 14" or 16" Syncro)

Sat Mar 19, 2016 11:16 am

What about the actual chassis VIN on the outrigger under the body, passenger seat area?

Sat Mar 19, 2016 11:51 am

syncrodoka wrote: European syncros got the round headlights through the entire run, syncro 16s are EU only so the grill means nothing. There were square headlight H4 bulbs and grills available in europe but the round headlight grill was standard throughout the run.
All of the syncro 16 images that I have on file have the later squirter locations.

As usual with VW there are always exceptions. The cold weather countries like Sweden and Finland got Syncro's with square headlights that came with the headlight washers.

Including these 16" Sinkas;
http://www.vw-tristar.com/sika16,5.jpg
http://www.vw-tristar.com/sika16,17.jpg
http://www.vw-tristar.com/sika16,13.jpg
http://www.vw-tristar.com/sika%2016,30.jpg

This one appears to have the old style windshield squirters and the ad said it's a '91. http://www.vw-tristar.com/16%204.JPG
http://www.vw-tristar.com/16.4.htm (I would love to see the M-codes or a "Birth Certificate" for this one. Tristar interior?)

http://www.vw-tristar.com/vw.16.syncro.single-cab.register.htm

Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:01 pm

westyventures wrote: What about the actual chassis VIN on the outrigger under the body, passenger seat area?
the vin matches on the "a pillar" plate and the stamp of the outright.

Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:30 pm

Under the seat: (updated)
48 7 6004 H0 245 9A
96090R 355
HG 048 808

In that order...

Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:59 pm

How about a closeup photo of that under seat plate? It seems like you read some of the letters and numbers wrong.
That last set are the ones of interest. Are you sure it isn't HG 048 808 or something? It should for sure be a G after the H.

Mark

Sat Mar 19, 2016 2:02 pm

MsTaboo wrote: As usual with VW there are always exceptions.
I know. :wink: So many markets, options, special one offs etc. I don't have any of those syncro 16 images saved(yet).
The point that I was trying to make is that our early grill style were carried through all the way to the end of production. There are square grills with square H4 bulbs but a round headlight grill past '85 in europe isn't odd like in the states.

Sat Mar 19, 2016 2:15 pm

Whoops... yeah it reads:

48 7 6004 H0 2450 9A

96090R 355

HG 048 808

Sat Mar 19, 2016 3:00 pm

Well there you have it. The numbers so far tell me this.

24509A = single cab Syncro, 1.6TD engine, left hand drive

HG048808 = built in Nov 86 as a 1987 model, in Graz Austria

Mark

Sat Mar 19, 2016 3:51 pm

crazyvwvanman wrote: Well there you have it. The numbers so far tell me this.

24509A = single cab Syncro, 1.6TD engine, left hand drive

HG048808 = built in Nov 86 as a 1987 model, in Graz Austria

Mark

Yes. That is more like it.

Sat Mar 19, 2016 5:51 pm

From http://vanagon.com/syncros/syncro16/index.html:

"the last one tells you factory tires for your model were 185 R 14 tyres if '7', 205 R 14 if '5' and finally 195 R 16 if 'A'. The optional 205 R 16 tires were encoded M 855."

Am I reading that correctly? If so the 'A' in 24509A would make it a 16"?

Sat Mar 19, 2016 7:05 pm

Wow..interesting stuff.
so were is a good decode chart located that this info is found?

Sat Mar 19, 2016 7:23 pm

Wow..interesting stuff.
so were is a good decode chart located that this info is found?

Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:38 am

For comparison, here is my 1989 14" plate

Sun Mar 20, 2016 2:05 pm

hans j wrote: For comparison, here is my 1989 14" plate

So that shows some consistency on the tire size having listed a "7" for the 14"
and the 16" as an "A" for the last digit.

Sun Mar 20, 2016 3:06 pm

I have seen some 16inch plates, and all say: AA.
I think A7 is 14inch 185, A5 is 14inch 205 and AA is 16inch 195.

Sun Mar 20, 2016 7:47 pm

From what I can tell, the first letter or number of those two is for the engine model.

Ax = DJ - (2.1 Digijet)
Cx = MV - (2.1 Digifant)
6x = DG - (1.9 Carburetor)
9x = JX - (1.6TD)

Mark

Sun Mar 20, 2016 10:00 pm

Cool!

..I just got back from the 3100 mile, multi country/state extraction/salvage journey, and will be doing some digging tomorrow to see whats hiding in the locked treasure chests, from what i can spot through the fuel filler hole, there are rear trailing arms, struts, dash hidding in there, with lots of other shit/cardboard padding mixed in.

Thanks guys for your help, fun and interesting investigation on the vin codes!

I sent off for a VW birth certification on the truck today, so we will see what VW has on the books for this truck sometime soon I hope.

Mon Mar 21, 2016 1:19 am

super vw wrote: Cool!

..I just got back from the 3100 mile, multi country/state extraction/salvage journey, and will be doing some digging tomorrow to see whats hiding in the locked treasure chests, from what i can spot through the fuel filler hole, there are rear trailing arms, struts, dash hidding in there, with lots of other shit/cardboard padding mixed in.

Thanks guys for your help, fun and interesting investigation on the vin codes!

I sent off for a VW birth certification on the truck today, so we will see what VW has on the books for this truck sometime soon I hope.

I hope you didnt use the VIN with "EH" from your initial post to order your Birth certificate? Because that does not originally belong to this truck...

You need to reconstruct the rest of the HG048808 VIN.

Edit: That VIN will of course give you the data of the 84 2wd "VIN-donor" And may give some more leads as to what has happened here, so maybe not a complete waste...

Mon Mar 21, 2016 1:47 am

Btw. Last time I sent for a birth certificate, it took almost 6 months. Hope they are a little quicker now.

Mon Mar 21, 2016 6:02 am

Interesting thread but how about to post some pics ?

Jim