TheSamba.com :: View topic - Engine number documented on the VW certificate??

Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:39 am

Good morning all,

I obtained a certificate from "Volkswagen Classic Parts" for my 1961 beetle. The only downside is that the my original engine number is not documented on the certificate. I would like to have this mentioned as well, since this is important (in my humble opinion at least). I found on the Internet a separate letter written in 2015 stating the chassis- and engine number, also established by "Volkswagen Classic Parts" - sort of complimentary to the certificate.

I contacted "Volkswagen Classic Parts" asking for an additional letter stating my numbers. Their reply was that due to privacy reasons this is not done anymore. I don't get it - what has this got to do with privacy :roll: ??

Has anyone an idea of how I could obtain a document stating chassis- and engine number? Whom to contact?

Many thanks

Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:40 am

It is my understanding that if you provide this info, they can confirm if it is the original trans/engine, but no longer willingly give the info out. There is a small percentage of enthusiasts that put a lot of stock into a birth certificate, and it’s usually that percentage that pays the highest price for a vehicle. I guess the certificate issuers are trying to keep people from forging the trans/engine numbers by simply giving out the info. Take it with a grain of salt though. There have been some here on the forum, that are the original owners of their vehicles, that have incorrect certificates.

Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:44 am

This is the first I've heard that they will no longer confirm an engine number that you provide. Bummer. :(

Tue Apr 13, 2021 7:59 am

rcroane wrote: This is the first I've heard that they will no longer confirm an engine number that you provide. Bummer. :(

No, I think the op is upset it wasn’t provided on the certificate without any mention of what the current number was.

Tue Apr 13, 2021 8:09 am

[email protected] wrote: rcroane wrote: This is the first I've heard that they will no longer confirm an engine number that you provide. Bummer. :(

No, I think the op is upset it wasn’t provided on the certificate without any mention of what the current number was.

you are missing the point. VW is not providing this information anymore. period. If you send in your vin AND your engine number, they will confirm if it is the original engine or not. That's it. This has been the case for at least a decade or 2. keeps peeps from stamping numbers on their engine cases to make them "numbers matching".

Wed Apr 14, 2021 1:05 am

Many thanks for your comments! I did provide chassis and engine to "Volkswagen Classic Parts", but they ignored the engine number at all. I asked later to confirm in a separate letter, but negative. OK, I could try again to get a confirmation that my engine is the original one, but I have my doubts seen their previous response. Anyway, kind regards from The Netherlands.

Wed Apr 14, 2021 2:19 am

I can confirm it, too.
And the reason is described above.
The word for it is: "matching number"

In the past some owners generated engines with the matching numbers and sold their cars as 100% original, when meanwhile an other engine was built in.

For me; absolutely understandable.

If you order the certificate together with the enigine nummber, than you get the information "matchin number". shown in the picture attached, "Die Motornummer ist seit Tag der Erstauslieferung unverändern". => The engine number is unchanged since day of delivery ex works.

the "Stevie"

Wed Apr 14, 2021 6:57 am

Interesting. This is what they used to provide.

Wed Apr 14, 2021 11:36 am

Stevie, makes sense what you’re writing, it seems though that VW changed their policy. They are NOT supplying additional documents (like the one Robert published), at least that’s what they wrote to me yesterday.

Thu Apr 15, 2021 1:39 pm

rcroane wrote: Interesting. This is what they used to provide.

I wasn't as lucky as you were. :cry:

Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:45 am

ams69hrs wrote: Many thanks for your comments! I did provide chassis and engine to "Volkswagen Classic Parts", but they ignored the engine number at all. I asked later to confirm in a separate letter, but negative. OK, I could try again to get a confirmation that my engine is the original one, but I have my doubts seen their previous response. Anyway, kind regards from The Netherlands.

That is odd, as even as of a few months ago they were confirming if a provided engine number was original. Perhaps they are misunderstanding your request?

Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:09 pm

harrymarlin wrote: ams69hrs wrote: Many thanks for your comments! I did provide chassis and engine to "Volkswagen Classic Parts", but they ignored the engine number at all. I asked later to confirm in a separate letter, but negative. OK, I could try again to get a confirmation that my engine is the original one, but I have my doubts seen their previous response. Anyway, kind regards from The Netherlands.

That is odd, as even as of a few months ago they were confirming if a provided engine number was original. Perhaps they are misunderstanding your request?

Harry....I see that they state that the number you provided is original to the car, but how would someone know what that number is? In my case, they provided a letter showing the chassis number and the engine number I provided, and stated that it was the original engine.

Fri Apr 16, 2021 7:19 pm

rcroane wrote:
Harry....I see that they state that the number you provided is original to the car, but how would someone know what that number is? In my case, they provided a letter showing the chassis number and the engine number I provided, and stated that it was the original engine.

That image is from another forum, not from me, but looking on the website, I see you can provide the engine number as part of the submital (and if you have access to the car, you can just look at the engine block for the number to submit). I have not used the new company, myself (I used the museum), so anything I say is a guess.

Sat Apr 17, 2021 1:33 am

Harry, I provided the chassis- and engine number twice (1st time: to apply for the certificate and 2nd time to get a separate letter (send them an example dated 2015), which I found on the forum.

Nothing was mentioned on the certificate and for the 2nd they send me the following:

...das Schreiben ist aus 2015. In der Zwischenzeit haben sich die Bestimmungen der Volkswagen AG geändert. Was die Hintergründe sind, entzieht sich meiner Kenntnis.

Translated:
...the letter is from 2015. In the meantime the regulations of Volkswagen AG have changed. I don't know what the background is.

Well I leave for what it is, for now at least. Maybe things are changing again and I might give it another try.

Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:20 pm

ams69hrs wrote: Harry, I provided the chassis- and engine number twice (1st time: to apply for the certificate and 2nd time to get a separate letter (send them an example dated 2015), which I found on the forum.

Nothing was mentioned on the certificate and for the 2nd they send me the following:

...das Schreiben ist aus 2015. In der Zwischenzeit haben sich die Bestimmungen der Volkswagen AG geändert. Was die Hintergründe sind, entzieht sich meiner Kenntnis.

Translated:
...the letter is from 2015. In the meantime the regulations of Volkswagen AG have changed. I don't know what the background is.

Well I leave for what it is, for now at least. Maybe things are changing again and I might give it another try.

Forget it. Things are getting more rigid here in Germany, especially at VW...
No way back.