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vin plate location
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cagstorm
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:18 am    Post subject: vin plate location Reply with quote

Where is the vin plate on a baywindow? How do you decipher the code to tell for sure the year model? Is there any other info that can be found from this code?
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Jody '71
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stand in front of the Bus on the driver's side right in front of the windshield. Look down through the glass, you will see a plate rivited to the dash right at the base of the windshield. The 3rd# will tell you the year model #. THEN, open the drivers door and look at the door frame right where the seat back is, you will see a maunfacture sticker with the same #'s, and at the top, the month and year manufacture date.
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Karl
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also, open the rear engine hatch. Look on the left side corner where the engine seal meets the body. You should see the same number there, stamped into the body, that matches the dash plate and the door post sticker. If the numbers are different, BACK away from the bus and run!

The first 3 numbers of the vin:
First number is vehicle type. 2 is a bus.
Second number is body style. Should a 2 or a 3.
Third number is the year model. 2 is 72, 3 is 73, 4 is 74 etc.
[to differentiate between 9 meaning 1969 and 9 meaning 1979, VW added a 2 as the 4th digit for the 1970 and up vins.]
The last 6 numbers are the sequential serial number.

That is all the vin tells you. All the real info is on the M code plate.
Go here to learn about it: http://www.type2.com/m-codes/
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eddie.would.go
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

On a late bay (ie 1977) is there a third VIN plate like on a earlybay? I was looking at buying a bus and realized that it only had the VIN number in the engine compartment and on the dash . Should it have another one like found on an earlybay behind the right hand front seat? It also has the door sticker with it on there as well and the m-code plate under the dash but I'm not to sure if that counts as a vin plate?

Any help would be great!
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

eddie.would.go wrote:
On a late bay (ie 1977) is there a third VIN plate like on a earlybay? I was looking at buying a bus and realized that it only had the VIN number in the engine compartment and on the dash . Should it have another one like found on an earlybay behind the right hand front seat? It also has the door sticker with it on there as well and the m-code plate under the dash but I'm not to sure if that counts as a vin plate?

Any help would be great!

Later models don't have the bare aluminum VIN plate, just the M plate under the dash, the number on the dash and the stamped one in the engine compartment as well as the sticker in the door jamb. There's a VIN on the M plate as well.
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eddie.would.go
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perfect, thanks!!!!
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What’sHisName
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:30 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Trying to sort out the history of my van… the VIN numbers on the dash and stamped in the engine compartment match the title, and indicate the van is a ‘78. But they’re completely different from the VIN on the door sticker and the M-plate, which match each other and indicate the van was built in ‘76 as a ‘77 model year. (ie. 2372XXXXXX)

Also, the engine is a GD model, which makes sense if the van is a ‘77.

Any idea why this might be? Anywhere I can look to find a better history?

Oh also… the VIN stamped in to the engine compartment has asterisks beside it… as in, *2382XXXXXX*. Is this normal?
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:43 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Welcome!

The asterisks are normal, I guess it's to prevent adding more numbers later?

Your situation sounds really odd though, it's not impossible for VW to have messed up one number in one location (rare, but it's happened), but two different places is really pushing the odds of stamp operator finger trouble.

It's possible your bus had a nose or rear end clip performed to repair crash damage years ago, how about a picture of the dash plate and it's rivets?
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What’sHisName
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:54 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Yes it does seem an unusual situation. Also, it’s not simply the year number, but the entire serial number in the vin that differs. As in, the door sticker and M-plate are a VIN number from 77, and the dash plate and stamped metal in engine bay are a totally different vin number including serial. But that number matches the title.

The door sticker has the caption “INCOMPLETE VEHICLE MANUFACTURED”. Is it possible it was built for the 77 model year, but then sat around before being finished by Westfalia? Is it possible for it to have been given a different dash and engine bay stamp in that case?
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:03 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

is it a westphalia camper?
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What’sHisName
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:06 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Yes it’s a Westphalia camper.
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Banksy
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:16 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

What year would my kombi be ?
number reads * 229126107 *

Here's where I found the VIN (stamped into the chassis close to the battery in the engine bay right side )
As per image

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Globespotter
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:37 am    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

My Westy has the same issue. In my case the M-Plate and VIN in the engine match and they are a 1977. The dash VIN is different and a 78, which is how it was titled. My bus was rebuilt, and they likely used a different dash - hence the difference. A lot of old VW buses are cobbled together with different parts, so it's not that unusual that the VIN's may not match.

In my case, 90% of the bus is the 1977 indicated on the M-Plate and engine VIN, but you could end up with a whole mix of different buses.

The main concern with non-matching VIN's is that they could be used to mask a stolen vehicle, although with old VW's it is often just mixing parts.

I did VIN checks to ensure that both of my VIN's were clear - ie: not reported stolen.

A lot of people will steer away from these vehicles, and some jurisdictions may be more strict about it, but it is not as unusual as you think with these vehicles.
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http://vw-mplate.com/mcode.php?lang=EN&id=30990
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:58 am    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Banksy wrote:
What year would my kombi be ?
number reads * 229126107 *

1969.
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What’sHisName
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:08 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Globespotter wrote:
My Westy has the same issue. In my case the M-Plate and VIN in the engine match and they are a 1977. The dash VIN is different and a 78, which is how it was titled. My bus was rebuilt, and they likely used a different dash - hence the difference. A lot of old VW buses are cobbled together with different parts, so it's not that unusual that the VIN's may not match.

In my case, 90% of the bus is the 1977 indicated on the M-Plate and engine VIN, but you could end up with a whole mix of different buses.

The main concern with non-matching VIN's is that they could be used to mask a stolen vehicle, although with old VW's it is often just mixing parts.

I did VIN checks to ensure that both of my VIN's were clear - ie: not reported stolen.

A lot of people will steer away from these vehicles, and some jurisdictions may be more strict about it, but it is not as unusual as you think with these vehicles.


This is what I figured probably happened… although I thought it was unusual that someone went out of the way to apparently weld and paint match the metal piece in the engine compartment to match the number on the dash. The VIN in the engine bay certainly looks original, just doesn’t match the M-plate or door sticker. Mysterious.

That’s why I thought there was a chance it could have been partially manufactured and then given a different VIN when it was completed… but maybe I’m completely out to lunch on that theory!
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Banksy
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 1:14 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

In my case the chassis # is there but the vehicle has no seat pedestal so there’s no plate behind where the seats should be.
Is this reason for concern ?
There’s no seats or pedestals where the seats should be.

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Globespotter
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 8:54 pm    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Banksy wrote:

Is this reason for concern ?
There’s no seats or pedestals where the seats should be.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


As long as you don't slip when you are driving, you should be ok Laughing
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My 77 Westy Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=647114&highlight=

http://vw-mplate.com/mcode.php?lang=EN&id=30990
https://vw-type2-id.xyz/mplate/72067382
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Banksy
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 1:03 am    Post subject: Re: vin plate location Reply with quote

Haha.. seats are way overrated.. might settle for a milk crate or deck chair.
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