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cagstorm Samba Member
Joined: October 23, 2006 Posts: 204 Location: Waco, Texas
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:18 am Post subject: vin plate location |
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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? _________________ '70 Deluxe
Awesome Patina |
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Jody '71 Samba Member
Joined: July 16, 2005 Posts: 2842 Location: Manassas VA
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:25 am Post subject: |
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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. _________________ '66 Beetle
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring |
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Karl Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2001 Posts: 6170 Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:41 am Post subject: |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2005 Posts: 87 Location: in the garage
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 9:22 am Post subject: |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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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. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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eddie.would.go Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2005 Posts: 87 Location: in the garage
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2014 12:55 pm Post subject: |
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Perfect, thanks!!!! |
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What’sHisName Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2021 Posts: 13
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:30 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:43 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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? _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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What’sHisName Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2021 Posts: 13
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 7:54 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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is it a westphalia camper? _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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What’sHisName Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2021 Posts: 13
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Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 8:06 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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Yes it’s a Westphalia camper. |
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Banksy Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2021 Posts: 6 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2021 10:16 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2012 Posts: 1765 Location: Newmarket, ON
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:37 am Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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. _________________ 1977 Westfalia - October 2015 - Current
1971 Super Beetle - May 2012 - Current
1979 Westfalia - 1986-1991
1971 Super Beetle - 1977-1980
1971 SB Survivor Story: https://globespotter.com/
Road Trip Thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=511800&highlight=
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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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:58 am Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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Banksy wrote: |
What year would my kombi be ?
number reads * 229126107 * |
1969. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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What’sHisName Samba Member
Joined: October 18, 2021 Posts: 13
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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2021 6:08 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2021 Posts: 6 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Sun Oct 24, 2021 1:14 pm Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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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 Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2012 Posts: 1765 Location: Newmarket, ON
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Banksy Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2021 Posts: 6 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 1:03 am Post subject: Re: vin plate location |
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Haha.. seats are way overrated.. might settle for a milk crate or deck chair. |
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