convertible car but vin says not

[italian68]

interested in buying a 74 convertible. vin under hood and under back seat both match but say its not a convertible car. 2nd digit is a 3 and not a 5. what gives?

[Mudpump]

Good question. 2nd digit should be a 5 for a vert.
So someone switched the VIN from a sedan and/or put a 73 sedan pan on it though I'm not sure if a sedan pan fits a vert body.

What does the title and registration say?

[italian68]

Title and registration match both vin's on the car. All of which state it's a non convertible car. Is the vin under the front hood attached to the pan or body?

[birddog1]

The one under the hood is part of the body but nothing stopping someone from drilling out the rivets and switching it. There's also one on the dash.

[italian68]

does this look like it was tampered with?

also the dashboard has the clock on it only available in 1978 and 1979

i havent check the vin on the dash. the car is still at the sellers house.

[italian68]

is it possible that the car was changed to a convertible from the firewall back?

whats this tag mean?

[Mudpump]

[italian68]

the seller doesnt know the history of the car.

can the year of the body be identified by the dashboard?

[birddog1]

Well if it's me and the seller can't explain why a vert has a sedan VIN I'm walking away from it. That's a question anyone thinking about buying it would have and the seller should have an answer. You have to wonder what other secrets it holds

[italian68]

they bought it the way it is now.

1974 frame but has fuel injected engine. code on engine shows its a 74 california engine

[TX-73]

[italian68]

i like the look of the car. i realize it does not have the value of an "original" convertible car but is not ok to buy?

[Scott H]

[Abscate]

Go to the second VIN under the rear seat on the trans tunnel

That will tell a bad story, I predict
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.ssS!

[italian68]

its the same vin as the one under the hood. states the car is a 1974 NON convertible

[Mudpump]

So lets consider where we are so far
We have a car which should be a 74 vert but has 73 sedan VIN tags on it. The code on engine shows its a 74 California engine but it's fuel injected which is a 75+ engine. The owner is Sgt Shultz and is doing "I know nothing".

Yeah that's not car I'm buying unless I miss my meds for a week

[italian68]

isnt the vin showing its a 74?

1342553739

[Mudpump]

[italian68]

asking 5thou. im thinking more like $3500. could it be an early fuel injected model for 74?

[ashman40]

I'm going to state the obvious....
If the VIN shows it is a '74 Super Beetle sedan but it has a convertible top... maybe someone REALLY wanted a convertible and cut the roof off a sedan and installed a convertible top? In the 40-years since the car left the factory... ANYTHING is possible.

Can you post pics of the car? The front and rear quarter windows differ between the sedan and the convertible. I thought the rear quarter windows on the convertible were retractable? It would be very difficult to convert the sedan quarter windows to retractable ones. Though I might be wrong.


Here is collection of pics from a real '74 SB convertible to compare with.
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/volkswagen/unspecified/1921265.html
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}