No vin plate or chasis number.. What can I do?

[vw356]

Hello. I have a 1954 or 1955 convertible body that someone took the vin plate out of. Can I somehow find the vin number using just the body number?
Thank You.

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Current projects:
1950's Volkswagens!
51,52,54's,55,56's,57,58's,'60's And then a bunch of '60's, but the '50's are my favorites..

[finster]

^^ I'm thinking early 1954? not easy to see 15 - 17?15
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[vw356]

15-17715
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Current projects:
1950's Volkswagens!
51,52,54's,55,56's,57,58's,'60's And then a bunch of '60's, but the '50's are my favorites..

[AlteWagen]

The only way I can think of is if by luck someone has the body number right before or after yours. Even if you do find the actual VIN without the chassis there wont be much you can do with it
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[EVfun]

First I'd do due diligence to insure that isn't a stolen car parted out. Then I'd find some clapped out oval era Bug convertible with a good tunnel and the body tag. Id get the biggest rust bucket and parted out turd that had a good central tunnel and a TITLE. I'd build up a nice pan and hope the body tag fairy visited the lost body some night.

Oh -- I wouldn't post about it. However, before starting I'd samba search the stolen, ask all around the local VW community, and try to find any stolen car registry I could search anonymously. Many old Bugs, even ones highly desirable now, where just parts cars in the '70's once not roadworthy. Often considered nothing but scrap by the last owner they where tossed away as trash.
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[type4split]

I started a 1955 list. Was trying to find my last couple numbers to un readable chassis number

Let me dig up the lost I started.

Trying to find a cheap junked out oval convertible will be nearly impossible. They are all being saved these days.
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'67 deluxe bus w/the little windows
'52 beetle
'55 convertible
'50-something convertible (*need ribbed 'vert quarter panel )
'63 "milo" beetle
Part, parts and more parts

[finster]

my calculation was based on knowing that body 15 - 17850 was made in may 54 according to etzold's der kafer book. also backed up by adding-up yearly production numbers, they were at 16000 by the end of 53.
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[54 Oval]

I'm in Alberta Canada and we don't use a "Title" system for cars, though other Canadian Provinces do. As I understand it one of the main reasons most jurisdictions use it is to reduce theft by using a secondary document to prove ownership for the sake of ownership transfer and proof of ownership. I'm pretty sure I could register and licence that car to drive on the road here. You don't have the Chassis I take it. None of that helps you much there, but there are places where titles aren't used where it would have value, such as here... it would have to come here as "parts".

[ZENVWDRIVER]

- I have had a similar situation - in 2012, I bought an oval bug offa' thesamba for a hundred bux - from the body number, we determined, it was a February 1955 - I could not care less what the original VIN was and put it on a 1965 pan - so we have a 1955 on a 1965 pan - is still a very cool old bug - been slowly puttin' it back together - is registered as a '65, but to the looker, it's obviously a '55-
- lookin' at a '1950 body and we have another ''65 pan - might do the same thing...
...just put yours on a pan and enjoy it... if you ever find the actual VIN, then you'll have it - and so what?
… checked out your gallery, vw356 - seems you have lotza' bodies like our '55 - love all your stuff - i'd bet you have lotza' fun.

3/55 and this 2/55, on the right... enjoy -

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5/50, pastel green 11G - SOLD
8/50, gray 11A Beetle
6/52, pastel green 11C - SOLD
11/4/52, black Zwitter - SOLD to my little bro.
1954 Porsche, pre A, with VW 36 horse- SOLD
1/54, black 11C Beetle - TRADED
2/55 Iceland green Beetle, on a 1965 pan
3/55 113 Beetle, stratos silver
1955 Messerschmitt KR175 - SOLD, sadly
1960 single cab
1962 SO33, with SO 42 interior
9/63 Pacific blue, Ghia
'87 Toyota MR2
'02 WestFORDia E-150, GAVE TO OUR SON

All super-heroes, wear a MASK

[aa390392]

VW356 ? Im just curious, you seem to have a whole lot of rusted cars. do you have any
that have bee. completed?
reminds me of whats an inside a hoarders home. Somewhat organized chaos.
Theres a time in ones life when one needs to stop what there doing an focus on 1 thing.
I know its my opinion, and we all have one, but shit man, i cant just look, venting.
Just an observation.
Cheers Tomas.
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getting grumpy & less tolerant!


55 ragtop
56 delux sedan
56 Kabriolet

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[motofly196]

I like your collection...split Beetle and 356 quietly sleeping behind the shop, plus lots of early sheet metal. Not a bad thing to collect...
You might see chaos Tomas, others (like myself and ZEN) see some very collectible tin back there.
As stated, trying to find a junker early vert' pan might be hard to do...looks like you've found some other hard to find cars. I'm sure if anybody can find one, it'll be you. Put up a wanted ad, or maybe a trade ad? I bet some stuff comes out of the woodwork for that 356. Depending on how bad you need the vert' pan of course.

[Mark Evans]

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[theorangeperil]

Are there not Karmann records available somewhere? The VW Museum?

I see you've owned the car a while? https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=336959&highlight=

I hope someone can help.

[LoneWolf8]

Look at the number more carefully and you will see its 15-17415.

[Mark Evans]

[ZENVWDRIVER]

[quote="Mark Evans"]

[Mark Evans]

Surface rust/patina is one thing. But here in the wet Pacific Northwest, a car sitting exposed to the elements with missing windows or leaking rubber will eventually cause the metal to decompose(like the 15 window I mentioned). An Arizona car sitting for 30 years will have the cool paint and patina...I was mainly commenting on the very rusty looking oval window, a convertible and the buses seen in some of vw356's yard pics.
I knew of a guy who refused to sell an early Impala that he had sitting under a tree so long, that the rain gutter channels were literally falling of of it. He still stated that "he would get to it someday". A $20 tarp would have saved him thousands$$$.
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'63 Ragtop

[ZENVWDRIVER]