Urgent Help on model year

Jan 23, 2006 7 Replies
R

G'day all,



I've got a problem with importing a vehicle into Australia.



I bought the vehicle as a 1983 model, but Mercedes Benz in Australia are telling the import authorities that it is a 1995 model (and hence not allowed to be privately imported). I might add that all of my documentation shows the vehicle as a 1983 model but the tossers at DOTARS wont accept original documents for some reason best known to them.



Can anyone point me to a site which can help me confirm a production date using the WDB number?



Thanks in advance.


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T

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I'm told this doesn't work for all cars, but it works for mine.

Ximinez

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K

When you go to this site:

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enter your vin number, you will get a list of 3 digit option codes.Go down the list until you reach the 80x number. It should say 803. THAT is theyear of your vehicle.

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R

What about the plate riveted to the can that shows what month and year it was made. That's not enough for them?

What model is it?

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R

Believe it or not they rely totally on Daimler Chrysler to supply the information. I asked about a photo of the plate and got a "it could be a fake" reply!!

It turns out that someone has decoded the VIN, got the datacard and looked at the order number which ends in 05295 which is being given as the build date. I looked up consecutive VINs and low and behold the order numbers were 05294 and 05296.

The model is a 309D Westfalia Campervan.

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R

Ah. Here's what you do. Dress up in your best suit. They're $5 in Goodwill if you don't have one. Go to your closest MB dealer with a box of donuts. Tell him the funny story about the vin and give him the donuts then ask him to call and explain to them about the complicatd world of VIN numbers.

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