VIN

I have a VIN number on vehicle that does not identify the year in the 10th digit.

How do I tell if it come for Europe or wherever?

Reply to
Devils Advocate
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What is the VIN, the make, model and year of the vehicle?

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

The VIN Label will identify the manufacturer, but you should be able to tell the country of assembly by looking for a certification label. These are ususally on the drivers door edge.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

"Devils Advocate" wrote in news:476133e9$0$5276$ snipped-for-privacy@news.aliant.net:

Where is the VIN tag on your car? What are the first seven characters of the VIN? (Don't worry, you are giving up no personal info with those characters.)

North American VIN tags are /always/ visible at the base of the windshield.

Asian VIN tags are under the hood, immediately above the left-side front wheel. I believe European VIN plates are also under the hood.

Reply to
Tegger

Also, there is a universal system to the first few digits, no matter where it's from 1-5 are North America with 1 4 and 5 being US, 2 being Canada and

3 being Mexico. J is Japan.

However, I have noticed that Japanese cars that make it to North America have the North American style VIN behind the lower corner of the windshield like North American cars to. Also there is a 17 digit VIN on Japanese made Toyotas, but it has the old style VIN stamped on the firewall in the engine compartment. Some North American cars have this number stamped on the firewall, too. Don't know if they're still doing it.

Also, in most cases there is also a vin plate just on the rear part of the frame of the driver's door no matter where it's made. Should show date of manufacture and a few other things.

Charles the Curmudgeon

Reply to
n5hsr

"n5hsr" wrote in news:QsSdnemUw_xGMvzanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

That is a North American legal requirement which does not exist elsewhere in the world. Foreign cars must comply with this requirement on vehicles shipped for sale in the US/Canadian markets.

The VIN is present in several locations on all cars. I do believe there is a legal requirment for the VIN to be stamped into the firewall, as that part is the only part which IS "the car" itself. The firewall is analogous to the receiver of a firearm.

Of import to the OP is the presence (or not) of a VIN tag visible in the windshield. The presence of such a tag is proof the car was made for North America.

Reply to
Tegger

I'm trying to remember when the Vin visible through the Windshield was first implimented I think it might have been 1968. Our 72 Carina had one, but our 63 Chevy II did not. I'm trying to remember if Uncle Bills lease car (67 Chevy Caprice Sedan) had it or not. We had no cars that dated between

1963 and 1972.

Charles the Curmudgeon

Reply to
n5hsr

"n5hsr" wrote in message news:3JGdnWmHzL5TWPzanZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

If I remember correctly my 1967 El Camino had one but not my 1966 VW.

Dan

Reply to
Danny G.

The modern standard for VINs was not adopted until 1981. However, before this, cars usually had a VIN anyway. I would be surprised if they weren't required. It may be that the VIN is in an unusual place or at least a place you didn't look, like inside the door.

Apparantly, at least some VWs had them:

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Reply to
Jeff

Jeff wrote in news:dlz8j.2129$c82.1366@trnddc01:

Prior to the 1981 standardization, the car's serial number could be any length or configuration and in any place which suited the manufacturer.

Some cars had them on a door pillar, the firewall, a frame rail, you name it. Some much older cars didn't have the serial number in any permanent place at all, making re-registration and authentic restoration difficult.

Reply to
Tegger

Woops, I forgot to mention the "Vin visible through the Windshield" part.

8)
Reply to
Danny G.

I was wondering about that. Also, the car could have been new to you and you just didn't find it yet.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

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