Date: Sat, 14 Jan 2006 22:36:10 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Organization: Fast Forward Automotive
Subject: Re: here is a stumper....two VIN's on the dash??? anyone ever
heard of that?
In-Reply-To: <251.4b613b6.30fb42a9@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
I think there is something totally wrong here. Canadian Market vehicles
have the same VIN structure as the US Market vehicle, the dash VIN will not
have ZZZ in it.
All European T3s (Vanagons) will have a VIN pop riveted in the front section
of the passenger door opening.
Now, the only thing I can think of is that there might be an "assigned VIN"
on the vehicle. Every time I register a European vehicle in BC, ICBC (the
motor vehicle people) freak out as there is a "check digit error" and we
have to apply for a new "BC assigned VIN" for the vehicle. With that done,
there is a VIN number like AR00071232243 given to the vehicle. Then in the
mail a few days later is new insurance / registration papers with the
European VIN on it and a letter stating that the best VIN to use for the
vehicle is the one that the manufacture assigned to it. So, it looks like
that process may not have happened and a new VIN got assigned to it.
Still looks fishy as I have NEVER seen a door jam sticker stating that said
vehicle meets all Canadian / US standards on a European vehicle, except for
one vehicle which was illegally imported to the USA.... there is no way that
any province would issue something like that!
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
Internet http://www.fastforward.ca
Email sales@fastforward.ca
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sent: January 14, 2006 22:16
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: here is a stumper....two VIN's on the dash??? anyone ever heard of
that?
a good local friend of mine just bought a vanagon Doublecab and had it
brought in from canada... nice truck..
Now heres some wierd stuff - there are two VIN's on the dash!!!???? i
have
never seen that in my life....two VINS???
the one VIN is in the proper place, just like every other vanagon VIN i have
ever seen, poprivited on as they all are, from the factory. But....that VIN
has a "ZZZ" in it... indicating it is a European VIN....
But........ there is another VIN, (different VIN#, with no "ZZZ" in it)
directly behind it on the dash - SCREWED ON with square drive sheetmetal
screws
(which i have never seen done, ever) and the screwed on VIN is the one that
matches the driver's doorjamb VIN/ID sticker, which confirms is meets all
canadian/federal applications for the model year and such, weight info, bla,
bla, just
like the US model sticker there.
the Canadian registration he got with the truck and paperwork all refers to
the screwed on VIN..
so.......what is the deal??? can anyone figure this one out?
was this Doka originally built for the European market, and then converted
at
the factory for Canadian import?? why would there be TWO VIN's?? why
would VW leave the european VIN on the dash, and then screw a second
Canadian VIN
on there????? i've never ever seen a VIN that was "screwed on" with
screws...all the factory VINS are poprivited on.... can anyone make sense
of this???
lets hear your thoughts...
chris