These Two VIN Digits Reveal Model Year and Country in Seconds

"lonestranger" (lonestranger) 05/12/2015 at 14:35 • Filed to: VIN, PSA

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Most of us know there’s a wealth of information contained in Vehicle Identification Numbers, or VINs. Since 1981, VINs on motor vehicles sold in the North American market (and elsewhere) have been standardized not only on passenger cars, but motorcycles, commercial trucks, even trailers. With access to the internet, a vehicle’s life story is a search away. What you may not know is that armed with a little knowledge, you can determine both the vehicle’s country of origin and model year at a glance.

TL;DR condensed version at bottom of post

I’m not going to get into complicated info like factories, engines, check digits, and such. It doesn’t pertain to vehicles from before 1980, nor does it pertain to some markets outside of North America and Europe. This sort of info isn’t so easily memorized, and there’s enough articles on the subject elsewhere. Also note that this isn’t a comprehensive resource, just for a quick ‘n’ dirty way to inform yourself or impress your friends. There’s likely something I’ve left out or gotten wrong entirely, so deal with it.

We’re only interested in the first, second, and tenth digits today. The VIN below is for a vehicle manufactured in Japan, model year 1989:

The first thing we’ll check is the country of origin, since it’s a source of confusion and argument. Is your Dodge U.S.-made, or Mexican? Was your Mom’s Honda born in Japan, or Canada? The first two digits usually* have the answer in the form of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , or WMI.

* !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that European WMIs may sometimes refer not to where the factory is located, but where the company’s headquarters is registered. Notable examples are Mini under BMW ownership, and Opel/Vauxhall.

I’ll list some common countries below, but first know that the very first digit identifies the continent:

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H are made in Africa

J, K, L, M, N, P, and R are made Asia

S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, and Z are made in Europe

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 are made in North America

6 and 7 are made in Oceania

8 and 9 are made in South America

In many cases, the first digit alone tells you what exact country the vehicle was manufactured in. Sometimes you’ll also need the second digit to know for sure. The second digit refers to both the manufacturer and the country of origin. If you want, you can !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , but to keep things simple, I’ll list some of the country codes most commonly expected to be found on North American roads:

Asia

J = Japan

KL to KR = South Korea

Europe

SA to SM = United Kingdom

SN to ST = Germany

VF to VR = France

W (all) = Germany (“W” originally stood for West Germany)

VA to VE = Austria

YS to YW = Sweden

ZA to ZR = Italy

North America

1, 4 & 5 = United States

2 = Canada

3 = Mexico

Oceania

6 = Australia

South America

9A to 9E, 93 to 99 = Brazil

To wrap up the most common and easily memorized countries, USA = 1, 4 or 5; Canada 2, Mexico 3, Japan J, Germany W.

Now on to the year, which is much simpler to identify. The tenth digit refers to the model year that the manufacturer has designated, which may not necessarily be the calendar year that the vehicle was manufactured .

Again, both letters and numbers are used, and with the year they are in sequential order. 1980=A, 1981=B, 1982=C, and so on. “I”, “O”, and “Q” are not used at all, since they are easily misread. “U” is not used in the tenth digit. In order to memorize them, know that the current VIN system was first widely adopted in 1980. 80 is a nice, round number, we’re looking at the tenth digit in the VIN, and the alphabet begins with “A”, so we remember that 1980=A. After skipping I, O, U, and Q, we’re almost out of letters to use by the time we hit 2001. So, we switch to numbers. 2001=1, 2002=2, and so forth. Really easy to remember, huh? Come 2010, we’re out of numbers already, so we revert back to letters. 2010=A, 2011=B, etc. There’s little chance of confusing a 1980 with a 2010 model, so re-using letters is no big whoop.

Here’s the full list:

A – 1980 OR 2010

B – 1981 OR 2011

C – 1982 OR 2012

D – 1983 OR 2013

E – 1984 OR 2014

F – 1985 OR 2015

G – 1986 OR 2016

H – 1987 OR 2017

I – Not used, because it looks like a “1”

J – 1988 or 2018

K – 1989 or 2019

L – 1990 or 2020

M – 1991 or 2021

N – 1992 or 2022

O – Not used. Neither zero or the letter “O” are used as the 10th digit, thou zero may be used elsewhere in the VIN.

P – 1993 or 2023

Q – Not used since it light be confused with O or 0.

R – 1994 or 2024

S – 1995 or 2025

T – 1996 or 2026

U – Not used in the tenth digit, but can be used elsewhere in the VIN.

V – 1997 or 2027

W – 1998 or 2028

X – 1999 or 2029

Y – 2000 or 2030

1 – 2001 or 2031

2 – 2002 (or 2032, etc...)

3 – 2003

4 – 2004

5 – 2005

6 – 2006

7 – 2007

8 – 2008

9 – 2009

TL;DR

First digit is the country; 1, 4 or 5 = USA; 2 = Canada, 3 = Mexico, J = Japan, W = Germany.

Tenth digit is the model year and is sequential; A = 1980 or 2010, B = 1981 or 2011, 1 = 2001, 2 = 2002.

Sources: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

(Originally posted December 2013)

HammerheadFistpunch > lonestranger 12/10/2013 at 17:49

1

safety braking? Looks like body type on most vins I've seen.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > lonestranger 12/10/2013 at 18:04

0

my VIN was changed from JT1 to 6U9 when it was imported. I don't know why this makes me sad but it does.

lonestranger > HammerheadFistpunch 12/10/2013 at 18:23

3

Yeah, the 4th through 8th or even 9th digits are used for vehicle descriptors such as body style, engine, chassis, GVWR, safety features, etc. What each digit actually means or where they're positioned within those digits isn't universal, though. It's up to the manufacturer.

The only useful parts of the VIN that are really consistent across the world are country of origin and model year.

HammerheadFistpunch > lonestranger 12/10/2013 at 18:25

0

I wish there was a way to find plant codes. I know mine is 0, but what plant is that?

EDIT: I found some info, but with Toyota anyway, it appears they change their plant codes periodically. Mine looks like it was the Tahara plant

Mattbob > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 14:42

17

thank you for not saying “VIN number”

Party-vi > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 14:43

13

I’m having difficulty figuring out where and when mine was made ;)

lonestranger > Mattbob 05/12/2015 at 14:49

24

Using a redundant term will cost you $1 buck. Repeat it, and it’ll cost you $1000 grand.

RockThrillz89 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 14:53

2

Dammit. My Civic was made in Canada. Got to send it back. I want my Japanese cars made in America dog gonnit.

Crossdrilled > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 15:00

7

I remember my mother purchasing a 98 Mitsubishi Galant from a Dealership only to realize it was a 97. Apparently there was a rumour going around that the dealer in particular was marking up 97s and branding them as 98s. When we confronted the dealer they were showing us the VIN# and assuring us that V was 1998 and U was 1997. Of course they had no “97s” to show my mother to prove this but they showed a 96 that used T in its VIN.

After numerous other complaints and court cases the dealer had to pay the difference to all Galants sold. Sadly this dealership is still in business.

lonestranger > Crossdrilled 05/12/2015 at 15:07

1

Wow. Just wow.

MIATAAAA > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 15:17

20

Steep penalties! I’d have to go to the ATM machine for that.

lonestranger > MIATAAAA 05/12/2015 at 15:26

27

Don’t forget your PIN number.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 15:32

5

This is mostly true. However, there are always exceptions.

Minis made after the BMW Group bought the rights are made in the UK, but the World Manufacturer Identifier is WMW (W in the first position meaning Germany). You have to know that BMW never registered an SA to SM WMI for Minis being built in Oxford. Instead you have to know that the plant code T (11th position) is Oxford, UK.

But because the US plant is owned by a US entity, the non M cars from Spartanburg (plant code L) have a WMI of 4US. M cars from Spartanburg (Z4M roadsters and coupes) have a WMI of 5UM.

EDIT: For correctness, as I bothered to look up the ownership structure of Plant Oxford.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > HammerheadFistpunch 05/12/2015 at 15:36

0

They are all unique to manufacturer. In BMW world, L is Spartanburg, SC and T is Oxford, UK. (I own cars made at those plants, so I can at least say that)

lonestranger > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/12/2015 at 15:52

0

Thanks for the correction. I've edited the article accordingly.

Sam > Party-vi 05/12/2015 at 15:58

0

Probably China. Just like everything else.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Mattbob 05/12/2015 at 16:34

3

ATM machine!

drdude > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:37

2

That PIN Number is for the ATM Machine right?

Ltd783 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:37

0

Very interesting. I just checked my Belgian-built V70R, and it still has the YV prefix indicating Sweden. I wonder if the V70 body was still built in Sweden perhaps? Or just Volvo uses same VIN series regardless?

Stan > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:37

13

Old news to us parts guys. :)

Admiral Asskicker > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:38

1

Yeah,

MowtownMuscle1996 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:38

6

Is there anyone that could help me? I have a 1942 ford pickup that I’m working on and I have no idea how to check the vin or if it even has a vin but I’d really like to see where this car has been. There was some numbers and stars stamped on the frame I don’t know if they mean anything. Thanks

Mustang 'DontHitTheCrowd' GT > Sam 05/12/2015 at 16:47

0

Did you even read the “WILLLYS”?

Sam > Mustang 'DontHitTheCrowd' GT 05/12/2015 at 16:49

0

Hey man, Willy’s has to save money somehow.

The-Guy-They-Warned-You-About > Party-vi 05/12/2015 at 16:50

7

Ohio? (^_^)

Mine was, and it’s number 8394. And yes, it still has the column shifter!

wasaabi93 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:50

1

Some BMW models made in SC are stamped with W country of origin markings. Fun knowledge bomb.

Lady Hecate > MowtownMuscle1996 05/12/2015 at 16:51

1

I’ll look it up tomorrow if I remember.

Engineers are people too > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 16:52

7

The fun part is when your brain is so full of VIN shit that you can breakdown the entire VIN in your head for an entire OEM...

Velvet Elvis > MowtownMuscle1996 05/12/2015 at 16:56

1

It looks like someone tried to obliterate another number below the one in question. BTW, have you checked with someone like MAC’s Auto or LMC Truck to see if they can help?

ASEp2 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:01

0

There’s little chance of confusing a 1980 with a 2010 model, so re-using letters is no big whoop.

The 17-digit VIN wasn’t compulsory until the 1981 model year, so a 1980 VIN may not even be 17 digits.

Even though we can tell the physical differences between two car thirty years apart, the DMV or other governmental agency computers may not be able to.

And, NHTSA fixed this minor issue anyway. For vehicles up through 2009, the 7th digit of the VIN will be a number. For 2010 through 2039, the 7th digit will be a letter. Problem solved.

http://www.counterman.com/the-da-vinci-c…

jalop1991 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:02

2

...and .02 cents per megabyte.

bombora444 > Stan 05/12/2015 at 17:04

1

Damn parts guys, always telling the customer in front of me in line some formula with the VIN number to figure out if its a 6-cyl or 8-cyl, which they’ll never remember and look completely lost even while being told, instead of just popping the hood and seeing what it is.

5isrightout > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:04

0

Thank you.

ASEp2 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:05

1

9th digit of the VIN is a random character, based on a mathematic formula involving the other 16 digits. They call it a check digit, and its used to validate a VIN’s authenticity. It does not describe any vehicle option or feature.

MowtownMuscle1996 > Lady Hecate 05/12/2015 at 17:06

0

That would be awesome thanks

MowtownMuscle1996 > Velvet Elvis 05/12/2015 at 17:07

0

Yea you know I've never noticed that but we sandblasted and painted the frame so I don't think it's like that anymore

celicatrd124 > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:11

0

Hmm weird. I have a mini cooper that was built in the UK but has a W vin. I’m assuming its due to BMW being the parent and it being based in Germany. But then on the flip side, Hondas built here in the states don’t have J vins. Weird stuff.

ASEp2 > bombora444 05/12/2015 at 17:11

0

Because there is a line of people out the door that will get even longer if we stop to go look at a car in the parking lot every other transaction. Damn customers, don’t even know what they are driving. Keep a registration card in your wallet, bring it in with you. Problem solved. (And BTW, VINs are read just like English.... left to right. Not in Hebrew.)

Adam LeJeune > Engineers are people too 05/12/2015 at 17:14

1

I think that’s something most likely acheived by a like minded engineer like yourself

ex.saint > Stan 05/12/2015 at 17:15

2

Or those of us in Roadside and/or claims adjusting.

Carilloskis > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:17

1

Ford decided to make it easy for people to know where their vehicles are made. My work truck had a similar sticker for the Kentucky plant. no need to translate the vin.

Pickup_man > MowtownMuscle1996 05/12/2015 at 17:22

1

That is the serial # for your pickup, the same as a VIN, that number stamped on your frame should match a tag, likely on the firewall (which I don’t see in your picture). My 1950 F3 was the same as yours pictured, it had the stars in the number and everything, I forgot how to read it though. As for searching for its history you might be able to do a title search/record search with your local DMV. I had to do a record search to obtain the title for mine because it was long gone. I was really hoping to find some history on mine as well, but sadly (and thankfully) no records turned up. It was disappointing to not find any history on it, but it made acquiring a title much much easier.

Edit: doesn’t look like the 40’s had a plate on the cowl, just the stamped # in the frame.

http://vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/flathea…

Best I can come up with, you have a 1942 Model, that came with the 90 HP, V8.

MowtownMuscle1996 > Pickup_man 05/12/2015 at 17:25

0

Thanks that helped but I really would like to know because 1942 was the year production of the civilian truck was stopped because of the war and the car does have green paint buried under three other paint colors so it might be possible for this truck to have been used during the war

lonestranger > celicatrd124 05/12/2015 at 17:31

0

That’s correct. Though I can’t confirm why this is, it was pointed out to me that a European-assembled car from a European-registered company may (or may not) have a WMI assigned to it that reflects its parent company’s headquarters.

As far as I know, this exemption applies only if both the headquarters and the factory are in Europe.

lonestranger > Carilloskis 05/12/2015 at 17:44

3

I don’t know if all Ford models have them, but they’re on other makes as well. They usually (always?) have a UAW and/or other union seal on them, so I’m guessing they’re as much a union promotion as anything else.

Pickup_man > MowtownMuscle1996 05/12/2015 at 17:45

1

Interesting. I did a little digging and that’s the best I could come up with, doesn’t look like Ford did much documentation on vehicles until the late 40’s, early 50’s and even then it’s still not much. It would be cool if you could find out if it was used in the war, I’ve got no idea on how to figure that out though. Good luck with it and cool truck!

Michael Löffler > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:47

2

You really should specify that this only applies to 1980 model year and newer vehicles. Before that each manufacture used there own standard and many vehicles VIN numbers can be decoded before 1980 but you have to use the manufactures decoding method.

ASallySal > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 17:53

2

The MOST informative article I have ever read on Jalop!

MowtownMuscle1996 > Pickup_man 05/12/2015 at 17:57

0

Yup exactly it's a flat head Mercury v8 but I honestly thought that someone stuck a mercury in it but turns out it's factor very cool

MowtownMuscle1996 > Pickup_man 05/12/2015 at 18:00

0

Thanks I can’t wait to finish it it’ll be a ratrod type thing we’re putting a v8 from a 95’ mustang GT plus all the electronics, breaks, and rear axle from the mustang too. Then the front suspension was taken from a 07 police interceptor so it’s a bit of a mutt but I can’t wait. Btw I named it Mad Max lol seemed like it’d fit the part

Captain_Spadaro > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 18:19

1

This is likely old news to everyone, but the VDS section of the VIN (positions 4-8) isn't standardized and is set up at each manufacturers discretion. For example, a lot of manufacturers use the 8th digit for the engine, but not everyone does. Nissan/Infiniti use the 4th digit for the engine, Toyota/Lexus after 1996 use the 5th digit, etc.

thebullfrog > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 18:19

2

LOL at the first (and second for that matter) pic. “Built with pride. Quality is job #1” The sticker is almost 45 degrees off. So much for all that pride and quality.

lonestranger > thebullfrog 05/12/2015 at 18:29

3

Or is the decal level with the ground, and the window is 45 degrees off?

LongTravel > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 18:57

3

I want an option on autotrader or cars.com to search by vin digits. Takes all the complexity out of finding the right engine/chassis combination for models with multiple combos.

jimz > Party-vi 05/12/2015 at 19:58

0

prior to 1981 there was no standard format for VINs/serial #s.

jimz > Adam LeJeune 05/12/2015 at 19:59

1

especially if you work in quality metrics.

jimz > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 20:03

1

joint venture plants make it fuzzy too. Most Ford cars built in north America have a WMI of 1FA, 2FA, or 3FA, except the 2005-2014 Mustang. since the plant they were built in was AutoAlliance (joint venture with Mazda,) the WMI was 1ZV. Mazda used 1YV for the 6s built at the same plant.

Now that Ford is the sole owner of the plant (now Flat Rock Assembly) 2015+ Mustangs start “1FA.”

jimz > ASEp2 05/12/2015 at 20:08

0

it’s calculated based on the other 16 characters, so it’s not “random.”

jimz > HammerheadFistpunch 05/12/2015 at 20:11

0

character #4 depends on the type of vehicle. for cars/light vehicles, it denotes the occupant safety equipment, e.g. dual front airbags, or dual front airbags + side curtain + seat airbags, etc. For trucks it denotes the GVWR class (e.g. Class 5, 6, 7) and brake type (air or hydraulic.)

lonestranger > jimz 05/12/2015 at 20:12

0

Good point, but for simplicity’s sake I stuck to the first digit of the WMI. In all of your examples, the 1 and 3 signify USA assembly, 2 signifies Canada.

Clown Shoe Pilot > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/12/2015 at 20:16

1

My Spartanburg produced 2001 M coupe rocks a VIN that starts out WBS

Clown Shoe Pilot > jalop1991 05/12/2015 at 20:19

1

I wonder if I can find a driver for my NIC card that will cut off traffic at a certain threshold so I don’t overpay.

jimz > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 20:29

1

no. 1=US. 2=Canada. 3=Mexico andCayman Islands. 4=US. 5=US.

Carilloskis > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 20:43

0

Your probably right about the Union promotion as I had two Suburbans that where built in Salio MX that didn't have stickers like those and the last one doesn't have the plant just UAW and Ford.

Auto Guy > Mattbob 05/12/2015 at 21:18

0

I like to catch car guys sleeping by saying “VI number.” Pretty much nobody says that.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Clown Shoe Pilot 05/12/2015 at 22:05

0

It would be interesting to see when they registered that WMI with the SAE. All the E85/86 cars are either 4US or 5UM.

WBS is correct for M GmbH cars. Not sure *what* the actual reasoning was behind the 5UM change, but the E85/86 cars are either of those two.

It would also be interesting to see what WMI is stamped on the E36 cars built there.

Is the first digit of your last 7 ‘L’?

MegaSuper > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 22:05

0

VIN in this format is US-Only, right?

So in that case, what vehicles would be from Austria/Brazil/Mexico ? I’m not aware of any that are sold in the US, but I could be wrong.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Clown Shoe Pilot 05/12/2015 at 22:14

0

I now know why there was a change. See the link.

http://isearch.nhtsa.gov/files/21915.dr…

Basically, BMW was operating under the assumption that the Greer plant was in a foreign trade zone, and was able to use the WBA and WBS codes assigned by the Kraftfahrt Bundesamt (Federal Office of Motor Vehicles) in Germany.

The US government (NHTSA) said that because the US bound vehicles are made in the US, a WMI must be established *only* by the SAE as per Title 49 CFR Part 565

Hence the SAE assigned 4US and 5UM to the BMW US made vehicles.

Clown Shoe Pilot > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/12/2015 at 22:17

0

Yes, first of last 7 is “L”. The Z3 M Coupe (the car in question) is an E36 variant (E36/8) but I don’t know what they put on the “pure” E36s made at Spartanburg.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 22:19

1

I have your answer to why foreign manufacturers’ operations in the US have WMIs that are different. It’s not something that’s specific to European manufacturers, it’s the US Federal goverment.

http://isearch.nhtsa.gov/files/21915.dr…

BMW was assigning VINs at the SC plant using the German WMI (because that’s where the head office is, and that’s who assigns each VIN according to BMWNA). NHTSA took the stand that since the US bound vehicles built in the US didn’t, in its view, constitute “imported” vehicles, the only valid WMI that could be assigned to the vehicles *had* to be assigned by SAE, as opposed to their German counterpart, under Title 49 CFR Part 565.

Hence why US plants will have different WMIs than the home office. This would apply to all manufacturers who have plants in the US.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/12/2015 at 22:20

0

I researched this further, and have an actual answer: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/i-have-your-an…

lonestranger > MegaSuper 05/12/2015 at 22:21

0

No, this is worldwide. Since 1981, any car, truck, van, SUV, RV, trailer, motorcycle, etc., made anywhere in the world, and sold anywhere in the world, uses this format. Some of the other digits may signify different things depending on the manufacturer, but the first two digits are always the WMI, and the tenth is always the model year.

Austria - VA to VE (vehicles currently sold in the U.S. include KTM, Mercedes-Benz G-class, BMW X3 [E83], Mini Countryman & Paceman)

Brazil - 9A to 9E, 93 to 99 (e.g. ‘80s-’90s Volkswagen Fox)

Mexico - 3 (e.g. some Ram trucks, some Volkswagen Golf & Jetta)

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Clown Shoe Pilot 05/12/2015 at 22:22

0

See the link that I posted elsewhere. It’s due to NHTSA, the Code of Federal Regulations, and BMW losing an appeal of their process of using WBA/WBS on vehicles built in the US.

So anything prior to about 2003-2005 (I know 2005 Z4s are assigned 4US. My mother has one) or so would have WBA or WBS on the VIN.

Clown Shoe Pilot > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/12/2015 at 22:24

1

saw it. i guess i was typing while you were typing and you hit “Publish” first

MegaSuper > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 23:04

1

Oh wow. So dumb question, but then why do websites like eBay Motors sometimes say “The VIN for this car could not be found; this may be due to it having a foreign-market VIN.”

Doesn’t Japan use a system that’s just 0-9 or something? I’ve seen so many places on the Internet where a car’s history can’t be looked up or something because the VIN is “incompatible.” (FWIW, some of these cars were post-1981)

lonestranger > MegaSuper 05/12/2015 at 23:25

1

Ah-ha, I stand corrected! Japan doesn’t use the standard 17-character VIN format.

As for your first question, not all of the 17 digits refer to the same thing in all markets. For instance, in N.A.-market vehicles, the 11th digit denotes particular plant that the vehicle was manufactured in. IN the VIN of a European-market car, it may mean something completely different.

MegaSuper > lonestranger 05/12/2015 at 23:36

0

Thanks for the reply!

lonestranger > MegaSuper 05/12/2015 at 23:41

0

Thanks for the correction!

Matvei > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 00:48

1

Japan uses the chassis/model number of the car plus the production number. It’s closer to a serial # than a true VIN. It also doesn’t put this number on the dash; it is only on the plate in the engine compartment and stamped on the chassis nearby.

B.Peasant > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 01:23

1

Jaguar used to put an extra American VIN on the cars they sent to North America, because their VIN wasn’t compatible with the standard. My 1998 XJ8 was originally sold in Germany and has a C as tenth digit...

Dunnik > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 03:58

0

Always liked those worker/plant stickers. Too bad all cars don’t have them.

Mattbob > Auto Guy 05/13/2015 at 07:12

0

that is an excellent idea.

StalePhish > Carilloskis 05/13/2015 at 08:03

0

My dad’s newish Ford F150 has the same Dearborn sticker

Pickup_man > MowtownMuscle1996 05/13/2015 at 09:01

1

That’ll be a ton of fun, I still can’t decide on what to do with mine, I’ve got a 460, C6, and a 9” rear end, but I want to put a manual in it, and keep the 8 bolt wheel pattern, which means the C6 and the 9” have to go. I’m really back and forth on front suspension, I would love to put and independent front end on it, like a Mustang II, but cost is driving me towards just rebuilding the solid front, then there’s the Crown Vic front end, but IIRC the width is off for this truck and it would take a fair amount of work to get that to work. I can pick up a Vic dirt cheap though which is a plus. It’s not making progress any time too soon, so I’ve got some time to figure it out.

ASEp2 > jimz 05/13/2015 at 09:09

0

Sorry, I meant “random” as in it could be anything from 0-9 or X, with no meaningful purpose other than that calculation. Not “random” as in “let’s just put a character in this hole because we haven’t used a J in a while”.

ASEp2 > jimz 05/13/2015 at 09:16

0

For cars, the meaning of #4 is dependent on the manufacturer. Many use this position to denote the car line or body type, although some do use it for restraint systems. Positions 4 through 8 are up to the manufacturer’s discretion.

Lady Hecate > MowtownMuscle1996 05/13/2015 at 10:21

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Here’s what I can tell from the 1942 NICB VIN Manual: Serial # 18-6769036 and UP decode as MY: 1942 Model: Either DeL 21A or Sup DeL 21A FAP: 885 or 930 Wts: 3161 or 3200 8 Cyl B&S: 3.062x3.75 HP:30.01 Don’t know what all of it means, but thats what it says.

Lady Hecate > MowtownMuscle1996 05/13/2015 at 10:22

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The old ones are hard for me to read but I have a screenshot of the page I’d show you if I knew how.

Poison_Eagle > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 10:57

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I know mine off by heart. Who can decipher it? 6FPAAAJGSWYL87###

Burner-11 > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 11:16

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You can find occasional anomalies. The Chrysler Crossfire comes to mind. VINs start with 1 (seems ok, it's a Chrysler), but we all know it's a rebadged Merc, made in Germany. I can't think of any others off the top of my head.

mallthus > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs 05/13/2015 at 11:53

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BMWs built in South Africa also carry the W prefix, including those sold in the US.

Their 11 character is “N”

mallthus > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 11:55

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I had this one on my old S-10...

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > mallthus 05/13/2015 at 11:57

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There’s a NHTSA administrative ruling I’ve linked elsewhere. It’s a situation unique to the South Carolina plant, and applies to all makes, not just BMW.

lonestranger > Poison_Eagle 05/13/2015 at 12:51

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Australia, 1998.

MowtownMuscle1996 > Lady Hecate 05/13/2015 at 13:45

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Thanks for trying I appreciate it

SilverPantherIsSilver > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 14:11

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I always liked this sticker in the door of my Roadmaster

Moralltach > lonestranger 05/13/2015 at 17:14

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Is there any way to find out—more precisely than the year—when your car rolled off the line?

formerlyknownasdigitaldoug > lonestranger 05/14/2015 at 07:04

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Is there an app for that?

Marcos > lonestranger 07/13/2018 at 17:06

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Hi. Anyone can help a brasilian? Vin number is KZN1859001800. How do i know the manufacture year? Thanks a lot!!!

lonestranger > Marcos 07/14/2018 at 12:40

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That VIN doesn’t look to be complete. It should be 17 digits long, unless it was manufactured before 1980 or was sold for the Ja panese domestic market for instance.

Assuming it is complete but for the last few digits, t he tenth digit is a 1, so it’s a 2001. The fi rst two letters KZ mean it was manufactured in Kazakhstan.