What? Noooooo!!!!!

[Wireless]

Just thought you might like to be aware that on requesting a Birth Certificate for my 412 LS Variant, which I understand was built in 1973, but registered in the UK in 1974, I've received the following email from Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen...



'Dear Mr. Faulkner,

thank you for your email.

In principle the Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen is pleased to research the data of your old Volkswagen from the vehicle data base and to draw up a birth certificate.


However, we are not able to research the data of your Volkswagen because the micro fiche regarding the chassis number of your car is crumbling and illegible.

We will recharge the amount of 50,00 € to your VISA account within the next few days.


We ask for your understanding.


Yours sincerely,



,(___),

(o\_|_/o)


Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Wolfgang Doerk
Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen
Dieselstr. 35
38446 Wolfsburg

Tel.: 05361 - 84 86 171
FAX:05361 - 5 20 10
email: extern.wolfgang.doerk@volkswagen.de'


Now what do I do?

[Wireless]

Here's the Vin Plate and Paint Code, where do I go from here now that a VW Birth Certificate isn't possible?

[JSR-69]

These numbers tell when the car was made:
Fahrgest Nr 464 - 4 = Type 4, 6 = Variant, 4 = 1974.
Body colour plate - 403 - week 40 (week 1 starts in January) day 3. So you car was made on Wednesday 2nd October 1974.

Judi R

[alex d]

that would be october 1973 I think, october 74 would be already 75 model year

if someone has a 74 catalogue then we could check which colour was 6N6N or is that N9N9?

[JSR-69]

VW used calendar years for the chassis numbers in the same way they used calendar weeks for the week number of production. It is October 1974. My chassis number starts 464 and was first registered in September 1974.

Judi R

[Editor]

The production year started in the previous August - ie August 1973 was the start of the '74 model year, when the chassis number started 464 for a 412 Variant. I don't think there were any 1975 model Type 4s anyway. Just to reassure, I had a Type 2 Kombi, chassis number starting 234 and it was made in October 1973, confirmed by a letter from VW.

The colour is N6 (N6 N6 means main body and roof were the same. It's tropical green L60A - see http://home.clara.net/hallvw/vwpaint.htm .

Week 40 1973, Wednesday, which makes it 3rd Oct 1973.

So you can smile again!

[Wireless]

Ok I'm smiling again, but how do I convince DVLA that its built 3rd October 1973? Can't see them just taking my word for it.

[Wireless]

By the way, number 403-5035 might well indicate 3rd October 1973 as the Build Date for the Type 4, but I have the Birth Certificate for the Type 3 and it has the number 13-1-3155, using the first two numbers as for the Type 4 would give March 26th 1973, yet the Birth Certificate shows 3rd April 1973, which would be 14-2 in the numbers (if I've not made a boo boo).

How does the number system work for Type 3 and 4 vehicles, and why doesn't it match the Birth Certificate for the Type 3?

[Wireless]

Unless the system is 13 Weeks plus 1 Day, and they only make the declaration on the paperwork the following day, that would give 3rd April 1973.

Following that convention would mean for the Type 4, 40 Weeks plus 3 Days, plus a day for paperwork, a date of 11th October 1973.

Is it just me confused by this?

[Editor]

It's a slight anomaly, but so is the special paint colour.

I had 3 1971 Type 3 Variants in my possession at one time, with bodies made on consecutive days, but the newest one by chassis number was the second body made. When I did some repairs later, the driver's door was green under the marina blue. As the door had never shown any sign of being different paint for the previous 25 years or so, and I had owned it since it was about 5 years old, I'm prepared to think that it got damaged and a spare green door was repainted blue. It's just a theory, though.

I've seen enough that agree with the paperwork to be happy that the stamped week/day tag is the day they planned the body production. In the case of a special colour, there might well be a delay in painting the batch. My Fastback had a slip of paper under the carpet, with colour, last five digits of the chassis number and its week/day printed on.

I've seen a couple of gross mis-matches, but have stopped raising a query with the owner in case it's a stolen car or its ID has been changed inappropriately! I saw one recently that didn't seem to ring quite true. Too much water under the bridge to get concerned. One was week 05 and the chassis number suggested an August date. I wondered if they batch produced to build stock for the new model year, but it could as easlily have been a dodgy motor!

What I've done previously for paid-up club members is compose a letter to explain to DVLA the reading of the chassis number - the body production plate just confirms the ball-park production date.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/inf ... berst4.php might give some reassurance too, in relation to 1974 model year start and production numbers, for some interpolation.

[Wireless]

I've since had some success with Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen, they have accepted the information you had previously provided here, plus pictures of my VIN / Paint & Construction Plate, along with pictures of my Type 3 Plates and the Birth Certificate they sent me back in 2005 for that vehicle. While they reserve their right regarding official documentation, they admit that the information provided by the Type 3 & 4 Club in the UK matches with other documentation they have other than the crumbling micro fiche, and have on this occasion decided they can draw up a letter stating the Birth Date of the Type 4, please read the following.


'Good morning Mr. Faulkner,
thank you for your detailed e-mail and the pictures.
It is not that we are don´t trust your information from the Type 3 & 4 Club but we are directed to confirm
Information only by original Volkswagen documents we have on hand.
In your case we are happy to tell you that we really found papers which go conform with the information of the Type 3 & 4 Club.

So we will draw up the Dating letter for the DVLA.

In this case we will charge you with 20,00 € and refund 30,00 € to your VISA account.

With best regards,






Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Wolfgang Doerk
Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen
Dieselstr. 35
38446 Wolfsburg

Tel.: 05361 – 8486 171
FAX: 05361 – 520 10
e-mail: extern.wolfgang.doerk@volkswagen.de'


So a success story for the Type 3 & 4 Club, plus I save 30.00 € to boot, can it get any better than that?

I am smiling so hard it hurts, ha,

[Editor]

Some years ago, they stopped doing free 'birth certificates', claiming crumbling micro fiches. A bit later they introduced the charge ($10 I think). Well, at least they are still prepared to try a bit harder! Well done for your persistence. I would have done it for the club sub (currently £5), but at least yours won't get sniffed at (never happened to me yet).

The most we got back was a year's tax for an M-reg Type 3, which we proved had been made in '72. Nice feeling!