chassis number on 1800es

[french dave]

hi all,need quick reply if poss to following.took car for mot.garage ring back carnt find chassis number.last 4 vt20s have build number as vin/chassis no.they say it should be 6 digit no. have lot older mots these quote a 7 digit no and some are followed by the letter W? confused.where on 1800es exactly should the chassis no be? dont know how or why previous 4 different garages have managed to pump in 4 digit build no and its been accepted??? note carnt find V5 sods law, to confirm number. should plate be somewhere near radiator?thanks

[Burdekin]

Hi Dave,

Is it the number punched into the angled top Corner support member to the right of the radiator?

[capt jack]

On an 1800ES the chassis number is stamped into the metal work of the driver's doorframe. In order to see it you'll need to open the drivers door fully, and read off the number stamped into the metalwork of the door frame between the two hinges. On some cars it is stamped into the fillet plate as previously described, and on some cars it is on a plate inside the windscreen frame on the passenger side, just above the dash. If the plate isn't there chances are there will be two pre-drilled fixing holes holes there anyway!

The unique part of the number is the last four digits.

The rest of the number will include and engine code, model type, and gearbox code etc.

Your problems will start if the car has been resprayed - the stamping isn't very deep, and is easily painted over by mistake.

Other numbers appear on the data plate in the engine compartment, but the chassis number isn't one of them.

When I MoT'd my ES I had one hell of a job gettting this bit sorted.

Hopefully in good light if you look where I've said you'll see the number OK.

Good luck

Cheers

Jack

[b20e]

One way I have seen the number retrieved is to first clean it off and then trace it off onto paper.
Also you can clean it and then rub in graphite, clean off the surface and press blue tack over it.

[940_Turbo]

Tell the guy to read his MOT manual, a pre aug 1st 1980 car can't be failed for not displaying its VIN

[222s]

Originally Posted by 940_Turbo

Tell the guy to read his MOT manual, a pre aug 1st 1980 car can't be failed for not displaying its VIN

The computerised system still needs the VIN (exactly as recorded on the V5C) in order to issue the MOT certificate.

[cassell]

Dave,

Jack is correct, the full VIN number is stamped into the offside 'A' pillar between the door hinges on right hand drive cars.

It is a 12 digit number as follows: 183 all ES's start with this, signifies 1800 3 door. Next are four numbers signifying the country of original purchase, engine type, gearbox type etc, from memory 4362 is a UK spec, right hand drive, automatic car. The next letter X or Y signifies the model year, X for 1971/72 and Y for 1972/73. The final four digits are the actual chassis number for the individual car.

My own car is chassis number 4366 therefore 1834362Y4366 and took some researching years ago to satisfy VOSA at MOT time. The reason being that at a previous test someone recorded 1834362Y as the chassis number (off the model/colour/trim plate under the bonnet) and no surprises, there are lots of UK cars with that number and it caused VOSA to investigate!!

There is another stamped metal (painted in body colour) plate on the pedal box above the model plate, this is the body number and has no bearing on the VIN number.

Hope this helps, good luck with the search, it will be there and may need some rubbing with emery tape if your car has been repainted in its life!

Regards,

Paul

[cassell]

Just noticed in my previous post I put X instead of W, 1971/72 model year ES's are code W not X, 1972/73 are Y as previously stated.

Sorry Dave, your W is definitely a W!!

Paul

[french dave]

hi all,and thanks for all your replies.intresting .ive been investigating myself and found info on volvo1800es.nl if you drop down to Diversen on left hand side and scroll down youll find info on chassis numbers.from what i can work out there my number should be 1834352-002165.now i have original mots from 70,s and they have 1834352W on some not all.then later when VT20,s came in i have 4 with only 2165 as the vin.so with your help i can see that full vin number is 1834352W-002165.easy!!! so back at garage mot man kept saying he needed a 6 digit number to enter VOSA records.i think this maybe 002165.which is build number but with 2 zeros on the front.anyway mot man finally happy and with 1 new tyre mot passed.have not ventured out to car to find various possible vin plate locations as a tad chilly out there.car starting /running fine at well below zero living outside.it is a volvo!be intresting to see what v5 has on it - when i find it!!! thanks all dave

[french dave]

hi all,finally sorted this problem out.had an appiontment with DVLA in manchester to inspect the car to find chassis number.young lady from dvla inspected car but couldnt find it!she was just about to pass it back to swansea/police !!!! to sort out -dont know if that meant theyd impound car? when i decided to have final look and luckily i found it.the full number is stamped on the A post as previously stated by other members but it wasnt between the hinges -where i was looking but on the angled return which the door seal pushes onto .the number is stamped directly into the metal almost hidden by the seal and you have to fully open door to get your head in to see it. phew that was a relief!!! thanks to all for your inputs.