MK1 Golf - anyone know where to find the VIN number on the chassis???

martco

weird one....something that's turning into a mountain of ****e out of nothing

I have a Mk1 golf...she's been thru 3 NCT's in my ownership, no probs everytime its a nice car.

This NCT I've been given a fail - on the VIN number being "obscured"

I have the usual rivetted plate on the front slam panel drivers side...the number is also of course on the boot sticker in the spare wheel well
AND not forgetting I've had the car on the road for years, been thru several NCT's, been VRT'd originally by me, I have the logbook.....but yer man at the NCT seems fixated on the fact that it isn't visible stamped on the firewall panel. He's given me this form that I have to get completed by the guards now to verify the car is the car?!?!?! I left the NCT centre a bit bewildered and I was late for another appointment so I didn't get into any discussions, just spoke to the bloke for a minute took the report and this form and left. I called to one of the larger Garda stations that day to get this done but they say they've not seen this form before and the guard agreed with me that it seemed all a bit odd to him and he didn't know what to do with it...made some phone calls and claimed that I'll have to arrange an appointment with the Customs to sort it. So I rang them and they said "wha?" ah no no you've got to go back to the VRT office.....and on it goes. basically nobody knows how or what this is and how to deal with it.

Now I've not cared a massive amount about VIN numbers in my life but I know what it is and why it's important etc. What I also know is that it's not always stamped on the Firewall/bulkhead on a car...I've seen them in all sorts of places on a car.

thing is now I've gone all curious and gone looking for it. I cannot see a hammer stamped VIN number in my engine bay anywhere obvious...I've also googled it to death...unfortunately the Mk1 golf internet forum is offline for maintenance it seems

Does anyone know the answer to this??

thanks

biko

It's common to have one print of the VIN below the windshield so check under the wipers.

bijapos

I last owned a Golf I over 20 years ago, it was a LHD and from memory it's on the left side of the bulkhead as you look into the car. I also seem to remember that some model years had the number stamped on top of the suspension strut but I don't think that this was on all models.

mgbgt1978

There is absolutely no legal reason why you cannot stamp this number on yourself.
If it's not already on the car ( and many older cars did not have it stamped) and the NCT insist on the car having it stamped, then simply do it yourself....you are not changing , or altering in any way, the chassis (vin) number.
I have had the same problem with the NCT crowd with a couple of mid-80's Mini's (which never had a chassis number stamped on them, just the riveted plate) and stamped them myself....in different places on each car just to see if they would notice.
Both cars have since passed 2 NCT's without a problem.

p.s. a quick google turns up the fact that on some MK1 Golfs the VIN no. is on the wiper motor cover....although even if that's still there it won't satisfy the NCT guys as it's not actually stamped onto the Chassis.

Neilw

What year is the car? The vin number is stamped onto the drivers side strut top on my mk1.

You can just make it out in this pic.