Re: [T3] Difference between a 67 and 68?

[Simon Glen <simonglen@bigpond.com>]

Daniel,

I believe you are correct.  All Type3 models, whether they be a
Type31, Type34 or Type36, fit into the sequence of the last six
digits of the VIN.  Thus, the only indication that your's is a
Karmann Ghia is the second digit.  There was no separate chassis
number sequence for fastbacks, notchbacks, squarebacks or
Karmann Ghias.

If your's was a Type31 or a Type36 and with that VIN of
*349 003 500*, it would have come off the Wolfsburg production
line in August 1968 i.e. during the first month of the 1969 model
year production run.  However, Wilhelm Karmann GmbH would
have had their own production schedule.  So, it may have come off
the production line at Osnabreuck some time later.

Nevertheless, I am fairly certain that your rolling chassis (floorpan
with transmission, motor, suspension, steering and even wheels fitted)
probably left a production line at Wolfsburg during August 1968.
It would then have been sent by train to Osnabreuck for Karmann
to build one of their wonderful cars onto this rolling chassis.

I think the only way to find out exactly when your car left the
Osnabreuck factory is to write to the VW Museum at Wolfsburg
stating your car's VIN or "fahrzeug nr" and requesting a certificate
of its production details.  You should enclose DM20 in cash or at
least the equivalent in a currency that is easy for them to exchange
allowing for bank fees.  (I always send DM20 in cash.)  You should
get a reply within three weeks enclosing an A4 size certificate which
shows the date it left the production line, when it left the factory and
the destination (i.e. Germany, USA, Mongolia, Antarctica or wherever).
It also usually lists the M-Options that your car was built with and its
original colour scheme.  If you wish I could send you a scanned copy
of one of my car's birth certificate just to see what they look like.

The address is:
        Fahrzeug Identitats-Urkunde
        Stiftung AutoMuseum Volkswagen
        Dieselstrasse 35
        D-38436 Wolfsburg
        Germany

Regards,

Simon Glen
Toowoomba,  Australia.

Daniel Baum wrote:

> That's interesting.
>
> Now, Type 34s appear to have chassis numbers that are part of the general
> type 3 sequence. Very late '69s, for instance, have numbers over 200,000.
>
> Mine though, an early '69 is 349 003 500, in other words the 3,500th Type 3
> made that year. Considering they only made approx 1600 T34s in the '69 model
> year, mine must be one of the very first T34s made that year.
>
> Does anyone know the date it was made?
>
> Daniel Baum
>
> > The vehicle identification numbers produced during March 1968
> > were from *318 171 074* to *318 188 979*.   So, your car with
> > a VIN of *318 176 901* would have been made at the Wolfsburg
> > factory probably during the second week of March 1968.
> > (My source here: "The International Vintage Volkswagen Magazine
> > Supplement: VW Type Three Age Finder 1961 to 1968".)
> >
> > During the 1968 model year (01Aug67 to 31Jul68), a total of
> > 235,387 VW Type3s were built and this includes those Type3s
> > manufactured in South Africa and Australia and CKD-assembled
> > in Ireland and Belgium.  Yet, in the same model year 1,016,100
> > Beetles were made (excluding those made in Brazil where chassis
> > numbering has always been different).  So, compared to Beetles,
> > Type3 numbers were relatively small.  But, when you compare
> > these with contemporary other vehicles of similar size such as
> > Volvo 122, Renault 16, Opel Reckord, Vauxhall Victor, Morris 1800,
> > Toyota Corona and Fiat 124 and 125, the VW Type3 numbers are
> > more impressive.
> >
> >
> > Simon Glen
> > Toowoomba,  Australia.
> >
> >
> > Jim Adney wrote:
> >
> > > Forwarded to the list for general consumption....
> > >
> > > On 26 Nov 2001, at 15:31, Cf Vw tuner wrote:
> > >
> > > > So, I guess I still have an "early" car? My vin is 318176901.
> > > > That would mean it's a 1968, but is it the 176,901 car built or is
> there
> > > > some type of order to the rest of the digits?
> > >
> > > You're right about the order, but for comparison, I bought a 68 on
> > > March 2, 1968. Its sequence number was 117,575 and it had just
> > > arrived at the dealership. I had ordered it several months earlier and
> > > it had just come in. So perhaps you can see that yours isn't even
> > > an early 68, but a rather late one.
> > >
> > > They really didn't turn these out by the millions per year.
> > >
> >

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