VIN Number

[chrisponter]

I'm ordering my chassis soon and I'm looking about getting the new VIN number and having engraved on the chassis.

My question is what is the difference between the chassis number and the VIN number?

And where is the recomended place to have them/it engraved?

[carlknight1982]

Check the IVA manual if i recall correctly it has to be on the front left hand side of the chassis i stamped a plate then welded it on as the chassis tubes deform when you stamp them. not sure if engraving is sufficent.

[Spikehaus]

I recently wrote to the local DVLA office requesting allocation of a VIN for my Roadster. I have received back an official number starting with SABT.

The letter indicates that to facilitate registration, it is necessary for the garage / dealer to confirm that the VIN has been stamped onto the vehicle. It also states that the letter must be authorised by the garage and returned to the Vehicle Registration Office.

As this is a home built car with no dealer / garage. Who can sign / stamp the letter as the dealer? Can this be undertaken by the IVA inspector? (Ammended 26.01.2012 - I meant to say stamped by me and inspected at the IVA as per Cybereej comments)

[Cyberbeej]

Surely if you stamp the chassis correctly and send it back stating that who you are etc, then there won't be a problem with registration as the IVA/VOSA man will check it.
Surely this is just a paper pushing exercise so there is a file open against your Chassis number?????

At least you got your chassis number, i wrote to the glasgow office in august and i've never heard anything from them.

[Tatey]

I wrote to VOSA and got a VIN number back from them, it took a while but it came through eventually. You don't need to go to a garage to get it checked, the IVA man will check it.

[skov]

I got a similar letter from my DVLA office when I applied for a VIN.
However the bloke that sent it phoned me up to warn me about the strange wording. He said the problem is they don't have a standard letter template for supplying kit car VIN numbers, so they use the closest template they have.
He said just use VIN the number, stamping it on myself if I so wish, and ignore everything else on the letter.

[Spikehaus]

Great, that puts my mind at rest on this one.

[eSteve]

Chris

to answer your questions:

My question is what is the difference between the chassis number and the VIN number?

The numbers are the same.

And where is the recomended place to have them/it engraved?

The number (VIN/chasis no.) needs to appear in two places on the vehicle.

1. The chassis number needs to appear on the chassis itself. That is, engraved in to the fabric of the chassis (e.g. a chasis rail) or engraved in to a plate that is permanently fixed to the chassis (e.g wleded)
2. The chassis number needs to appear on a plate (normaly made from aluminium) alongside the various categories of weight for the vehicle (e.g. kerb side weight) also attached ot the vehilce but not with not such pernamente fixings e.g pop rivets.

Have a look at your 'every-day' vehicle: It will have a plate, most probably in the engine compartment, with the chassis number, engine, number, weights etc on it, attached to the chassis. Also, it will have a chassis number imprinted in to the fabric of the chassis itself. On a Sierra this is under an little plastic flap in the carpet to the right of the driver's seat. Which opens up to allow one to view the imppressions of the VIN number made in to the chassis floor.

As always, have a look in the IVA manual for M1 vehicles for the definitive requirements for location of these numbers.

Hope that this is useful. Please comment if we have answered your question satisfactorily or in deed we have not.

Regards,

[chrisponter]

Thanks Steve, that pretty much answers the question

I've got some emails from VOSA which they have just today given me permission to share on the forum, they're quite useful and cover a few things aswell as well as whether the chassis/vin number are the same thing (which they are )

I'll get them up as soon as I manage to chop them down abit to get rid of the fluff.

[eSteve]

You're welcome.

This thread has covered the inspection of the chassis number aswell. This is inspected for form and fit as part of the IVA test. The confirmation that the number and the vehicle match is carried out by the DLVA (at a local vehicle licensing office aka LVLO) when the V5 is issued.

I started a thread prior to Christmas, in which I raised my concerns that the DVLA (at a LVLO) inspection will not be able to be carried out at a LVLO (as it is at present) since they all are closing, and the DVLA will have to specify another process. My paper work when my VIN number was issued has been returned to me by my local office which I presume, in the fullness of time, when I register my vehicle, will now have to be sent to the DVLA at Swansea.

LVLO thread: http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=7532

Getting my VIN thread: http://www.haynes.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5188