No Vin Plate on 1976?

[M3This]

Hi guys,

 

I had a freind take a look at a 1976 02 today to purchase and there was no VIN plate on it near the shock towers. There was however a VIN number stamped in the metal near the fender area where I normally see VIN plates (see photo attached). Is this normal for 76s? I don't want to buy a car to find out its a forged number. I did run the VIN on the decoder (https://www.bmwclasicos.com/servicios.php#Como)  and it matches the car. Also the title matches as well.

 

Anyone see a VIN like this before? Thoughts?

 

 

[Buckeye]

2742621 - was manufactured in April 1976

I have 1976 was manufactured in April 19, 1976 and doesn't have VIN plate either. Assumption/ story is that BMW ran out VIn plates and released the car anyway. Member Conserve (Steve) will hopefully chimes in and will shed more lights on this topic.

[M3This]

Ok cool. That's good to know. For the cars without does that image aboove look like a proper VIN stamp? 

[HBChris]

Yes that is the normal stamped vin location on grey primer.

[John_in_VA]

Some more discussion here: https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/76970-tii-vin-number-thread/?page=7#comment-1091393

[M3This]

Awesome thanks guys you all rock

[Conserv]

Yep, from February to May 1976, BMW suffered from a...VIN plate deficit!

 

My '76 is VIN 2742541, manufactured April 23, 1976.  Below is my earliest surviving photo of the VIN tag area, taken August 1983.  No VIN tag.

 

The second photo shows how the stamped-in chassis VIN originally appeared.  It's tidier now, post re-paint.  My painter was unable to match the low standards established by the factory..,

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited July 16, 2017 by Conserv

[Dale_boyd117]

Is this the VIN plate? Hello I am a happy new owner of a 1976 BMW 2002 and I was woundering if this was the VIN plate.

[John_in_VA]

54 minutes ago, Dale_boyd117 said:

Is this the VIN plate? Hello I am a happy new owner of a 1976 BMW 2002 and I was woundering if this was the VIN plate.

 

That's one of them, but that piece & plate can be easily changed.  There is another on the passenger's side under the hood next to the color sticker.  And the VIN is on the driver's side of the block back by the starter.

 

Welcome!

 

[Conserv]

6 hours ago, Dale_boyd117 said:

Is this the VIN plate? Hello I am a happy new owner of a 1976 BMW 2002 and I was woundering if this was the VIN plate.

 

Email your VIN to BMW Archives and request their data on the car (info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com). Within a few days, you’ll have a specific manufacturing date for your car, along with the factory exterior color.

 

The VIN decoder offered by the BMW 2002 Club of Columbia tends to be quite accurate in a general sense, yet is not date-specific. Their decoder suggests a January or February 1976 manufacturing date.

 

https://www.bmwclasicos.com/servicios.php#

 

But RealOEM.com, which generally provides an accurate month and year (but not day) for cars from 1974 forward, suggests a December 1975 manufacturing date.

 

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/select?vin=2377716

 

Either way, I believe your car should have been manufactured before the primary, riveted-on, metal VIN tag (temporarily) disappeared from the right inner fender — February to May 1976.

 

So you should have:

 

1.) a riveted-on VIN tag on the right inner fender, as John illustrated previously,

2.) your car’s VIN stamped directly into the outer edge of the right inner fender (first photo below) — this, the chassis VIN, is the most difficult to alter,

3.) the riveted-on VIN tag on the steering column cover — this is the easiest to replace,

4.) the engine number, which was the same as the VIN when the car left the factory (second photo below), and

5.) a paper VIN tag on the trailing edge of the left door, which shows the month and year of manufacture (third photo below).

 

My ‘76 is VIN 2742541,manufactured April 23, 1976. Let’s see what your new car has.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Conserv

[02Les]

5 hours ago, Dale_boyd117 said:

Is this the VIN plate? Hello I am a happy new owner of a 1976 BMW 2002 and I was woundering if this was the VIN plate.

This (pic below) is your VIN plate rivetted on the passenger inner fender.

[visionaut]

Well not his VIN plate...

2377716 vs 2377771 

Edited June 22, 2018 by visionaut
but it should look like this!

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, visionaut said:

Well not his VIN plate...

2377716 vs 2377771 

 

And if the later 2377771 had a riveted-on VIN plate, the earlier 2377716 almost certainly had a riveted-on VIN plate....both coming before the ‘76 VIN tag fiasco....

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Conserv

[visionaut]

2 hours ago, Conserv said:

before the ‘76 VIN tag fiasco...

 

Steve .. a fiasco?  Mine (and I’m sure yours) is no worse for lack of a fender VIN plate, esp if our other VINs match...

If anything, it adds uniqueness, and reminds me of the charm of those times.

 

Tom

[Conserv]

9 hours ago, visionaut said:

 

Steve .. a fiasco?  Mine (and I’m sure yours) is no worse for lack of a fender VIN plate, esp if our other VINs match...

If anything, it adds uniqueness, and reminds me of the charm of those times.

 

Tom

 

Admittedly, Tom, I didn’t even view the plate as missing until I found out, 30-odd years after I bought my ‘76 new, that ‘76’s produced after mine actually had VIN plates. Were it not for the return of VIN plates, I would likely have forever viewed the missing VIN plate as simply a phasing out of an unnecessary relic.

 

But the fact that VIN plates returned said to me: (1.) someone, or some party, screwed up — e.g., forgot to order enough VIN plates after primary Euro-‘02 production ceased in 1975, (2.) BMW concluded they could still sell the vehicles without the VIN plates, and (3.) BMW felt sufficiently uncomfortable with “VIN plate-less” cars that they resumed the installation of VIN plates when they could.

 

I think this was a fiasco, minor or major, from BMW’s perspective, or they would not have resumed the installation of VIN plates. For an owner 42 years down the road? Charming, no doubt. For a smaller European manufacturer struggling in 1976 to build their U.S. market share? A problem!

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Conserv