Club 80-90 Forums

Hi,
I have a 1980 V reg T25 and I'm trying to get some information regarding the date of manufacture. I've found the M plate and the VIN plate and done lots of reading on here and the internet in general, but I'm still confused!
My van has an old 10 digit chassis number - 25A0067006 and it seems all vehicles from 1st Aug 1979 (start of 1980 model year) were given a new style 17 digit VIN number. So... does that mean it was made prior to 1/8/79? It was first registered 22/4/80 so that seems a bit of a delay to register it if that's the case, is that likely?
The numbers on the M plate are 05 1 7400 so Mon 29th Jan 1979 or if it is a 1980 Mon 28th Jan 1980?
Thanks in advance, hope somebody can help

It would probably have been assembled late '79, not unknown for vehicles to sit around in stock yards for a few months waiting to be shipped, never mind being registered.

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A67006 was built January 1980, it depends which market it was built for as to the VIN plate and chassis stamping, do you still have the white paper sticker either on the vehicle or first page of the service book, that gives a little more info than the chassis plate under the seat and the Vin plate

Thanks both of you that's really helpful.
Aidan how do you know it was built in Jan 1980? It makes perfect sense as registered April 1980 here but everything I've read today says mine should have a 17 digit VIN no not a chassis number... any ideas why?
I don't have a service book and I've only looked under the fuse box inside the glove box for the sticker, I don't know where else to look? I feel like I've looked everywhere but they hide these things very well....

White sticker usually on the front heater channel (in front of driver's knees, to one side of steering column)
About 3-4 months from going down the line to being registered is probably about average for the time, my bus was built Dec 85 and exported to UK Feb 86 (I have the Freigabe ticket)

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Thank you I'll have a look tomorrow

My m-plate nrs are 26 1 0454 with a G model year in the long chassis nr.
The local VW importer confirmed officially that it was made on june 23. 1986 which was the 1st day of the 26th week of '86.
Your m-plate says 05 1 7400 which means 1st day of the 5th week of 1980 which was jan 28. 1980.

The VIN information in Etka and Etos shows that at 31/12/79 the last allocated VIN was A0057680 and 31 Jan 1980 last allocated VIN was A0070410, so yours falls between the two dates, average of over 400 a day allocated, but the number at the end of the month always seems to be higher than expected (especially in the later years when it was rounded up and there were probably many VINs not actually allocated to an actual vehicle, probably some accountancy fiddle : ), but then there were a lot of specials made and they may be allocated numbers outside the daily completed build rate which was more like 280 a day, remember 100 LTs (type28) a day were also going down the line back then so without being privy to exactly what was happening the VIN information in Etka will only be a guide but the fact they published it at all for the benefit of the workshops and parts departments means it will have some validity and combined with the build information plate under the left seat you have are able to calculate the actual build date; reg date could be as little as 2 weeks after build date or as long as 18 months depending on where it was registered, in Hanover you probably got vehicles built and delivered and registered in less than a week sometimes, here they had to line up at the port and get shipped to Lowestoft in batches and then delivered to dealers so 3-4 months makes sense for date after build

It maybe they ran out of the newer style vin plates so used the old ones they had in stock that day; how is the chassis stamped ? on the cross member below the floor under the right side front seat facing backwards

What is states on the V5 depends on the information submitted by the dealer when registering and that was not always accurate so V5 information is often wrong or doesn't necessarily make sense, 'Transporter 78ps' is a common description, but actually that's a sales term, strictly it is a Type 2 panel van by VW type description, Transporter may be what is was badged but to VW rear engine vans are all type 2, only front engine vans are Transporters - hence all the arguments about type 25, T3, light truck etc...

Aidan wrote:...here they had to line up at the port and get shipped to Lowestoft in batches and then delivered to dealers so 3-4 months makes sense for date after build

Not always Lowestoft, a lot came in through Ramsgate and propably other ports too.

I've recently been on a bit of a nerdy reconnaissance mission to Ramsgate and surrounding areas trying to find some VW related buildings, I have a picture from mid 80s showing them parked at the port with contemporary VW Audi group vehicles.

According to the M plate mine was shipped to Grimsby

Simon Baxter wrote:

Aidan wrote:...here they had to line up at the port and get shipped to Lowestoft in batches and then delivered to dealers so 3-4 months makes sense for date after build

Not always Lowestoft, a lot came in through Ramsgate and propably other ports too.

I've recently been on a bit of a nerdy reconnaissance mission to Ramsgate and surrounding areas trying to find some VW related buildings, I have a picture from mid 80s showing them parked at the port with contemporary VW Audi group vehicles.

I probably misremembered Lowestoft it was probably Ramsgate for 210 code, VAG Uk Milton Keynes, I can no longer find the list of country codes that had the port of entry on it, the one that is readily accessible now online doesn't have that info; I don't seem to have saved the other list or the link; there were several other UK importers though other than VW UK, specialist vehicle suppliers, and probably some covert MOD/Govt. agency type ones like the supplier of the running gear to I think an IOW company for the LSV

Simon Baxter wrote: Not always Lowestoft, a lot came in through Ramsgate and propably other ports too.

I've recently been on a bit of a nerdy reconnaissance mission to Ramsgate and surrounding areas trying to find some VW related buildings, I have a picture from mid 80s showing them parked at the port with contemporary VW Audi group vehicles.

Yes, a lot still came into Ramsgate. Whilst unloading the ship they were stored in a compound in the harbour for transport to the main parts warehouse on Manstone road. I did a few training courses there. The new vehicle storage compound and body shop for any damage rectification was where Tescos is now. After Ramsgate warehouse moved to Wimbush the vehicles were stored where Copart is now on the Sandwich bypass.

It's Flambeau Plastics now next to Tesco.
The building at the port is still there but it's a shadow of it's former self, bit delapidated.
I've got some pics and I keep meaning to write a page for the site.
Some interesting info here.
https://blog.heritagepartscentre.com/bl ... ured-film/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://vwpress.co.uk/company/company-v ... n-group-uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arch ... er-look-at" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Open the magazine article and read the text.

Only info on port of entry I've found online is this, no idea what date the list was relevent?
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/in ... tcodes.php

When I researched mine, it too was shipped through Grimsby

I used this website....http://www.vw-mplate.com/mcode.php?lang=EN&plate_type=T2t3_79-92