Most peculiar Pagoda VIN - Advice please

[Kobus]

I am in the process of buying a 1964 230SL for export from the USA to Cape Town, South Africa.

Should I be able to clear all the bureacratic red tape on this side, then I am really looking forward to receiving the 230SL.

However, on the current USA "Certificate of Title" the VIN number is given as: 1130421001011.

This is a 13-digit VIN number and as far as I know, the Pagoda's have 14 digit VINs.

If one examines the latter part of the VIN code, it would appear that this vehicle may have been manufactured towards the end of 1963??

But, I still can not explain the missing 14th digit!!

The vehicle has been in the ownership of the previous owner since 1997, so theoretically there is no problem.

In the meantime, we are trying to get the datacard for this vehicle, but I shall appreciate any advice from the knowledgeable members on this form.

Thank you kindly.

Dr Kobus Visser
Cape Town
South Africa

[Bob Killam]

Congradulations Dr.
   Cant have the seller check the tag on the car?

[jacovdw]

Hello Kobus and welcome.

It is as simple as Bob has mentioned. Just ask the seller to check the VIN and engine numbers on the car.

Sometimes the VIN gets entered incorrectly or allocated differently on the title/registration documents for the US market.
If you or the current owner can obtain a datacard for the car then so much better.

However, if the incorrect VIN as you posted has the last digit dropped, then it is not possible for it to be a 1964 230SL. It would then fall in the 1965 production year (February to March).

Have you seen the car in person when you were in the US?

[Norm]

There is a lot of good information on vin numbers and production dates in the technical section.  Best guess is that a "0" was left off on the registration

11304210001011 would be a 230 SL, left hand drive, manual transmission, produced in November 1963 and would probably have been sold and titled as a 64 model in the US.

Make sure you let us know the answer to this mystery when you get the correct info.

Norm

[glenn]

, The REAL number is stamped in the metal of the body member under the throttle valve on the right front under the hood(bonnet).  Have them send you a pix of it.

[Kobus]

Thanks for all the advice, the situation is as follows (based on the data card):

Body Number  in jamb and on Title 113042-10-01011
Chassis: 113042-12-001006   
Engine: 127981-12-000054

Kobus

[66andBlue]

Peculiar indeed.  
If you accept the Title then the car should be have a manual transmission, but if the chassis (and engine) number is correct then it should have an automatic transmission. But there is no ID number plate in the door jamb on a 230SL!
Ask the seller to take of the large hose between the air intake canister and the Venturi and photograph the area where the numbers should be stamped into the rail. Are they there, any evidence of change?
It is too difficult to photograph the numbers without some disassembling but the photo below should help.

[J. Huber]

Well, it is not as peculiar as you think. There is in fact a id plate on the jamb on the early cars. Mine is this way too. However, it does not include the full VIN. It has the first part that designates car as a 230SL (113042) then it has either a 10 or a 12 then it has the body number. So in your case, the 01011 is the same as what you should find stamped in the upper left (driver's side) of the engine hood (when open!) as well as on the hard top and in the soft-top lid. Your VIN will be either on the number plate on the firewall (if its still there) or definitely under the throttle body as Alfred's pic shows. It will be close but not the same numbers and will be 14 digits. Example: my VIN is 113042-12- 000871 and my body number 00881.



By the way, that door jamb plate also includes your paint codes. First 3 are body color second 3 are hardtop/wheels covers color.

Now where we still have mystery is that you show a 12 for engine and a 10 on the plate. However -- and this is a big however -- mine is the same. Car is clearly an automatic but has a 10 on that door jamb plate!! I think we better summon Achim...

[66andBlue]

James,
thanks for correcting me - I have changed my post.

[jacovdw]

...There is in fact a id plate on the jamb on the early cars...

That ID plate is only applicable to 230SL's up to chassis number 001175 (November 1963).

Why a "10" on the data plate instead of a "12" for an automatic car, I'm not sure... 

[Naj ✝︎]

Any pictures of the plate?

Naj

[J. Huber]

Hey Naj. Try the wiki under data codes: Body and Paint number Plate... (if you meant mine).

[114015]

I think we better summon Achim...

Me? What, huh?  ... ah, yes!

Yes, that's correct what you see (and found), James and Kobus.

Early 230ies had two "VIN-like" numbers. The correct one with 14 digits on the main right rail below the intake manifold and on the type plate on the firewall...
... and the other one - 13 digits - stamped on the relais-holder bracket _and_ the color code plate on the lower A pillar (Scharniersäule). Exactly as James and Jaco ruled out.

As to my knowledge this 13 digit number always starts with 113042 10 but never 12 ... Maybe also 20 for the RHD cars.
This is because the body structure itself is not different between Automatics and Manuals.
The remainder 5 digit-number is the body number as indicated on the data card.

All cars after chassis number 001175 or 1176 (not sure here) have the usual separate plate on the left side bracket and no 13 digit body number any longer but only the common 5-digit body number.

Best,
Achim
(knowledge collector because of missing knowledge here)

[hands_aus]

It seems we have a spammer
The link in this last post is for a jewellery sale

[glenn]

Kobus,  Pray tell, what is the number STAMPED into the frame under the throttle valve?