Vin Number help!

[orphaned230sl]

Hi everyone, I posted a thread awhile back about trying to obtain title to an abandoned 230 sl.  Well today, my local Dept. of Vehicle rejected my application because they claim the VIN # I provided was invalid because it was too short (15 digits instead of the standard 16).  From my research through this website, aren't all VIN for the pagodas 15 digits starting with W113.., ect., ect.?  Have I overlook something here?  Any input here will be much appreciated since I can't move forward with this until it's been resolved.  Thank you.

[WRe]

Hi,
Pagoda VINs have 14 digits, except some prototypes at the beginning of the production; see www.sl113.org/wiki/DataCard/VIN.
Maybe they also count the 2 dots/hyphens in between, makes 16.
...WRe

[orphaned230sl]

Ok, I see.  The actual VIN is 14 digits not including the "w" before the 113.

[49er]

Not sure if this will help but my car originally registered here in CA, the VIN on the registration was (and is to this day)"280SL003820" without the quotes.

John

[Benz Dr.]

Get a letter from MB that this car only has 14 numbers. They shouldn't be able to argue with the people who made the car.

[KevinC]

California certainly MUST have a few old MB's registered there! I think you got the wrong agent.  Perhaps the Classic Center in Irvine will send you an email confirming if you just call them with your dilemma?

[orphaned230sl]

Sorry, my bad.  I did more research and found out that cars manufactured before 1981 can have 11 to 16 digits for their VIN and post 1981 cars all have 17 digits.  What happened was I added the 'W' before my 14 digit VIN # and it threw everything out of wack!  I'll try resubmitting my application, this time without the 'W', and see how it goes.  Thanks everybody for your help.

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

If you check out the "Car Registry" under Content in the Technical Manual area ----> http://www.sl113.org/wiki/pmwiki.php?n=Registry.Start

You will find that the VIN number has a (.) after the first three numbers and that makes it 15 digest.

For example this would be a correct VIN number as shown in the Car Registry 113.042 10 011732

Note the number I've shown does not exist I'm shoing it only to demonstrate the order and the decimal point. When you register your car you should ask them to make sure to include the decimal point.

[Benz Dr.]

I'm not aware of this decimal point and it's the first time I've ever heard of it. I would hesitate to add that unless your title is shown to also use it. '' Correct '' title info varies from time to time and place to place.

[KevinC]

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (known as the DMV in other states in the US) does not take the decimal or spaces for that matter into account...

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Both Dan and Kevin must be right ... about the "Decimal Point" when I registered my car last May no one at the Ontario Licence Services questioned the 14 digit VIN number on my car.

I only pointed it out since the decimal point is part of my embossed metal card number as issued by the dealership that originally issued it in 1969.

[49er]

 Couldn't resist. Simpler times 45 years ago

John

[orphaned230sl]

As far as my understanding goes, only numbers and letters are considered digits right?  I don't think decimal point, spaces, dashes, ect., counts as a digit.  I might be wrong though.

[kampala]

The VIN is exactly as Kevin shows it above.  No other characters, no spaces, no dots, no smily faces ... just the digits that start with 113

I registered mine in CA not too long ago ... they wanted it exactly the way Kevin shows it.   Many cars in CA are registered exactly as John shows it above ... but if it's a new registration ... do what Kevin shows.  It worked for me without any issue.