Warranty Plate?

[Steve.k]

Hi all,

I recently acquired a '71 280SL with extensive documentation of its service history.  It came with the original owner's drivers license and a metal plate that I believe is the warranty or service card.  Can someone confirm what it is?  It has the VIN number which corresponds to my vehicle and the paint code (906).  What are the numbers below the VIN, is that the engine number?  And is the date, the purchase date or delivery date?  Are these things rare?

[Tyler S]

Yes indeed that is the warranty card. They were used during service to imprint the vehicle and owners info on the service ticket or repair order. The number below the vin is supposed to be the engine number. It appears there is a type-o in your card and someone penciled in the correct first 6 digits on the top of the card.

[Iconic]

Yes, I agree.
Interesting a typo. 130-983 is definitely the correct first 6 digits for a '71 engine.
And that "145" might be your interior code.
Is your interior Parchment with Blue carpet?
I wouldn't call the plate rare, but it is cool  and I wish I had mine for my present Pagode.
It is much rarer on '68 Camaros and states things that are not available from any other sources in the US. (For Canadian Camaros there is a database of some sorts.) ..... sorry for the tangent ....
Steve.k, you do know that a "Data Card", with all options, engine number, trans number, etc is available from the Classic Center, correct???
(EDIT: I now see in your signature that your interior is Parchment. Are the carpets original and blue?)

[neelyrc]

As Tyler says this plate was made for imprinting the service ticket. I do not think it is an actual warranty card.  The two small numbers on the lower left side of the plate are the paint and interior code.  I would be very surprised if there is a mistake in the engine number on the data plate. What is the present engine number?  Maybe the engine has been changed.

The service manual had a plastic cover with a pocket for the plate.  See attachment.  The date may or may not be the delivery or purchase date but I believe it will be relative close to the production date, within month or so. Check the technical manual for your month of manufacture. 

The date on my plate is a couple of weeks after the actual factory delivery date.  By VIN number my car was built in January 1969.  My car was delivered on 02 12 1969.  I have the original data cards (they do not include a build date) and sometime ago for comparison, I ordered a data card from the classic center.  It has a date stamped on it of 02 24 1969.  This date as you can see doesn't match the service data plate and it is after the car delivery date and obviously after the build date.

My theory is that the stamp on the data card from the Classic Center and the date on the service data plate represent paper   processing dates and not the actual production date.  I am afraid I can't recall if 49 years ago the service data plate was sent to me sometime after delivery (I can't remember what I had for breakfast yesterday morning either) but I assume so.

You should order a data card from the classic center for your file and referece if you don't have already.




 

[Iconic]

...  I would be very surprised if there is a mistake in the engine number on the data plate. What is the present engine number?  Maybe the engine has been changed. ....

Ralph,
It is a typo. All 280 SLs had 130-983 engines. I don't know what a "130-923" engine is.
So, it looks like a typo on the plate to me. Unless someone can teach me something new .... (which has happened before    and that is how I learn).

[neelyrc]

OK Iconic, I stand corrected. Very strange indeed.

[Tyler S]

A Type-O is just as possible on these plates as it is on a typewriter. These plates were struck using a Graphtype 6100 series machine. Same machine that struck military dog tags. I have one of these machines in a crate. One of these days ill put it together.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphotype_(machine)

[Steve.k]

Iconic, you're spot on about the colors; the data card and the current colors are parchment leather with blue carpet. 
The data card was also included (attached) and confirms that there was a typo on the warranty card.  Engine number is 130983 12 012919.
According to the Technical Manual here, the build date for that VIN would've been June 1970, so the date on the warranty card must be the delivery date.

[Iconic]

Steve.k,
Have you checked under your hood/bonnet?
Now that you know what the engine number should be for your car, why not take a look on the engine, as Ralph suggested, and see if you have the original in your car?
Good luck !!
Mark

[Steve.k]

Mark,

Yes I did check.  At first I almost sh#%t my pants.  There was a different number, but after more reading here in the forum I discovered I was reading the head number.  Down below that I found the engine number and hallelujah, it matches the data card.  Whew. 

It has all the spot welds in the right places and appears mostly unmolested. 

Still finding my way around her, but that's part of the fun with this hobby. 

[Iconic]

Yes I did check. Down below that I found the engine number and hallelujah, it matches the data card.  Whew. 

Still finding my way around her, but that's part of the fun with this hobby.

Fantastic and I agree !! (I've had a few of those OH NO moments too.     )

[Garry]

Just digressing from the topic to the “oh No” moment, I purchased a ‘69 Pagoda manual 4 speed many years ago and drove it around for some months fixing and replacing bits as I went.  Then I found this Forum and realised I should get a Data Card.  Tom Hansen sent one to me and to my horror on deciphering it using the Tech Manual, I realised that the gearbox code was for a 5 speed.  There is a lot more to the story, other than say. “Oh No I haven’t,,, I didn’t,    “.