Bart and his 300D present themselves - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

jay_bob · #16 07-24-2015, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bart300D

Here's my vin number again: WDB12313012194229

That is a European format VIN. U.S. VINs have a certain pattern of letters and numbers.

Shinri · #17 07-24-2015, 09:18 PM

I'm not convinced that this is a USA model at all. It looks like a federalized Euro with USA bumpers and lights added.

Very few USA W123s were delivered with velour upholstery. All USA W123 300Ds had a wood strip across the width of the dashboard. Your car appears to have the black perforated vinyl strip, except the glove compartment door, which may have been changed.

Just a thought.

charmalu · #18 07-25-2015, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shinri

I'm not convinced that this is a USA model at all. It looks like a federalized Euro with USA bumpers and lights added.

Very few USA W123s were delivered with velour upholstery. All USA W123 300Ds had a wood strip across the width of the dashboard. Your car appears to have the black perforated vinyl strip, except the glove compartment door, which may have been changed.

Just a thought.

Welcome to the Forum.

Did you notice this in Post #1?

ACC climate control: didn't work anymore so changed it for a "standard" heating system from a European model.

Look at the pictures. one shows the vertical Push Buttons on the PBU. Which would have the Evil Servo.
Sold in North America.

He swapped in a manual CC unit like used in the 240D`s. Most Euro car have the manual system.

Also notice it has electric windows. Euro`s mostly have manual winders.

You are right about the cloth seats. Maybe the OP changed them when he got it in his country?

Charlie

sent from my pos computer

686point3 · #19 07-25-2015, 01:07 AM

Hi Bart,

Every body wants to be an expert here, but I am not entirely sure all this was/is helpful.

Step one:
try approaching your goal from 2 ends , possibly 3.

1. Start :
A. Factory (Germany, Mercedes Headquarters)
They should have a data card and their records should at least indicate where (what state, which dealership) the car was ordered or delivered, shipped to.
B. MB of North America: they have their own record keeping for US dealerships and sales.
, but you better hurry, they are moving headquarters from Montvale, New Jersey to Georgia (Tax reasons). They may throw out a lot of paperwork.
C. If you know the dealership, your chances are getting better.
(Sometimes old license plates have frames that show the original Dealership that the car was sold from).

2. Ask the dealer or person who you bought the car from where it came from. They usually hesitate as that reveals their sources for where they get their cars.
For the most part that's not really a secret anymore.
They may have old license plates and frames as well as the title the car came to the Netherlands with, telling you a State and the license plate.
Now you can inquire at that particular state how long and where the car was.
Stupid American "Privacy Laws" keep a lot of that info sealed nowadays, it depends on the state and if some lunatic killed somebody in the past with such information (it happened like that here, in California).

3. Research the car: Usually in US dealerships or service stations they put a sticker on the A-pillar/post or B-pillar inside the door to show mileage of service/oil change. Sometimes they put a see-through sticker on the bottom corner of the windshield (Or other window)

686point3 · #20 07-25-2015, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bart300D

Hello Strelnik,

I also have the keyring: it says San Diego Zoo: does this help ?

Kind regards,

Bart

Why don't you post a photo of the keys and the key ring and key tags.
What is unknown or strange to you may be easily figured out by others who see this and may see something you don't or recognize it !

Alex

My inclination is that the car came from Southern California, seeing its without rust.
Key chains could also be a souvenir of a vacation trip and lead you in the completely wrong direction !!

motorcritter · #21 07-25-2015, 11:38 AM

Upon initial view, I thought 'grey-market'- the non-MBTex seats, the lack of a lot of wood trim point in that direction. Any car that had been imported and 'federalised' back then had to be approved by the U.S. DOT and NHTSA- with paperwork issued so as to facilitate registration and insuring here in the States. I went through this with a BMW- my insurer said it was grey market, the VIN had been recorded incorrectly, and I had to research the DOT and NHTSA to learn it was a U.S. model. And I got to back the underwriter down, and get him to approve a waiver for the penalties for excessive time to register the vehicle (goofy MD DMV). Any car sold at an authorized dealer in the U.S., is not a grey market unit. Any car that was modified after importation was sold by 'registered compliance re manufacturers'. A friend of mine worked at one in NY, back in the 70's/80's, he explained all the ins and outs of the process to me. I'd try a U.S.-based VIN decoder, an overseas one wouldn't necessarily have info on a U.S.-spec car.

whunter · #22 07-25-2015, 03:10 PM

Identification number: WDB12313012194229 0

Datacard
Identification number: WDB12313012194229 0

Chassis
Sales designation: 300 D
Order number: 0 0 705 60734
Paint code 1: 681 No code designation available
Paint code 5: 34 No code designation available
Equipment: 134 No code designation available
Engine no.: 617912 12 103871
Transmission: 02 104109

SA code
134A No code designation available
34 No code designation available
410 No code designation available
420 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 4−GEAR
440 TEMPOMAT (CRUISE CONTROL)
467 ELECTRONIC LOCKING DIFFERENTIAL
494 VERSION FOR USA
518 RADIO MB EXQUISIT WITHOUT TRAFFIC NEWS DECODER, WI
524 PAINTWORK − PRESERVATION
531 AUTOMATIC ANTENNA
542 No code designation available
575 CENTER CONSOLE FOR 2ND SEAT ROW
588 No code designation available
593 ALL−ROUND WD−GREEN GLASS,HEATED REAR WINDOW−ESG,BF
639 No code designation available
640 15−HOLE LIGHT ALLOY RIMS
668 PACKAGING FOR SHIPPING VEHICLES WITH TIE−DOWN HOOK
681 No code designation available
Identification number: WDB12313012194229 0

Other
Lamps: BOSCH

.

oldtrucker · #23 07-27-2015, 10:19 AM

Hi,
there is a lot of response to your original thread. San Diego has in fact a ZOO, however as others, I guess the key ring is just a souvenir from a visit in San Diego.
There is probably another way to get closer to the original point of sale of the vehicle. Once you know where the vehicle was sold first, you can try to contact the dealer and perhaps, I doubt it with all the privacy acts in place, they may give you the original buyers name.
Using the original VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) one can run a accident report search at the DMV that the vehicle was registered last. I know it is possible in California, but have no idea if it is possible in Oregon, Washington (State), Texas or any other state for that matter. Also, this becomes more difficult if the vehicle had multiple owner.
Use google to find the web address of the DMV for a state and check if there is a vehicle tiltle/accident search.
Good luck!

I found this website http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/index.php?xpath=dmv&gclid=CL-Y98jG-8YCFciFfgodhS4Hnw they claim to provide a complete report of your vehicle by VIN. I am always sceptical about those websites, they take your money and give you information that you already know.... But this one claims money back within 60 days. So I don't know, as I said, I am usually reserved with this kind of business.

Here is another link http://www.vehiclehistory.gov/index.html hope they'll be helpful.

#24 09-21-2015, 05:13 PM

Dear Benzers,

I'm back again. Finally found the time to send some reply to you guys. I just sent an email to mbusa.com. Let's hope if they can give me some more information about where my car was delivered when it was just new. Here are some new pictures from my car. Enjoy !