I just picked up a 1969 280 SE Coupe, but am having a bit of trouble with the NY DMV, no suprise there, huh! They insist the VIN # must have a letter in it, but according to my shop manual, thers is not an actual VIN #, but a chassie number. Can anyone confirm which is correct. Thanks.

That vintage Benz will have a VIN which is all numbers. The first 3 digits tell you which chasis, the second set of 3 tell which variation of the chasis. The next two digits tell you if it is an auto or stick and whether it is left hand or right hand drive with the remainder of the digits being the specific production number.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.

That's what I thought, but the extra confirmation is super. Thanks Mike.

The VIN number in a post-1980 car would start with a W because it's made in West Germany. No such standard exists prior to that. Also, there can be wide descrepencies between the VIN number and the chassis number in the 60s cars. It depends on how awake the DMV rep was when the dealership people walked in the door that day.

All of the 114 chassis cars I've registered in NY have always been missing a leading 1 from the vin. All of the 108 cars from NY have been complete, when the vin was a chassis number. I've had at least two cars where the VIN was just some very strange code of letters and numbers.

The NY DMV always insists on prior paperwork from some other state agency. As long as you have it, you're golden. -CTH

__________________
- cth350@gmail.com
http://www.111lakeside.com/