Category: T3

VIN’s… we all have em (or we should!) but what do they mean?

For the main part they contain a record of what you vehicle is, where it came from and when it was made.
Realistically a lot of that is irrelevent to us in terms of choosing parts, but some is useful especially at the moment in the UK where a lot of T3’s are reaching the 40 year MOT/Tax exemption age.
So for the moment, thats what we’ll concern ourselves with.

So, for the purposes of this little snippet of knowledge well look at the last bit of the VIN.

A Typical VIN  may look like this:

WV2ZZZ25ZGH012345

We’ll ignore everything before the “25” in this example.
That leaves us with: 25ZGH012345

Often you may see this stated as 25_G_012345
Basically the important stuff for working out what parts you need. So the filler characters and the build plant are removed.
This is how VW do it in their parts system so we tend to do the same. Often shortend to G_012345 unless its something that differs between pickup and “van” models… which brings us to… the “25”.

Lets get this one out of the way.
25Z – The “25” is VW’s Typ number. This is where the UK “type25” name comes from.
For some reason, we brits simply couldn’t get our heads around the fact that a “T3” wasn’t a “Type3”.
Or that a “Type2” could also be a “T3”.
It kind of makes sense… until it doesn’t. That point comes when you have a pickup, single cab or double cab. Which is a Typ24.
So… anything that started life as a full bodied van, or anything with windows of any kind will have a 25Z there. Any pickups… 24Z
Right. We can ignore those now.

oh… Z’s are “filler characters” they’re sometimes used, sometimes not. wherever you see a Z. Ignore it.

Right lets skip to the good bit.
“GH012345”
G is the model year.
Model years start in August the previous year. So a vehicle made in “G” model year which is 1986 could have been built as early as August 1985.

Model Years:
A – 1980 – From Aug 1979
B – 1981 – From Aug 1980
C – 1982 – From Aug 1981
D – 1983 – From Aug 1982
E – 1984 – From Aug 1983
F – 1985 – From Aug 1984
G – 1986 – From Aug 1985
H – 1987 – From Aug 1986
J – 1988 – From Aug 1987
K – 1989 – From Aug 1988
L – 1990 – From Aug 1989
M – 1991 – From Aug 1990
N – 1992 – From Aug 1991

So in our example, G is a 1986 model year, built between August 1985 and July 1986.

Next we have an “H”.
Again, as far as a T3 goes in Europe this will likely be “G” or “H”.
Syncro models were all built in the Graz plant in Austria. So would have “G”.
2WD models were mostly built in the Hannover plant in Germany. So “H”.
However. Some 2WD models were built at Graz too. LLE models and some of the very last were Graz built.
We have never seen a legit Syncro with a “H” VIN number. They were all built in Graz as far as VW’s information goes.
If you know of a Syncro with a “H” VIN we’d love to check the details of it.

Last bit, and the most drawn out.
The last 6 digits are sequential. They start on August 1st at 000001 and end where they end.
Where one month ended and other picked up, but the only date readily available from the VIN is the month so thats the closest we can get to a build date without delving further.

Just to clarify, the first date of the model year will be 1st August in all cases except 1979.
The VIN against that date will be the first VIN of the model year – 000001.
After that the VIN is the last one of that month.

So, you have for example a “G” model year. Thats August 1985 on.
So if you have GH000002 there is a good chance you have an August 1985 build date.
After that you need a lookup table.
And because we like you. Here it is.
The format may be a little weird depending what you’re viewing on, but it should still work.
I may come back and tidy it up later, but for now… fill yer boots.
If you have a pickup the “25” will be a “24”

So going back to our example 25_G_012345 is 1986 model year, built August 1985

Enjoy.