Aircooled VW South Africa

MELLO YELLOW wrote:Hi fig and pine
I have been trying to establish the year of my Westy maybe you can shed so light oh it
O the plate behind the drivers seat is the following
typ23-517
fahrgest- nr 2302003181

on the plate behind passenger seat
02 003 181
500 504 517 518
523 564
C04 B67 010 156
33 2 7588 SF 234011

all writing is in German, plate at the bottom of bed is German and speedo is in MPH

I replied to your post earlier, saying your VIN 2302003181 is from a 1970 Kombi:
2 = Type 2
3 = Model: Kombi
0 = Model Year 1970
2 = T2 (ie, baywindow)
003181 = sequential production number (the 3,181st bus built in the 70 model year, which began in August 69)

Your M-codes translate:
02 003 181 = VIN minus first two digits 23 for Type 2 Kombi
500 = Bulkhead model (non-walkthru)
504 = With double front passenger seat
517 = Campmobile (Westfalia)
518 = Pop-up roof
523 = South African specification???
564 = Unknown
C04 = Unknown
B67 = Westfalia Campmobile 67B (SO67 interior), equiped like Westfalia Campmobile 67A (M-code A67) but with the following additional equipment: 1. Pop-up-top 2. Bed 3. Roof luggage rack built in
010 = Additional dust sealing for engine compartment
156 = Heavy duty oil bath air cleaner
33 2 = Built in week 33 day 2 (Tuesday) 1969
7588 = Unknown
SF = Export code: South Africa, Port Elizabeth
234 = Model: Type 2, Kombi, RHD, sliding door left,
011 = 37kW/50hp 1600 engine, 4-speed manual

You have an early 1970 model year bus built in 1969. The first few bay westies in SA were full imports like yours. Half way through 1970 they started bringing them in CKD and assembling them at Uitenhage. They continued assembling westies in SA until 1973, all bulkhead models with the SO67 interior.

Thanks fig for the info

Hi Fig, will have a look this weekend when I pop the hood.

Thanks for your help with the codes.

VWCrazy, by my reckoning your bus was built on Wednesday 10 February 1971.

And Mello Yellow, your bus was built on Tuesday 11 August 1969, the second week of 1970 model year production.

Hey Fig, do you perhaps know what time of the day they were built. Sorry man I just had to ask. It must be great having so much info on hand.

hitlers revenge wrote:Hey Fig, do you perhaps know what time of the day they were built. Sorry man I just had to ask. It must be great having so much info on hand.

We all have access to the same info.

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY INTERNET!!!

ALL HAIL!!!!!

fig wrote:VWCrazy, by my reckoning your bus was built on Wednesday 10 February 1971.

And Mello Yellow, your bus was built on Tuesday 11 August 1969, the second week of 1970 model year production.

Hey Mello, when I wrote that I didn't click that it was your bus's 39th birthday this week!

I can't find the plates on my Bus? I can't even see the rivet holes. Any chance they were mounted somewhere else?

Pine wrote:I can't find the plates on my Bus? I can't even see the rivet holes. Any chance they were mounted somewhere else?

SA-assembled buses didn't have M-plates.

From your VIN I can tell the month your bus left Hannover as a CKD kit, but that's all.

Try behind the engine on the "firewall"

Chris wrote:Try behind the engine on the "firewall"

That would be IN FRONT of the engine (FIF).

M-plates were always on the bulkhead. You can find the VIN plate on the firewall on early buses, up to about 1960.

I'll have a look. They must have founded the VIN number on the disk somewhere?

Pine wrote:I'll have a look. They must have founded the VIN number on the disk somewhere?

It's on the licence disk and on the VWSA VIN plate, either on the bulkhead or under the passenger seat.

Under the passenger seat? Mounted horisontally?