Zero vs. Oh in VIN Number

OH..will never show up in the vin# it is always zero...

 

In the case of one of my cars (5 digit VINs) I had to let the Police Department inspect it...they verified the markings back to TxDOT and the County for tags.....

The Title is what it is.........only the State can revise that....

 

288GTO stampings puzzle me:

1st line : *ZFFPA16BO*
2nd line: *00055179*

Is it a zero on the first line , or O for Opera?

 

There are no Os in VINs - only zeros. Some might look bigger than others on Ferraris because, part of the VIN of a certain model doesn't change. For example, all US F430 Spider VINs start with the same eight digits: ZFFEW59A. Ergo, these digits aren't stamped manually onto every plate. Plates are manufactured in bulk with these beginning digits. The serial number of each car is later stamped into the blank space of these plates upon completion of the unit.

No, you won't need a new title.

Is your car new to you...? Has anyone else in the US ever owned/registered your car...? If so, then it's weird that it hasn't shown up in CarFax. If not, and the car is brand new to you and you haven't registered it yet or only recently registered it, then that's why it hasn't yet shown up in CarFax's records.

Because the entire GTO line was made for Europe with no models headed for the US, there was never a need for a check digit (the ninth digit in the US VIN). So, as mentioned earlier in this post, VIN plates are manufactured in bulk with the first nine digits because they're all the same (just like Boxers and 400s/412s). The serial numbers of each individual car are later stamped onto the plate as the unit is completed.

For some of you wondering about the two VIN plates right next to each other (most likely on the door jamb, as seen in the picture below), one plate (the square) is from Ferrari; the other is a strip applied to the car upon its delivery to the US (although I don't know that with any degree of certainty - but Dick Merritt would).

The picture below shows the data plate for a US car. As you can see, the check digit (the ninth digit) and the serial number (the last six digits) are silver and not exactly in line with the rest of the VIN. That's because, upon completion, these digits were stamped into the plate well after the "blank" plate was manufactured.
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Nice write up Carbon!!!!

Here is a Lamborghini Vin decoder all the informtion will relate to ther brands in genral, but this Lamborghini focused!

Lamborghini VIN Decoder

Lamborghini VINs: Automobili Lamborghini has used two distinct 17 character VIN sequences. The original VIN sequence assumed that no more than "500" cars would be produced per model per year. In mid year 2003, in anticipation of the Gallardo, a new VIN sequence was introduced.

Preface: VIN digits 1, 2 and 3 typically contain a WMI (World Manufactures Index) code. Digit 1 defines a world region (like Europe), digit 2 defines a country within that world region (like Italy), and digit 3 defines a manufacturer located in that country. Since the 3rd digit alone is normally insufficient to cover all the manufactures located in one country, multiple country codes can been assigned to any one country. The critical exception to the digits 1, 2 and 3 being a complete WMI code is when digit 3 is a 9 (nine). Digit 3 being a 9 indicates a "small manufacturer" and that a WMI subcode is to be found at VIN digits 12, 13 and 14 which will indicate the manufacturer.

Pre mid 2003 Lamborghini VIN:

Digit 1 = "Z" (Europe)

Digit 2 = "A" (Italy)

Digit 3 = "9" (Small manufacturer) - See digits 12->14 for WMI subcode

Digit 4 = Model (C=Countach, D=Diablo, J=Jalpa, L=LM002, R=Diablo Roadster, B=Murci)

Digit 5 = Market (C=Canada **, E=Europe, U=USA, 0=other, A=North America, etc) ** See Market Note **

Digit 6 = Body (0=Coupe, 1=VT Coupe, 2=2wd Coupe, 3=Roadster, 4=SUV)

Digit 7 = Engine (0=3.5v8, 5=5.5v12, 7=5.7v12, 2=5.7v12VVT, 1=v12VVT, 0=6.2v12)

Digit 8 = Features (B=Passenger Airbag, P=Passive Restraints, A=Active Restraints, U=USA, E=Europe, etc)

Digit 9 = North American VIN Check Digit

Digit 10 = Model Year (eg A=1980, Y=2000, 1=2001, etc)

Digit 11 = Plant (L=Sant'Agata Bolognese - Bologna Italia)

Digits 12, 13 and 14 = WMI Subcode "A12" = Automobili Lamborghini

Digits 15, 16 and 17 = Serial Number (clarified by digit 4 "model" and digit 10 "Model Year")


Post mid 2003 Lamborghini VIN:

Digit 1 = "Z" (Europe)

Digit 2 = "H" (Italy)

Digit 3 = "W" (Automobili Lamborghini)

Digit 4 = Model (B=Murci, G=Gallardo)

Digit 5 = Market (C=Canada, E=Europe, U=USA etc)

Digit 6 = Body (1=Coupe, 2=Roadster/Spyder, 3=LP640 Coupe, 4=LP640 Roadster)

Digit 7 = Engine (1=500HPv10, 2=520HPv10, 6=6.2v12, 7=6.5v12)

Digit 8 = Features (M=6sp, N=low ratio 6sp, S=egear, T=low ratio egear)

Digit 9 = North American VIN Check Digit

Digit 10 = Model Year (eg 3=2003, etc)

Digit 11 = Plant (L=Sant'Agata Bolognese - Bologna Italia)

Digits 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 = Serial Number (clarified by digit 4 "model")


General Notes: Letters I, O and Q are invalid in a VIN; Letters U and Z and digit 0 are invalid for Model Year.

Market Note: It appears that all pre mid 2003 Murcielago's report C for digit 5 with actual market being in digit 8.
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The place to go for anything Ferrari VIN-related is our very own Edvar van Daalen's Website: red-headed.com. Click on the Testarossa icon, then click on articles, scroll all the way to the bottom and click on the Decoding the VIN link. Viola! Everything you ever needed to know.

 

Can you take a picture of your VIN plate and post it...?

When you replace all of the Os with zeros and run a CarFax, it comes up because CarFax follows the same rules upon which all VINs are predicated: No Os, Qs, and Is. Your insurance company needs to know that all of the Os should be replaced with zeros - I can't fathom how your agent doesn't know that. Perhaps you got stuck with the newbie or someone who is truly drawing a blank.

 

I didn't know that, Thanks Carbon! Do you know what year they started issuing (or the history of) the sticker? Not to thread jack but the first two images shown below are a '91 F40 followed by a '90 Mondial convertible (photos from ferraris-online.com). Is this the transition year or is the Mondial missing the sticker?
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Fantastic question. I'll look into it and see what I can dig up.

 

What's the serial number on the Mondial - is it 87429...?

 

I have a 90 Mondial T cabriolet, and my serial number is 86247, which is 1,282 from your number posted: odd number to use, since there were only 1,017 total T's produced in their four year run.

Not saying it isn't correct, but according to the range of numbers given [80399 - 97733 = 17,334 ???] it seems the number issued for serials some how either skip about or don't accurately indicate the numbers produced? I don't get it.

Could it be that the serial number ranges are used by other models at the same, relative time of production?

If one looks at the jpg below, it shows the 348 ranges within the Mondial T's ranges. Guess that's the way it's done.
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One guy stamping numbers for the model in one place with one set of dies and another guy punching in serial number later in the process with an other set of dies? Best wishes, Kare

 

Exactly. They don't issue the serial numbers in blocks based on vehicles; they issue them based on production date. So if they build a 348 and then a Mondial, the 348 will have serial 'x' and the Mondial will be 'x+1'. That's how vehicles where only a few hundred were built can have serial numbers separated by thousands, and vehicles were only thousands were built can have serial numbers separated by tens of thousands, as you posted.

 

thanks

 

Carb--Where do I find the VIN?

 

Are you ****in' with me...?!?

 

is that VINO or VIN0 ?

 

Sorry for the late reply. Carbon, yes it is 87429.
http://www.ferraris-online.com/pages/carintro.php?reqcardir=FE-MONDIALT-87429

Also, just poking around Sheehan's site I noticed this VIN sticker off of 82028, an '89 328. It is listed as the "Door panel VIN label", is this a predecessor to the silver DOT VIN sticker?
http://www.ferraris-online.com/pages/carintro.php?reqcardir=FE-328GTS-82028

(pictures from ferraris-online.com)
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Some of these questions are way out of my league. Does anyone know how to get ahold of Dick Merritt...? He could really school us on this stuff.

 

Carbon, let's not allow this subject to die. If I can help, let me know.

 

No it's multiple labels on the same car...modern ones have lots of hidden ones to discourage theft of parts by the Chop Shops..

I have Dick's number...somewhere.....

What you are seeing with the various stamp stylings is the gradual transition from All Hand Stamped to Hand Stamped with Bar code stickers added for inventory control ,to the modern ones which I am sure are machine etched and not really stamped at all.

You have five digit vins prior to the US Laws of 1981 which mandated the current 17 digit VIN......

There, I give that sermon at the Tax Office about four times a year! LOL!

Imagine how pizzed I was last week when I stood in line and gave it only to find it was my Safety INspection not plates that was expired!!! LOL!

I was down to my last check in the checkbook too!

 

Reviving an old thread

Well this just happened to me for the 2nd time, first time w my 550 and now with the 355 finally i realized why it happens- If your Smog place or anyone looks at door tag vin or scans one 0 has slash through it and one doesn't and when scanning the 2nd one will populate as an "o" you have to tell them no such thing as an o and to change to 0 manually (something they should know already but may not notice)