Chassis Number Identification

Hi. I'm about to buy my second MK1 GTI Cab.  Can anyone provide me with chassis number info so that I can confirm whether the car that I might buy, is actually what the person says it is?

Thank you.

Ask to see V5 it should tell ya :dontknow:

This seems like an obvious question, but the car is abroad, and the document is in Spanish.  With my VW camper I was able to compare the chassis number against a list which told me model, manufacturing date, colour, options etc etc.  Is there nothing like this for the MK1 Golf?

Not really. The chassis number can be used to confirm its a Mk1, and give its year of manufacture, but not much else. There's other stickers and codes on the car which give the manufacturing date, colour, and options fitted.

The Spanish equivalent of the registration document will still have the chassis number on it somewhere. Obviously you'll need to find out what one should look like (I have no idea!!!) to check its authenticity.

I think (not sure) there's a couple of other things you need, to import a car back to the UK, ie proper sales receipt. If you browse to the DVLA website they have handy info on it.

Thanks Paul_c.  

Once I have the chassis number, where is the information that I can compare this to?

Depends on the age of the car. I can't remember the details off the top of my head but approx:

1980 model year and earlier: 10 digit chassis number, first 2 digits should be 17 for a Mk1 Golf and 3rd digit is the year identifier.

1981 and on: 17 digit chassis number in international format:

WVWZZZ17ZyWxxxxxx

WVW - 3 letter code for Volkswagen
ZZZ - filler characters
17 - Mk1 Golf
Z filler character
y - year
W - manufacturing plant - W = Wolfsburg for a hatchback
xxxxxx - number


year identifiers are based on model year, ie 1981 model year runs from Aug 80 to July 81

5 1975
6 1976
7 1977
8 1978
9 1979
A 1980
B 1981
C 1982
D 1983
E 1984

For cabbys, the years go on and on; and the manufacturing plant should be K  = Karmann.

Interesting………mine is supposed to be a 1989 GTI Cabriolet.  In fact, no where on the car, nor the registration document does it actually say GTI, but the reg. doc does show the cc as 1781cc.  Therefore, it MUST be a GTI, right?

Chassis number is WVWZZZ15ZKKXXXXXX (X is a number).  Can anyone advise what this means - should be Golf MK1 Cab 1989!!??

Should I be concerned that is shows 15 rather than 17?

Thanks, Eliot.

15 = cabby, 17 = hatchback. Basically, its okay, they're different codes, I just assumed you were looking at a hatchback Golf, not a cabby.

1781cc does NOT automatically mean its a GTI, because the lower spec carb model was also 1781cc from this year on. However, going off the registration document is unreliable because there's a lot of variation in how they were described when they were registered. To confirm, you'd need to find the options codes sticker and know the codes for the injection engine. There's a guide somewhere on here.

The obvious thing to do would be to look under the bonnet, to identify the fuel injection components. Almost all injection cars are GTIs (very late model lower spec cars were also injection, including a handful of Digifant models etc).

There's probably a lot of trim variations etc which would point to it being GTI rather than non-GTI but it all gets a bit muddled once the car gets older, because parts can be swapped, cars rebuilt, etc etc. Also, cabbys are not so distinct, because a lot of the trim is not as obviously sporty as the hatchback GTI and the lower models had a lot more parts commonality with the GTI ones too. Compare to GL vs GTI hatchback, etc.

manamana said

Interesting………mine is supposed to be a 1989 GTI Cabriolet.  In fact, no where on the car, nor the registration document does it actually say GTI, but the reg. doc does show the cc as 1781cc.  Therefore, it MUST be a GTI, right?

No it can be a 1.8 carb mate.  The injection system has an inlet manifold and throttle body where the carb just has a carb…. get a pic of the engine.

K=89 so that's right.  Late 80s Cabrios where basically Clipper 1.8 90hp carb engine and GTI with 1.8 112hp engine, MFA, alloys and different trim. (and another £2,500 on top of Clipper)

Sorry for the hijack, but i have a similar problem. i am just about to buy my first mk1 golf,a '79 so it has the chassis number on the left turret but it is missing the plate on the front panel.
The odd thing is that the stamping looks a bit odd,a friend of mine that used to own a mk1 seemed to think that it was too BIG.
I don't have another mk1 to compare to, so cant be sure.
What size should the numbers be, height, width ? If someone has a picture of the turret close up that would be good..
thanks

Can anyone advice me what model and year of this GTi

paul_c said

Depends on the age of the car. I can't remember the details off the top of my head but approx:

1980 model year and earlier: 10 digit chassis number, first 2 digits should be 17 for a Mk1 Golf and 3rd digit is the year identifier.

1981 and on: 17 digit chassis number in international format:

WVWZZZ17ZyWxxxxxx

WVW - 3 letter code for Volkswagen
ZZZ - filler characters
17 - Mk1 Golf
Z filler character
y - year
W - manufacturing plant - W = Wolfsburg for a hatchback
xxxxxx - number


year identifiers are based on model year, ie 1981 model year runs from Aug 80 to July 81

5 1975
6 1976
7 1977
8 1978
9 1979
A 1980
B 1981
C 1982
D 1983
E 1984

For cabbys, the years go on and on; and the manufacturing plant should be K  = Karmann.

From “Chassis Number Identification”

All above still applies…..G –> 1986

Car looks like a 1986 too. It has 'small' (for a cabby) bumpers, not the clipper kit. Interestingly, the grille is the later type, maybe in 1986 they used this alongside small bumpers, or maybe its a later alteration. 

www.cabby-info.com has a wealth of information in the museum tab:

Best Seller

A lot of pictures on the Best seller editions.
Various things changed on them depending on which country they were being exported to.

VIN Decoder

try that link to get some info…




Briano1234 hope you're well.  

Deandubya said

Briano1234 hope you're well.  

As well as can be expected all things considered.  

Normally when folks ask me that I respond:  
"Quite Cra**y insert 2 p's for the astrix, Thank you kindly for asking.".  As it isn't the response they would expect they chuckle, and say "I'm Sorry.".  But I tell them that I thought they needed the laugh and it lightens my day as well, I am an honest person… As I leave I tell them to have a "Blessedly Safe Day!"  

So around here, most parts stores and other places I venture folks call me Mr. Cra**y is here, and I tell them since I am Irish if it Mr. O'Cra**y…Getting another chuckle.