Decrypting the VIN plate of a skyline

[Mildman]

How much luck have other had working out what all the pretty letters and numbers mean on your VIN plate?

Here is what I have found.

Type - E-HCR32 prefix letter is a year code (unconfirmed)

HCR32-048282 Vehicle Identification Number - this is linked to the manufacturing date (but I haven't worked out which numbers were made on which dates)

Model spec - RC=rwd, R=type M, 32=R32, GF=gearbox 5 speed manual

Colour codes (available elsewhere in these forums)

Engine (pretty easy stuff there) D=Twin cam, E=electronic fuel inj, T=you guessed it Turbo

FS5W71C Gearbox spec, followed by RC43 rear diff spec (5sp manual, with 4.3:1 final drive)

Build factory - 5, believed to be Yokohama

Any more additions???

Would be great to have all the codes - makes identifying Skyline's by VIN plate a piece of cake

[Mildman]

Late breaking news!

Found that 048282 is link to a date code, this one was built March 1990!

I reckon I can do it for any Skyline chassis number.

[rb26dett]

how did u find that out?? i wanna know when mine was built

[Lenno]

hey guys i've been lookin at this a bit latley but only able to find info on the r32. Anyone got the details for the r33 model numbers ??

Mildman, how did you find out the build month ? suppose you can't track it to a day ?...hehehe..could give me car a birthday party each year !!

lenno

[Mildman]

I've found a couple of numbers, giving Chassis Numbers versus build dates (only for R32s) - The Chassis numbers are not in perfect sequence though. I think they made a big run of R32 GTSt's, maybe retooled for a day or two then run R32 GTR's.

More info though, the E on E-HCR32 stands for Petrol model, I think N is diesel, K lpg.

As I find more I'll let you know.

Anyone else with any info feel free to pipe up and enlighten us all

[Demon Dave]

The date of manufacture is written on the tab on the seatbelts (unless they've been changed at some point)

[Mildman]

When you say "tab" DD - do you mean the bit that clicks into the housing, or it is up near the seatbelt feeder.

When I get in my car tonight after work I will have to have a look.

Amazing what we can find out if we pool our knowledge.

[2fardown]

Seatbelts are changed at compliance.

[Demon Dave]

Assuming your seatbelts have not been changed (don't know much about the rules/proceedures in OZ) then there should be a label/tab thingy stitched onto the seatbelt near the point where it attaches to the floor. That has the date of manufacture which almost always corresponds to the date the chassis was put together.

Additionally, I believe that there is a sticker on the back of the airbags (if you have them) that indicates date of manufacture - though, if they've ever been deployed in a crash they're likely to be newer ones...

of course, you've got to pull your steering wheel apart to get at this:rolleyes:

[Lenno]

all seatbealts are changed to australian spec when the car is complianced, along with lots of other little things...unless ya car wasn't complianced correctly, ive seen heeps of dodgy lookin cars around, basically done on the cheap to cut costs...

lenno

[RBN1]

Skylines downunder had a whole heap of info on what it means. Thats where I verified my car had never been resprayed to gun-grey (yeh i'm overly paranoid)

[Mildman]

Yep Skylines Downunder have all the paint codes (that's why I haven't listed them....maybe I should) - but some of the other info on their site is actually wrong!

For example they state that the "E" in E-HCR32 is a date code, but I have since discovered it is a fuel code, with E for petrol...the rest is up above.

So what I am looking for, for all of us, is a confirmed list of all the codes on Skyine VIN plates, so we will all know exactly what we got out of the factory.

Keep the info coming, that you scratch up from weird Japanese sites on the web, one day we will have the answer.....and that answer will be glorious!

[NismoR34]

Nissan asked me for the "model number" of my car when I called to ask about parts. The guy then proceeded to find and quote me for parts for my car [ex -japan]. I am sure they would be able to answer these questions from their resources [online].