Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Want to share info about things other then cabriolets? Post it here

Moderators: kamzcab86, CalAltaDubber, Briano1234

Post Reply
User avatar
kamzcab86
Queen and Popette of Cabbydom
Posts: 1277
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 3:54 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1986
Location: Arizona
Contact:

Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by kamzcab86 »

Want to know your car's build date without ponying up $70 for a birth certificate, or calling VWoA?

Locate the build month and year on the black VIN plate on the driver's door jamb. In my car's case it is 11/85.

Locate the PKN code on your car's build sheet sticker in the trunk:

Image
My car's code is 45-4-8063.

^That code yields:
45th week, 4th day of the week in 1985. That translates to: Thursday, November 7, 1985; my car was the 63rd car to roll off the production line at the Karmann plant on that day. That date, believe it or not, corresponds to the date printed on my car's birth certificate. 8)

Complete instructions here: http://www.cabby-info.com/Files/Misc/BuildDate.pdf .

Credit to Brickwerks over on TheSamba for the PKN info. :thumbup:

Edit: If you do not have the build sheet sticker in the trunk, pop your hood and locate the PKN plate riveted to the slam panel (aka radiator support):

Image
It provides the same code. 8)
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by Briano1234 »

cool
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
User avatar
Calimus
Grand High PooBah
Posts: 2892
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 11:40 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Cartersville, Ga

Re: Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by Calimus »

Cool indeed.
16' Challenger ScatPack
05' Yamaha FJR1300
02' Honda VTX 1800C
mobycat
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 10:16 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1981
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by mobycat »

Interesting. Tuesday, August 26, 1980. My VIN is relatively low - 00804. The PKN shows it was the 520th off the line that day. Seems high... did they really get 500+ cars off the line per day in Osnabrück? That would make me think the 1981 model year production started on Monday, August 25th, 1980.

ETA - or more believable (to me anyway) would be that it was the 520th off the line in Wolfsburg before being shipped to Osnabrück for modification by Karmann as a Convertible.
1981 Diamond Silver Rabbit Convertible - to be restored to bone stock (or as close as possible).
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by Briano1234 »

The cars were assembled from the ground up at the Karmann plant.
and it isn't had to believe that they produced cars in that number.

I had a 1981 Rabbit Diesel bought off the showroom floor in 1980 (October).
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
mobycat
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2018 10:16 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1981
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by mobycat »

Interesting. I didn't realize that. I was always under the impression initial assembly was at Wolfsburg.

What all was built at the Karmann plant? The convertible, of course. I'm guessing the Scirocco, too. Were any of the Vanagons? I guess I never thought of it as a full-bore plant.
1981 Diamond Silver Rabbit Convertible - to be restored to bone stock (or as close as possible).
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date

Post by Briano1234 »

Any thing labeled Karmann as in Ghia, I think the Camper Vans as well.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
Post Reply