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:
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.
Complete instructions here: http://www.cabby-info.com/Files/Misc/BuildDate.pdf .
Credit to Brickwerks over on TheSamba for the PKN info.
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):
It provides the same code.
Your Cabriolet/Rabbit's Build Date
Moderators: kamzcab86, CalAltaDubber, Briano1234
- 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
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....
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....
- 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
Cool indeed.
16' Challenger ScatPack
05' Yamaha FJR1300
02' Honda VTX 1800C
05' Yamaha FJR1300
02' Honda VTX 1800C
-
- 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
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.
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).
- 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
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).
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....
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....
-
- 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
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.
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).
- 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
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....
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....