c250 failed its mot... NO VIN plate..what..!!

[jgs600]

well after almost 2 months off the road and a full respray and new black amg 18" wheels and tyres i proudly took my beloved 1998 c250 mercedes to my local garage for its mot.
They rang me up a few hours later saying they were unable to do the mot as the car has no visible VIN plate....

i know the precious owner had a new windscreen fitted and it looks like a sticker might have been on the drivers door piller.

can someone please tell me where the vin plate is normally situated in a uk 1998 c250 mercedes estate as iv had a look myself and cant find it either....

help...!!!!!

 

[trapperjohn]

Lift the bonnet. It should be on the slam panel just about where your nuts would be.

 

[jgs600]

is this it...!!!

 

[bolide]

That's not it. On other MBs it's stamped at the top of the second bulkhead on the off side facing in towards the back of the engine

On late cars the VIN is on the VIN plate, on that bulkhead and on a label at the foot of the windscreen on the nearside

Nick Froome

 

[jgs600]

mmmm ok well it aint anywhere, gonna get one made up then i suppose ah well

 

[nick mercedes]

mmmm ok well it aint anywhere, gonna get one made up then i suppose ah well

Its under the carpet on the drivers side.

 

[andy27168]

As Nic says, it is stamped on the floor on the drivers side by the front of the seat, there is a flap in the carpet covering it.

 

[jgs600]

ye look there and there is a flap but its just a blank bit of metal.. nothing there guys....

 

[nick mercedes]

ye look there and there is a flap but its just a blank bit of metal.. nothing there guys....

You now need to wonder why all the vin numbers have been removed...

 

[MercFanUk]

That sounds very dodgy... might be worth HPI'ing the car and seeing what comes up?

 

[AJA]

I hate to say it, but this doesn't sound good. Good luck.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

+1 sounds worrying. How long have you had the car?

Do you have any previous MOTs?

 

[bolide]

That sounds very dodgy... might be worth HPI'ing the car and seeing what comes up?

HPI what, though? The number plate? I expect that'll come up clean. If the car's a wrong 'un then it won't be the one that wore the plate originally

Nick Froome

 

[MercFanUk]

HPI what, though? The number plate? I expect that'll come up clean. If the car's a wrong 'un then it won't be the one that wore the plate originally

Nick Froome

Good point!

How far back does the paperwork go for the car?

 

[carat 3.6]

Do you have the logbook? You could hpi the chassis number on that to see what car it should relate too.

 

[Rashman]

.....just about where your nuts would be.

 

[John]

I wouldn't be too worried at this stage either.

If the car is bent, it will be of little value for the police / insurers to pursue.

I had this issue with a G reg Escort worth less than a grand back in the late 90s.

Car had a 'questionable history' police marker on it on the PNC and they turned up one day and demanded the seats be removed which revealed the plate with chassis number resting on top of the original... but of course with the seat on it - it looked genuine.

I couldn't believe it and HPI revealed nothing because of course the identity was 'correct' but this vehicle wasn't the original.

 

[John]

Lol, I was trying to imagine which (engine-related) nuts John was referring to at first...

 

[jgs600]

i bought the car off a dealer about 4 months ago and ave also spoke to the previous owner who had it for years. car seems straight and genuine

 

[jgs600]

so what do o do now, is it worth paying for an hpi check...
ive spoken to a guy who can get me a mercedes blank vin plate so thats not a problem but i now wonder if its a stolen car or something.... the free checks ive done online come up clean