P38A Location of chassis VIN on 2001 P38A?

This question has been asked before but not really answered. I need to find the chassis VIN on my UK registered RHD 2001 P38 Ranger Rover Vogue so that I can take a photo of it so that JLR will give me a Certificate of Conformity so I can re-register the car in France. For their own reasons JLR seem to be making the whole process of getting a CoC really difficult. Initially they denied they had one & suggested that my car was a pre-production model. I needed to send several emails pointing out that the number in Section K of the V5C registration document was the number of the CoC so that did exist. Anyway they finally agree that I can get one but want:-

• a copy of the V5C
• a copy of my drivers licence
• a photo of the car with the steering wheel clearly visible
• a photo of the VIN in the windscreen
• a photo of the VIN plate under the bonnet
• a photo of the chassis VIN

It's this last requirement that has defeated me. According to the workshop manual

"The number is also stamped on the outside of the chassis in the front RH wheel arch to the rear of the anti-roll bar link."
&
"NOTE: It may be necessary to remove underseal in order to locate the number; ensure underseal is restored on completion"

I've been laying under the car with a torch but I simply don't know what I'm looking for. I thought I had found it but after I had cleaned it up & looked at the photo I was distressed to find that the number HRC2313RIGHT31 didn't match the VIN on the VIN plate. I then discovered HRC2313LEFT marked in a similar position on a piece of the car in the wheel arch on the left hand side. It turns out that this is the part number of the right hand suspension strut

Has anyone got a diagram or photo or a good description of what I need to look for? I've tried Googling without success.

You should not need a certificate of conformity to register your car here in France, look under the bonnet, there is a little plate on the passenger side, the e* number is all that is needed, it is the EU acceptance of conformity number and is held in the French computer system. You need a purchase receipt for the car to get the Quittance Fiscal, the UK log book, (do NOT send of the log book as "vehicle exported" and do take a full copy) a control technique and that's about it. It's bit more difficult now it's all done on line via the ANTS web site.

But I can confirm as I have had to find 2.
RHD put wheels full left lock on the downward chassis rail on drivers side rail.



I don’t know the French reg so as Data says ^^^ but maybe you have a jobs worth. Good luck
J

marjon said:

But I can confirm as I have had to find 2.
RHD put wheels full left lock on the downward chassis rail on drivers side rail.

View attachment 214853

I don’t know the French reg so as Data says ^^^ but maybe you have a jobs worth. Good luck
J

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I have done 3 cars and a motorcycle here, vehicles registered after 1999/2000 are no problem earlier vehicles or vehicles originally registered in Japan (Japanese grey imports) are not so easy, nor are vans. It took 3 years an inspection and a derrogation from the ministry of transport to get my 1986 Toyota MR2 registered.

Datatek said:

I have done 3 cars and a motorcycle here, vehicles registered after 1999/2000 are no problem earlier vehicles or vehicles originally registered in Japan (Japanese grey imports) are not so easy, nor are vans. It took 3 years an inspection and a derrogation from the ministry of transport to get my 1986 Toyota MR2 registered.

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Having now done a few here including trailers, the hardest 1 was the newest L322 as it was 3 years old it had to have extra checks as it was a “high cost car”.
They seem to change the rules depending on the day/bloke in charge

but hey ho.

J

marjon said:

Having now done a few here including trailers, the hardest 1 was the newest L322 as it was 3 years old it had to have extra checks as it was a “high cost car”.
They seem to change the rules depending on the day/bloke in charge

but hey ho.

J

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Different in every department too.

Datatek said:

You should not need a certificate of conformity to register your car here in France, look under the bonnet, there is a little plate on the passenger side, the e* number is all that is needed, it is the EU acceptance of conformity number and is held in the French computer system. You need a purchase receipt for the car to get the Quittance Fiscal, the UK log book, (do NOT send of the log book as "vehicle exported" and do take a full copy) a control technique and that's about it. It's bit more difficult now it's all done on line via the ANTS web site.View attachment 214851

Click to expand...

I am aware that theoretically this is true & in fact the EU acceptance of conformity number is listed in section K of the V5C but evidently this is not sufficient for the jobsworths in the new(wish) centralised ANTS system who usually also insist the model details in section D of the V5C are also fully completed which in my case they are not.

Currently JLR will issue a copy of the CoC free of charge. Many manufacturers charge £150-£200 eg JLR France charge €240. It cost me £150 to get a CoC for an MGF about 10 years ago. Given that it's FOC & will guarantee that my application can't be knocked back for lack of a CoC it seems to be worth getting.

marjon said:

But I can confirm as I have had to find 2.
RHD put wheels full left lock on the downward chassis rail on drivers side rail.

View attachment 214853

I don’t know the French reg so as Data says ^^^ but maybe you have a jobs worth. Good luck
J

Click to expand...

Great! Thanks so much for the photograph. That's exactly what I need. I'll take a look later. Unfortunately the car is parked on the street so I have to get my partner to act as a spotter to ensure I don't get run over while lying in the road with my head in the right front wheel arch

marjon said:

But I can confirm as I have had to find 2.
RHD put wheels full left lock on the downward chassis rail on drivers side rail.

View attachment 214853

I don’t know the French reg so as Data says ^^^ but maybe you have a jobs worth. Good luck
J

Click to expand...

Thanks for the photo. I would have been lost without it. I eventually found the VIN after a lot of scrubbing away of undersea with a toothbrush, methylated spirits & sandpaper. Without that photo I really wouldn't have persevered.

For future reference if anyone else needs to find the chassis VIN on their P38 here is a photo of mine:-

nigelbb said:

Thanks for the photo. I would have been lost without it. I eventually found the VIN after a lot of scrubbing away of undersea with a toothbrush, methylated spirits & sandpaper. Without that photo I really wouldn't have persevered.

For future reference if anyone else needs to find the chassis VIN on their P38 here is a photo of mine:-

View attachment 214959

Click to expand...

That's not the same number as on the under bonnet plaque then I take it?

nigelbb said:

Thanks for the photo. I would have been lost without it. I eventually found the VIN after a lot of scrubbing away of undersea with a toothbrush, methylated spirits & sandpaper. Without that photo I really wouldn't have persevered.

For future reference if anyone else needs to find the chassis VIN on their P38 here is a photo of mine:-
]

Click to expand...

great you found it. But please edit your pic as I did mine. It’s the identity of a vehicle and we all know what happens next.

Datatek said:

That's not the same number as on the under bonnet plaque then I take it?

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Oh is the chassis from the same body Just asking

J

marjon said:

great you found it. But please edit your pic as I did mine. It’s the identity of a vehicle and we all know what happens next.

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No, what happens next? The VIN is visible for anyone who looks at the windscreen of the vehicle it's not a secret any more than the VRN that appears on the numberplate. It would be much easier to find the number if you have seen an actual image of what the chassis VIN looks like instead of your censored image (for which I am nevertheless grateful).

Datatek said:

That's not the same number as on the under bonnet plaque then I take it?

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Yes, it's the same number as on the under bonnet plaque & in the windscreen.

nigelbb said:

No, what happens next?

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Let’s just say I was a scumbag Yes I agree It is easy to see walking around a car park but. if I was said scumbag you have just made my job really easy
But now I could go out and nick a 2001 4.6 buy some new vin plates and stamp everything up with your number.
I am sure I could find a 2001 4.6 reg number too
Just saying, it’s your personal choice.

Hope all goes well when you try and get it registered.

J

marjon said:

Let’s just say I was a scumbag Yes I agree It is easy to see walking around a car park but. if I was said scumbag you have just made my job really easy
But now I could go out and nick a 2001 4.6 buy some new vin plates and stamp everything up with your number.
I am sure I could find a 2001 4.6 reg number too
Just saying, it’s your personal choice.

Hope all goes well when you try and get it registered.

J

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I think that's being a bit paranoid. There aren't that many 2001 P38s around any more & if you wanted to nick a car it's hardly the most desirable one around. As I said the VIN is clearly on display in the windscreen which is AFAIK impossible to alter without removing the windscreen anyway. It's like people who get paranoid about revealing their bank details ignoring the fact that your bank details are on every cheque you write.

nigelbb said:

Thanks for the photo. I would have been lost without it. I eventually found the VIN after a lot of scrubbing away of undersea with a toothbrush, methylated spirits & sandpaper. Without that photo I really wouldn't have persevered.

For future reference if anyone else needs to find the chassis VIN on their P38 here is a photo of mine:-

View attachment 214959

Click to expand...

EUREKA!! Thanks for this! I had been searching in vain for the VIN No on my P38 ever since the local French CT inspection centre failed it due to the absence of a VIN number on the chassis (plus a few other items (more on those later)).

The technician (I use the term loosely) was convinced it should be on the chassis by the right rear wheel arch!!)

nigelbb said:

No, what happens next?

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Once,
police kick your door in at 3am because someone is driving around in a fender with your plates on pulling out cash machines.
But that was while ago now. Crazy days

Rollover said:

EUREKA!! Thanks for this! I had been searching in vain for the VIN No on my P38 ever since the local French CT inspection centre failed it due to the absence of a VIN number on the chassis (plus a few other items (more on those later)).

The technician (I use the term loosely) was convinced it should be on the chassis by the right rear wheel arch!!)

Click to expand...

He was wrong!

Rollover said:

EUREKA!! Thanks for this! I had been searching in vain for the VIN No on my P38 ever since the local French CT inspection centre failed it due to the absence of a VIN number on the chassis (plus a few other items (more on those later)).

The technician (I use the term loosely) was convinced it should be on the chassis by the right rear wheel arch!!)

Click to expand...

Go to another test centre, I have never been asked for the chassis number on either of my P38's in the 11 years I have owned one, they have never even looked at the VIN in the windscreen going entirely on the Carte Gris.