odd vin question...

I am trying to find out about a jeep I am buying, nobody can verify what year it is, the previous owner thought it was a 62, but the guy before him says it's a 59. and the vin has a letter in the middle? I asked him for the vin so I could research it and this is what he sent me: 8305 A 208590

the other vin discussions on this board all dealt with vin's that had numbers in the middle (mostly 017 from what I read).

can anybody help me decode this vin?
the body has a windshield that flips out and folds down, split in the middle, it has 2 small round taillights, a metal hardtop that extends past the windshield before dropping down with a wiper in it. It has a v6 with a 3 spd, but that may be a later transplant, or so I was told. any help would be appreciated...

 

'83' Universal CJ-5

'05' Open Body

'A' V6-225 engine

'2' Right Hand Drive

Next digit is supposed to be 4-7 engine code, don't see a '0' for this digit in the parts manual

Digits 8-13 sequential serial number.

If 208590 is the sequential serial number, that places it's build date in January of '66 according to the following:

http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/Photos/SerialNumbers/SerialNosMonthly6567.gif

I would suspect if it's a '66 that a V6 originally came in it.

Are you sure this is the complete VIN?

WELCOME from Minnesota!

 

the vin may or may not mean much with respect to the true age of the JEEP.

 

Quite true as VIN tags have been known to migrate to other Jeeps completely on their own. Parts swapping can also run rampant!

 

right hand drive? hell, I don't know if he even sent me the right vin now, it's not a postal jeep. but, i have never had a jeep before, so what do I know...

look at these and tell me what you think, I have only those pics and that vin to go by...

 

Looking at the info in the parts book again, it may be the correct VIN. There is a note that says "Discontinue designator A and S with the inception of the (7) digit serial number prefix". That may mean that the sixth digit ('2') was really the first digit of the six digit sequential serial number, and the seventh digit may not have been used. This would clear up the right hand drive issue and place your VIN as a 1966 with a V6-225. I thought venting split windshields were earlier than '66... I have been known to be wrong on occasion though.....

 

hey guys, thanks for the help!

 

Just to add to what Sparky said, its usually just behind (4-6") where the shock mount is on the top of the frame.