Build Date

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V

Build Date

Post by V »

Hey All,

Is the build date stamped or otherwise shown anywhere on the car?

I know what the build date is but I may have to prove it to get my car on historic (cheaper) registration.

The compliance plate shows the date the car was complianced in Australia rather than the build date. This is almost 2 years after it was build so is not going to meet the age requirement of historic rego.

Cheers
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Brucey
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Post by Brucey »

you can pull the build date using the VIN on BMWfans.

I don't know what the rules are where you are but sometimes it is build date and sometimes is date of registration which is important.

cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
V

Post by V »

Yea I know that and I know the build date to be 7/1986 from various online sources via the vin.

I was just hoping it might be somewhere on the car so I can show the staff at the road authority office.

I suppose I could show them a print out of BMWfans but I dont know if they will accept that.
Chris Wright

Post by Chris Wright »

On the US models it is on the data sticker on the end of the drivers door, upper right corner - month/year, but no header to identify it. You probably don't have this sticker?

Look under the rear passengers seats and see if the original build sheet is still under there, if so, it will have it:
viewtopic.php?t=16994&

Image
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Brucey
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Post by Brucey »

your local BMW dealer will print out a copy of your build sheet if you ask nicely. This is an 'official' document, more or less, so they should accept it as 'proof' of the age of your car.

hope it works out for you

cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
V

Post by V »

No sticker and no build sheet under the seat.

Good idea to get a reprint from the dealer. Will do that if I have too.
Paul Humpage
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Post by Paul Humpage »

On both Ellis's and my cars, the build date is stamped on a piece of a kind of metallic dyno tape that is riveted on the nearside suspension pillar under the bonnet where the colour is also stuck on. It's in such an obvious place that you can't miss it which i assume means they didn't put one on yours?

Image

Regards
Paul
V

Post by V »

hmm curious, mine doesn't have that.

Only built a month apart too but that area looks quite different on my car. The paint code is mounted horizontally rather than vertically and there is a huge sticker banging on about the oxy sensor and a diagram of the vacuum lines.
Last edited by V on Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
Paul Humpage
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Post by Paul Humpage »

V wrote:hmm curious, mine doesn't have that.

Only built a month apart too but that area looks quite different on my car. The paint code is mounted horizontally rather than vertically and there is a huge sticker banging on about the oxy sensor and a diagram of the vacuum lines.
Yep, i had the sticker of the vacuum lines but it was as ragged as buggery so i peeled it off. You would think that the job of putting the stickers and things on the car in the factory was one blokes, perhaps the job was so boring that he would just bung them anywhere for a change of routine.
V

Post by V »

Haha indeed.

Heres a pic for reference

Image
V

Post by V »

Actually those 2 holes look like where it once was.

Hmm wonder what happened to it, someone must have deliberately removed it.

Possibly the dealer as the car wasn't sold until 88 and is registered as an 88, might not have wanted the purchaser to see it was actually 2 years old...
Paul Humpage
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Post by Paul Humpage »

V wrote:


Possibly the dealer as the car wasn't sold until 88 and is registered as an 88, might not have wanted the purchaser to see it was actually 2 years old...
Indeed.
ozbmw
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Post by ozbmw »

Go to the BMW wreckers in Melbourne Vaughan, take a cordless drill and 3.5mm bit and find any BMW with the right build date and hey presto !

My guess is that a previous owner removed it when selling the car.
Matt @ Snowy Mountains of Australia
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V

Post by V »

Good call!
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Brucey
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Post by Brucey »

very interesting! AFAIK other RHD cars (e.g. UK ones) don't have the build date tag! I wonder if Japan ones do?

Good suggestion re the erm, 'tag recycling', nice one....

Does it need to be body colour though? -or are they all grey?

cheers
~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ron
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Post by ron »

This is what UK cars have (early cars):- They are the same for 635s amd "Ms".

Image

Later cars:-

Image
They are ALWAYS rustier than you thought!!!!!!
'85 M #228
'87 M #367
'88 High line.
'10 X5
‘84 Alfasud 1.5 ti
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ozbmwnut
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Re:

Post by ozbmwnut »

V wrote:Actually those 2 holes look like where it once was.

Hmm wonder what happened to it, someone must have deliberately removed it.

Possibly the dealer as the car wasn't sold until 88 and is registered as an 88, might not have wanted the purchaser to see it was actually 2 years old...
Hello "V". I, too have the same build date question as you...
My new(to me) car has a compliance date of 3/88, but on checking the VIN with BMW i have established
that the car was actually a 7/86 build...... my car also has the "build plate" missing, with only two holes in the strut tower to show where it once was..

I know that with all the years now passed, it doesnt matter any more, but it does make you wonder if the "dealer" or BMW aust removed the plate showing the cars true age, on the definate belief that if the original owner knew that their "brand New" car was in fact nearly two years old, the car would have been almost impossible to sell...
I still have the delivery book with mine, and although the front page states in biro "3/88",
someone, sometime, has written "7/86" in PENCIL next to it.....

P.s. by the look of your car photos, i assume you live close to me... i live near the foothills of the Dandenong ranges..
3/1986 Complianced, Aust delivered E24. Bronzit with Pearl Beige.
Garage buddies: E9 3.0 csi Polaris Silver, blue leather ; E34 M5 Alpine White, Black extended leather ; E39 M5 Carbon Black, Caramel Heritage Leather.
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