I did a quick search and didn't find what I'm looking for so I'm sure there is someone here that can lead me in the right direction. I have a December 1979 production 308GTB in the shop that the client wants to sell... I believe it is a US car, came out of Hollywood sports cars, Current owner has had it since 1988 and has put 500 miles on it in that time ( 20K total on odometer) , books, tools, all that good stuff.... my problem is it only has the five digit numerical vin number, its what's on both plates, ( door and steering column) the DMV reg and the title. is there a way to find its 17 digit US vin ? would a car from 79/80 have had that??? Its never been an issue , i get the car through CA smog every 2 years with out a problem, I just know when i go to list it for the client ill get asked these sort of questions.... I fix 'em and don't do much of the "history/numbers" stuff..... I appreciate any guidance you fella's might have Cheers D
The 17-digit VIN wasn't required in 1979: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identification_number Having just the 5-digit serial number as the VIN is maybe a little less common. Usually they filled it up a little more with something like 308GTSNNNNN when they had the freedom to just make up the VIN.
US Carbed 308s never received a 17 digit VIN, which, as said by Steve above, was not required. Only the 5 digit chassis number. The 17 digit-VIN for 308s started with the first injected two-valve cars. The ONLY batch of carbed 308s to receive a 17 position VIN was the last batch (of a dozen cars or so, no more) exported to the UK, so these are Right Hand Drive. No other carbed 308s, whichever their intended market of destination, received a 17 digit VIN. Rgds
That's actually NOT "made up".... When I first started bringing my 5 digit VINs to Texas, the Tax Office Guidebook indicated that the PROPER way in Texas to address this car would be to addd "308GTB" ahead of the five digits. NO one does that to my knowledge. For my insurance coverage I used the frame stamping, which adds the F106AB and two asterisks...F106AB*22127* That worked for three cars. But the 5 digit cars simply follow Ferraris numbering system when it was FOUR digit cars!! What you have is what it is. The new owner can just take it to the County Tax Office, and act stupid. Worked every time, for me.
He will have to give you the Title for the sale. Whatever the State did on that paperwork, will determine how you "play forward"....but It's on the buyer side if the deal, in any event. My first car it was pretty involved, the Tax Office wanted Houston PD to "verify the VIN" That took a trip to the Impound Yard. Then back to the Tax Office, where he 5 digit VIN brought up "Farm Implement Trailer" on the screen. The helpless clerk turned to a Supervisor, filing her three inch long nails, purple metallic.... "What do I do now????" "Hit OVERIDE honey, and sell that poor boy some tags!!" The End PS actually in a grocery store a few days later, in my 'hood, a guy asked: "did you get your Ferrari sorted?" It was the police officer, from Auto Theft!!
When I got my GT4 I had some trouble getting a new title. The PO's state had issued a title "308GT413834" which, in the mind of my state, showed the chassis number to be 413834. I had to bring documentation that showed how Ferrari numbered their cars and still had to elevate it to the supervisor who did his own research before issuing a new title with 308GT4 as the model and 13834 as the serial #. Every state is in it's own world.
In Florida where me and my 79 GTB live the state puts F106AB in front of the 5 number and call it the VIN number.
My car just had a five-digit “vin” - it’s chassis number - when I bought it from a Wisconsin owner and brought it to IL. When IL told me five-digit vins here are reserved for trailer homes and wouldn’t accept it, I filled out a special form to “update” it to F106AS_ _ _ _ _ (my chassis number - you’d have a B instead of S for a GTB) and got a police officer to sign off on the form saying they’d visually verified the vin by looking at it. Your state may not require you to jump through hoops like that (really not so bad, considering you’re “changing” a registered vin/serial number) but I remember posing this same question to F-chat in 2014. Many members here had titles that read Ferrari_ _ _ _ _ or F106AS (or AB) followed by the chassis number. Some states let you enter the asterisk, others - like mine - are letters/numbers only. Bottom line, as long as the door jamb tag, steering column and engine bay stamping show matching chassis numbers, you’re fine. An astute Ferrari buyer will understand.
Just registered and re-titled #20583 ('76 GTB) in Texas, no problems were had at the tax office. The previous Georgia title showed the chassis number as the VIN, as well the prior registration from California.
