Chassis VIN number help is needed. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

Chassis VIN number help is needed.

springers

New Member
Joined
December 30, 2010
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
City, State
London, England
Year, Model & Trim Level
1994 Explorer
Hi, I am having no luck finding the VIN on my '94 Explorer's chassis. I have had it up on ramps scratching at the surface of the chassis and the only number I have found only has 8 digits. I believe I am looking for the full 17.
This is a major problem as it is a legal necessity to have this checked to pass its test here in France. The sticker on the drivers door will not do.
From googling I have concentrated on the part of the chassis under the passenger seat (big rectangular section running from front to back).
I have found references to looking at the "height" of the passenger seat but I am assuming that this must refer to the distance from front to back (as if the car was stood on its end).
Could someone please give me a better description so that I can solve this problem, Thanks.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





welcome
 






Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the UK Explorer owners section. The VIN number on the USA built models in located on the corner of the dashboard which is visible through the front windshield.
 






Welcome Springers. As Brooklyn Bay says, the full 17 digit VIN number on my 99 model is visible through the base of the windowscreen on the passenger side by the tax disc. See photo below. Whereabouts in France are you? GRoB

2010_12310002.jpg
 






Thanks, my windshield vin is visible (and matches all paperwork!), hopefully the guy at the "Control Technique" garage is happy with this and doesn't keep insisting on a chassis vin. From other google hits it seems that the chassis vin may be a "hidden vin" on top of the frame only accessible by taking the body off the chassis!
I am in mid France near Limoges, this Explorer has lived up to its name Detroit -> Piedmont SD -> Middlesborough England -> London England -> Limoges France and still going strong despite all the red tape!
 






Mid France...very nice. We stayed in a little village Cherves Chatelars between Angouleme and Limoges a few years ago and never wanted to leave. We loved the country, the people (I know that we're British and are not supposed to), the pace of life, the lot. Is your Ex LHD or UK spec? Good luck with the Control Technique. Happy New Year. GRoB.
 






Can't say on the Explorer, haven't had the body off .... yet. On the F150 I had years back the VIN was in fact on top of the right frame rail about center of the door. You may find it with a mirror.
 






It is indeed stamped on the top of the frame,right side, by the front door.
 






Still struggling

The guy at the CT station was not satisfied with the windshield vin plate and it failed its test again. He demands to see one on the chassis.
I have looked for the one on top of the frame on the right side but the bodywork is in the way. I am starting to consider drastic measures like taking out the passenger seat and cutting an access hole in the floor but surely there must be a better way. Someone suggested a mirror but I am not sure I see how.

A couple of google searches suggested there might be another one around the rear wheel arch but I cant find it. Anyone any ideas?
My two other ideas are to try a different CT station and asking Ford France what the procedure is for getting it re-stamped.
 






When I had the body off of my frame, the only VIN number that was stamped into the frame was on the right side frame rail,on the top,approx.at the seat area.There were no other VIN numbers stamped on it.(and I had it completely disassembled)
 






http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_349984_349984
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...51?cm_sp=Upsells-_-Top Sellers-_-Product Page

Just a.) Put it in a spot that can credibly claim to have been "missed" or covered in crud the first time.
b.) Be very careful to get all the digits lined up perfect so it looks machine stamped.
c.) "Age" it a little before going back. Cover the fresh stamping in mud/water,etc.... Maybe put just a little undercoating over it, and leave most of it on, so you can finish "discovering" the "previously hidden" number in front of the inspector.

Of course you could try to go "over his head". Maybe his supervisor will be a little less stupid and bureaucratically stubborn, and realize that this American built vehicle was not designed to have a chassis-stamped VIN# readily visible, as that's not the way we do things here; just as an American inspector might not expect to find a VIN tag in the windshield if someone, for some unknown crazy reason, decided to import a Renault or Citroen.
 






An update if anyone is interrested.

Despite a wire brush, sand paper and a wing mirror we did not see it. There is a small section of the chassis (right side, mid passenger door) that is further away from the body than the rest (2-3 inches) and we concentrated on that. Elsewhere the gap is probably an inch and we didn't really look as we would have needed a dentists mirror or something similar to see. The pressure is off though as since the introduction of this new test requirement in France on Jan 1st the garage as seen this issue with other cars. They say they now know the procedure and will be allowed to stamp a new vin on.

I will post if/when I finally get my test certificate. :)
 






i have found the number behind the left front wheel on the chassis if you want a picture sent me a emailadres so i can sent
 






Their is a VIN tag on the radiator support also, did you find that one? It's a 2x3" plate riveted to the left side near the body mount I believe.

My 99 had the VIN stamped on both sides of the frame, along the side near the rear doors. I removed the OEM coating to refinish with Rust Encapsulator. Good luck,

Here's my old 93 front clip, see the VIN tag?
 

Attachments

  • 93frontclip with harness.JPG
    93frontclip with harness.JPG
    95.4 KB · Views: 6,396






An update if anyone is interrested.

Despite a wire brush, sand paper and a wing mirror we did not see it. There is a small section of the chassis (right side, mid passenger door) that is further away from the body than the rest (2-3 inches) and we concentrated on that. Elsewhere the gap is probably an inch and we didn't really look as we would have needed a dentists mirror or something similar to see. The pressure is off though as since the introduction of this new test requirement in France on Jan 1st the garage as seen this issue with other cars. They say they now know the procedure and will be allowed to stamp a new vin on.

I will post if/when I finally get my test certificate. :)

Hi, I have exactly this problem. I have imported a 2002 3rd Generation Explorer. Uk Spec from UK into Republic Of Ireland. I have the car raised and searching for the VIN stamp. No luck! It has just failed its first road safety test due to this issue. Guy says I must find where it is - the one in the windshield and on the door will NOT do. What the heck???
 






Unless someone posts a picture of where it is on the frame, you will be hunting for it, under the factory corrosion coating.

Look on the radiator support to see if Ford placed a tag there, that would be the easiest place to look.

Hunt on the internet for pictures of bare frames that have been for sale. I've seen them a few times, usually from a school or other business which just needed the bare rolling chassis. Those I think had no coating on them. You might get lucky and see the VIN number in those pictures.
 






Okay - 2.5 hours later after scouring every inch I have found a tag.

Bearing in mind my truck is Right Hand drive UK spec, this picture was taken holding the camera down low (in line with the drivers door handle), and looking up to the side of the steel box-beam frame. It was all but invisible until I rubbed my glove over it, even though it was only lightly dusted with road grime. I did not quite expect to find it here based on other people talking about the top of the box-beam!! Its actually the top-[out]side of the box-beam. Dunno if this will help others out there. It had better do because it is all there is! Ah --- cannot seem to be able to attach a picture.
 






Okay - 2.5 hours later after scouring every inch I have found a tag.

Bearing in mind my truck is Right Hand drive UK spec, this picture was taken holding the camera down low (in line with the drivers door handle), and looking up to the side of the steel box-beam frame. It was all but invisible until I rubbed my glove over it, even though it was only lightly dusted with road grime. I did not quite expect to find it here based on other people talking about the top of the box-beam!! Its actually the top-[out]side of the box-beam. Dunno if this will help others out there. It had better do because it is all there is! Ah --- cannot seem to be able to attach a picture.

Good for you. If you can, please post a picture showing where along the frame it is.

Find a picture hosing site like Photobucket. Upload pictures to that kind of site, and then copy the image (IMG) location/tag to your posts here or anywhere online. Each picture you place on a hosting site has data with it, and you can right click on it or find the highlighted information for it, and pick the forum IMG data. Here's my car from my hosted pictures as example, hit quote and see what the data string looks like for a picture from photobucket.

Signature-3.jpg
 






Okay --- lets try this image thing again:

Here is what seems to be a VIN plate on the upper out-side of the right sub frame .... in line roughly with the front door handle!

2011-04-16203458.jpg


Anyone know if this is the standard way Ford do it or is this the European 'Fix' / 're-stamp' that people are talking about?

Also, would be interested to know how this was attached? Is it glued or welded somehow?
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





I am looking for the same thing for several weeks, if someone who may publish detailed photos of where to look would be very grateful.
I do not know where to look.
 






Back
Top