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Hi,

I've recently noticed that my engine is non numbers matching to my 72 710m tub. Did the Swiss change them out rather than rebuild? Maybe this was common practice, or is mine an unusual situation?
Just curious mostly, but was a bit surprised.

thanks, Dave

When the Swiss refurbished trucks in the '90s, parts didn't always go back to the original truck..My '71 710m had a driver's door with a different dataplate than the body's plate. So it is possible a body could be put on another chassis

From what I've been told, this is a problem common to former military vehicles of most varieties, including U.S. Whether because a part has been robbed off a scrapped vehicle or one awaiting parts, or simply from installation of factory replacement parts, it seems to be pretty normal.

The reason it doesn't happen so much in the civilian world is probably because it's rare to have multiple versions of the exact same vehicle being serviced together. Even the colors match! Plus, your average civilian owner would call the cops.

Thanks for the reply's, sounds reasonable. My truck was redone in the 90's so that'll be what happened.

Dave

I don't know the legal status in the US but in Europe the VIN has to be engraved or stamped into the chassis. Any label like the metal plate next to the driver's seat is just meant to make the number easily spottable. If there are discrepancies the VIN on the frame is considered valid.

Hotzenplotz wrote:I don't know the legal status in the US but in Europe the VIN has to be engraved or stamped into the chassis. Any label like the metal plate next to the driver's seat is just meant to make the number easily spottable. If there are discrepancies the VIN on the frame is considered valid.

Where is it on a Pinz?

i have a 712. it has the chassis number on the main tube, between 2nd and 3rd axle.
guess it will be similar with a 710

Never seen it but have not looked either
Will check tonight
Thx

i have a 712. it has the chassis number on the main tube, between 2nd and 3rd axle.

On my 712 it is on the driver's side, hidden behind the exhaust shield. It is a removable part (once the chassis is disassembled!) unlike a typical frame stamp. In California, they only require two separate matching VIN numbers so they only needed to look at the door and floor plates!

So, if i dont have the door plate, just the plate under the seat, where would i find a second matching number if the chassis tube doesn't match?

Since bodies are not as easily swapped (compared to doors or the internal door panel where the ID plate is located) I would hope/expect that the body pan ID plate number should match the chassis number. You should find the chassis stamp on the chassis casting, hidden by the muffler heat shield plate on the left side just in front of the center axle. If the VINs don't match, I believe it is possible to get blank ID plates and you can make matching VINs on them. But you should be able to get it inspected and have WA state decide which VIN to use (probably the chassis number) once you explain how parts may have been swapped around. Don't mention "military" if you don't have to! I know that sounds difficult, but you can just say something like "parts got swapped between trucks when they were "in use", don't say "in the military" or "in the service". Generally things go easier that way.

Thanks, I've not had any issues as the second owner in Washington, I'm selling and an interested party is in California which makes things slightly more interesting.

Engine chassis and plate are all different