Many of you may already know how to determine your car's production date if you care, but I didn't know it until Eric (StormRunner) showed me. I thought I would post it here in case anyone else was interested.
On the slam panel of the Scirocco is a Production Identification Number (PKN) which contains the date your Scirocco's body shell was made*
*Edit - When I posted this originally, I thought this was the production date of the vehicle. It isn't. It is the date the body shell was made. The "manufacture" date of the vehicle - that is when the entire car is completed - will be several days later. Only VW can supply the exact manufacture date. After looking a several examples of PKN dates and manufacture dates, it seems like the manufacture date is often 5-10 days after the PKN date. Except in GT_II's case who has a manufacture date before the PKN date, which we can't explain
The number is in the format WWD-SSSS
WW is the week of the year
D is the day of the week (Monday =1, Tuesday =2, etc)
SSSS is a factory serial number (and not the number of the car "off the line" that day)
So if you know the model year of your car (which the VIN can confirm), you can look at a calendar, count WW weeks in, and figure out which day your car's body was produced. If you car was manufactured after August 1, you will need to look at the previous year's calendar. For example, if your model year is 1984, but your week number is 44, your car was made in 1983, so you need to count 44 weeks into the 1983 calendar. This is because VW starts producing "next year's" model August of the current year. If your car has a week number before August, look at the calendar for your model year. For example, my Scirocco Production Identification Number starts 153. Since my car is a 1984 model, this translates into Wednesday, April 11th, 1984.
This information is also on the top line of the build sticker normally located in the boot of the car.
The Build Sticker has other interesting information, including a precise designation of your car starting with either 531 for LHD Mk1, 532 for RHD Mk1, 533 for LHD Mk2 or 534 for RHD Mk2. Following that is a three character string based on model trim specification, engine and gearbox. These three character codes are model year specific. For a Mk2 Storm, it is "C34". Below that are the specific engine code, gearbox code, exterior color code, interior code, and options your car was built with (M codes - for example 560 is a steel sliding roof). There are various websites where you can look up codes.
One other neat thing - on the same top line as the Production Identification Number, at the far right is a 2 character code. For cars exported from Germany, this is the port your car was shipped to.
For example, if you have "EG", that is Grimsby. In my case, I have "EN" which I believe is Sheerness. Other codes are "EB" for Belfast, "EL" for Leith and "EP" for Ramsgate
Edit - we were able to determine the number before the port code is the importer code for a geographic area. "210" is for England. These numbers aren't readily available and may have changed over time. A number of values in the 400s (401,420,421,423,426) were used for the US in the 1980s. Today, the US uses 444. 999 is and was used for Canada. Vehicles destined for Germany have a code representing a distribution region within Germany.
Anyhow, nothing that will change your life, but may amuse you for a few moments.
Enjoy,
Tom
