Help With VIN#

[Surfy]

I have a 1979 class B motor home (basically a 1/2 ton Ford Econoline) with an 8 digit VIN#...instead of the 17 digits. I can't get past the VIN lookup screens.

I know they started the 17 digits in 1980 so the 1979 could have less than 17, right?

Any tips for getting past this and getting on with the quote?

Surfy

 

[Newby]

I have a 1979 class B motor home (basically a 1/2 ton Ford Econoline) with an 8 digit VIN#...instead of the 17 digits. I can't get past the VIN lookup screens.

I know they started the 17 digits in 1980 so the 1979 could have less than 17, right?

Any tips for getting past this and getting on with the quote?

Surfy

The first 10 digits in the 17 digit VINs all mean something. You could possibly convert yours to one if you know all the answers. If the vehicle is considered American made the first digit is a 1 (Not all Fords are considered American Made but all 1979's probably were.) the other digits stand for different things like trim level, color etc. One of the letters in the middle tells the year. 1980's were A and they don't use the letter I or O at all in this series.

There are possibly web sites that can teach you how to convert yours. The old blue books from NADA, Hap Jones, and Kelly used to have pages that told what it all meant.

 

[Guest]

See, I dont understand why people come here with these questions.....the one and only answer is pretty simple!

CALL THE FRIGGIN INSURANCE COMPANY YOU ARE QUOTING WITH!

The U/W will probaly have to manually bypass this, it isnt a big deal.

 

[Surfy]

CALL THE FRIGGIN INSURANCE COMPANY YOU ARE QUOTING WITH!

The U/W will probaly have to manually bypass this, it isnt a big deal.

That's assuming that my underwriter was avaliable at the time and maybe I had a guy with $400 cash in his pocket and was going to pay for the whole year and needed insurance right now or he was going somewhere else.

I just thought I would check in here real quick and see what else could be done as I was not able to get past the VIN lookup screen myself.

Your answer friggin sucks. (However it is true)

Surfy

 

[djs]

This is what the old symbol tables that are still available are for. Of course, a 1979 motorhome might be a bit older than most carriers want you to write, could be an issue.

The problem is, if the carriers quoting software requires a vin, there simply isn't much you can do. Sometimes, you can pad the beginning with 0's, then describe the vehicle.

Dan

 

[Surfy]

Thanks Dan for the tip with the zero's. That might work. BTW, I did make the sale but the guy had to wait around quite a while.

Surfy

 

[Insurance-Guy]

Thanks Dan for the tip with the zero's. That might work. BTW, I did make the sale but the guy had to wait around quite a while.

Surfy

Well you sold it!

Most of the time on anything that old you need to do stated value and enter gvw to determine a symbol. Or if the system that you are using will allow you to make up the digits to get passed. Usually (1) works.

Just a FYI what I have done in the same situation. If it is a 79 look for a vin for a 80, 81 or another year of the same model. Put in your narrative to the carrier that year is off to get it bound and call the UW. I have had to do this more than once.