body vin stickers

[3bvert]

so my vert has stickers that have matching seriel numbers on all removable body parts, fenders, doors trunk
except the hood...... it only has a sticker that says "dot bmw" the car has a clean carfax
my parts car is the same, mathcing numbrs and same sticker "dot bmw" on hood but it is known to have been in a wreck

reason I ask, is I am having a heck of a time getting the hood to sit correctly and the paint on it fades real fast ( like 3 weeks)

[Wishno87]

What are you asking?

[3bvert]

trying to determine if the hood is factory or aftermarket,
if some kind of replacement, maybe that is why I can not get it to sit corectly ( will not sit flush wiht the front fenders leading edge, bumps are all the way down, and we have tried many times working with the attaching bolts both on hood and on the arm that attaches the hood to the body. mostly on one side

one person, who is not a body shop guy, when he tried to help me to get it to sit right, said it must be a aftermarket when HE noticed the sticker difference

[Wishno87]

If it doesent have a VIN then it dident come with the car. Are the gaps on the sides uneven?

[3bvert]

gaps are even side to side the gaps that run the lenght of the hood
been like this since I bought it in december, was in hopes thtait was just an adjustment when I bought it ( the car was a basket case and had sat for 2 years)
other side sits fine, then when we tried all the bolts and got the pass side to sit down, the driver side stuck up, like the hood is bowed ??? and you can rock it , pushing down on the pass side and rock the driver side up

[Unearth078]

maybe its not the hood, but the fenders. have you checked gaps between doors? any gaps in the bumper to the valance?

[3bvert]

yep they are good, and its never been wrecked according to carfax and looking at the car very close
gaps in doors etc all good same and everything works right

[Asbradley21]

It was probably something that happened to the hood that was just replaced without reporting it to insurance. According to Carfax, my car's never been wrecked either, but I know it has.
Or maybe the PO just liked fucked up hood fitments.

[3bvert]

yes, but we have had the hood completely off twice in trying to get it to sit right
someone suggested it could be the torsion arm (?) that the hood bolts too. we have adjusted those bolts too
so monday ( my day off) im gonna try switching one from my parts car, just to see if it makes a difference

[3bvert]

fianlly got it to sit. see thread , if interested on adjusting hood, thought others might find it helpful, thus the new thread

[Cobra Jet]

Good to hear you were finally able to adjust the hood!


FYI w/ regards to VIN decals:

Any VIN decal that has "DOT" on it is a genuine BMW replacement panel, bought directly from BMW. At some point in time, your hood has been replaced for one reason or another - and was replaced most likely due to the original being damaged beyond repair. The "DOT" refers to Dept. of Transportation and means that the panel conforms to all safety, quality and impact standards as the original and is approved by DOT. Sometimes on other vehicles, the label may be stamped "DOT-R" - the R standing for "repalcement".

The VIN decals will be on all vehicles from 1987 forward (it was Federally mandated that all vehicles manufactured within the US or those outside being imported have VIN # decals affixed to ALL removable body panels and/or certain drivetrain parts. The idea behind it was to cut down on vehicle theft & chop shops).

If an original panel is damaged beyond repair, the original VIN decal cannot be stripped from it and affixed to a new replacement panel. The new panel will always come w/ a "DOT" decal IF it's a GENUINE BMW part. If there is no decal, then the part could be (1) a second hand used part of which the original VIN decal was stripped, (2) could be stolen and again VIN decal is stripped or (3) is a cheaply made reproduction part that is not of the same standard or quality as the original.

ALL VIN decals will match the original metal VIN # strip on the left topside of the dashboard and will also match the larger Manufacturer affxied vehicle data decal located on the B-pillar or driver's door.

You will find these VIN decals on:
L & R doors
L & R front fenders
front hood
rear trunk lid
L & R rear 1/4 panels
any type of factory manufactured and affixed plastic body panels (ie: bumper covers, ground effects, rocker panels, etc)
transmission
engine block

On most cars, the last half of the VIN # will and can also be stamped into obscure locations on the body sheet metal, often hidden by body panels.


:)

One more thing as a public service FYI -

CarFax and AutoCheck will NOT always have accurate information as far as vehicle crashes/accidents are concerned. The only way a vehicle accident shows up on a CF or AC report is IF the accident was reported and logged by the Police OR Insurance Company. If the accident or damage was minor/major to the vehicle and there was NO Police involvement/Police report OR Insurance claim made, the event will NEVER show up on a CF or AC report. Do not use those as 100% factual info about your vehicle (or one you are looking to buy).

[3bvert]

thanks
all other panels do have the matching sticker and number