On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 16:05:04 -0400, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:57:33 -0400,
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:57:09 -0500, VinnyB
wrote:

On Sun, 17 Sep 2017 14:29:52 -0400, micky
wrote in

So that would mean that I still
might have used the wrong VIN, right?

Yes, I believe so.
Except the check digit would not match and you would (ormshould) get
an "invalid VIN" message. The 9th digit in the serial number will
cgange with the combination of digits in the production sequence
number. This means you need at least 2 numbers wrong - one of them
being the 9th digit, to possibly have the wrong VIN and have it valid.

Agreed, except one wouldn't have to be the 9th digit. Add one and
subtract one, or interchange 2 numbers, and it would check out.

It's not that simple. Transposing numbers WILL cause the check digit
to fail (most common problem when entering numbers)

I think the seller is "snowing" you.

Maybe. Though the car that comes up has had lots of maintenance from the
same repair shop, including new timing belt and water pump. So that
would be good. But he wants me to believe it was his daughter's car
and she lives 30 miles south of where the car was maintained. If it had
only been one event, sure, but there are 10 or 20. I saw the auction
papers in the glove box and noted the price but forgot to note the date.
It was probably last week.


30 miles and you are thinking he's not telling the truth?? I had
customers coming from 75-95 miles away to have me (or my team) service
their vehicles. When I was in Elmira, a gentleman used to bring his
'68 Firebird from Toronto for even oil changes and lightbulb
replacement because I was the only guy, after having taken it to
several Toronto dealers as well as out of town dealers - to be able to
make the car run properly for him. When I told him I was leaving the
garage where I worked he put an add in the paper to sell it the very
next day.... When I was service manager at the dealership in Waterloo
I regularly serviced cars from Toronto, London, Woodstock and all over
south-western Ontario.A good 10-15% were from more than 30 miles away.
Anyhow, it's good to understand this vin stuff for this time and future
times too.