A tense moment…
Got this in the mail yesterday:
MPI - not a huge fan of RHD
Now, this is tense since MPI is known to call in cars for re-inspection (free of charge!), where they'll re-check all the compliance items that imported cars must adhere to. It's happened to a few of my friends, but I've not been called in yet. So, I was thinking this might be a precursor to it.... luckily it's not. So, what was this for? Well...
A VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is a North American invention. A VIN is a 17 digit number, with a few different conventions on what the numbers mean.
JDM vehicles ship with a chassis code (or frame number).
Example chassis codes
As seen here, the codes can be of varying lengths, ranging from 9-12 digits. Also, this is where the chassis number comes from! The model is the first few alphanumeric digits. My Subaru's number is GC8-xxxxxxx, my Hijet was S83P-xxxxxxxx. An 'S13' Silva would be S13-xxxxxxx. Super cool!
There should be a plate on every JDM car listing the model number, chassis code, engine number and transmission number. It's quite informative and interesting to look at. Check it out on your car, or your friend's car!
BC's public insurer (ICBC) provides 17 digit VINs to their customers, while Manitoba's (MPI) doesn't. So, apparently they'll occasionally check in to make sure it's still the same number. Make work project!