The number game

[JHertzman@xxxxxxx]

Bryan Carters's last note on the VIN of his car had landed, and I was trying
to sort it out and plug his, John Katos' and mine into a logical structure
when Brian Shorey's note on the two blue 2.5 liter "black Verdes" he has
landed. Looking for another datapoint I tried plugging my wife's 164 into the
164 numbers in d'Amico-Tabucchi, and didn't find anything that looked like it
either. All of the 164s in the book started ZAR164000*06 while ours is
ZAREA43A9M6193546. 

Shuffling the rest of the paper in my file on the 164 I came up with an
"Ordine di Consegna" sheet which I found loose in the car. Top right there is
a section labeled "VIN.CEE" which is subdivided into three sections: "Costr.",
which has ZAR typed in; "TIPO VEICOLO", which is blank; and "TELAIO", which
has 6193546 typed in. Then, off on another line, there is a section labeled
"VIN USA" which has "EA43A9M6" typed in. OK. If I plug EA43A9M6 in place of
the book's 164000*06 for the "4 -car line,  5 -configuration, 6-8 -equipment
level, 9 is a check digit (whatever that is), 10 (a letter) is the model year,
11 - the assembly plant" which Bryan got from the NADA appraisal guide, the
rest all fits: I have a genuine Alfa Lancia 164 built in 1990.

Back to the Milani.
John Katos:                  1026166
John H.:    ZARDA1368H1026474
Brian S.-1: ZARDA1242H1050110
Brian S.-2: ZARDA124XH1050209
Bryan C.:   ZARDA1247H1050300

If the NADA book is correct D is Milano, A is sedan, 124 is Verde equipment
level while 136 (which I assume John Katos shares) is Platino equipment level,
then the check digit, H is model year '87 (which is build year '86 on mine, at
least) and 1 is Arese. And the last six digits are the sequential production
numbers- which never got up to six digits, at least in our five cars.

There we run out of luck. Or at least the two Johns do. According to the book
none of the V6 75s, whether Eurospec or Milano, include production sequences
26XXX. Brian and Bryan are a bit better off; the 1986 2.5 Milanos do include
50011 through 53111, which would include all three of their cars.

If I were guessing, I would guess that regardless of what the book said the
Platinum numbers started at or near 25,000, and the 3 liter numbers started at
or near 50,000. 

Brian Shorey's Verde Register, if it gets enough data-points, should flesh-out
the range of discrepancies for the big'uns. Perhaps a Platinum Register would
be in order? Not to worry; I like my car, whether it exists or not.

John H.  

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