Greetings from beautiful Costa Rica!!!


Hey Guys, as the rest of you I'm a Maxima lover... I own a white 92' since 2005 and I love it, it was my first car and it is still number 1 for me... but, there is something that bothers me... it has no VIN number... something akward for me but, I really can't find the reason... The only ID number that it shows is a "Chasis number" that starts with HJ30... but it's not close to have 15 digits and certaninly it is not a VIN number.

If some of you know a litlle bit better the history of the Maxima, could help me to figure it out why is my car a Ghost?

I'll post some pics of my Maxima soon...

Thanks a lot!!!, regards!!!

 

So you have no stamped identifier at all on the firewall?

 

It has stamped on the firewall the same chasis number that I mencioned before... nothing similar to a VIN number... it just shows HJ30004539... That is the complete "Chasis Number"

That's why I'm confused about it... I also have a spare parts car, a 90' SE and it has a normal VIN number...

My car is a 5 spd with a VG engine, 4 disc brakes (no ABS) 6.5 inches alloy rims and black side mirrors, no leather seats or keyless entry pad... I'm very starting to think that it was originally a 92' SE (one the first ones) and that maybe because a previous collision it loose the rear spoiler and the original stop light lenses. It shows a poor fix in the rear panel.

 

There's no VIN plate on the drivers side dash close to the windsheild? There should be a metal plate there with the VIN. If not how was it registered to be put on the road?

 

pull off the fenders hood or trunk and all have VIN stamped somewhere on it...If not it's probably stolen or a rebuilt totalled/salvaged vehicle...

 

That number's not right!

 

should your registration and insurance papers not have the VIN?

 

Smuggled to Costa Rica overnight from Japan.

 

Hello, thaks for your answers,


I'll check the fenders to see if I can found something...

Actually the car was originally registered here in Costa Rica in 1992, so, I asume it was bougth brand new for the first owner. It's not impossible that it was imported by Nissan local dealer from Japan as a special request, because actually The Maxima never has been marketed here as a usual model for Costa Rica's Nissan Dealer... it's actually not offered even today in the Nissan's line up for new models.

The Registration of the car just shows the same "Chasis Number" that I mencioned before and the Motor Number... nothing else related to a VIN.

The plate on the firewall shows the same... I'll take a picture of it to share it later.

So... still no answer...

 

could just be a Costa Rica thing then. same as my Supra, made before 1981 so it just has a chassis code in place where the VIN would be on 1981+ vehicles. maybe you guys used that way for longer

 

Hello Chrome... well, it's another possiblity... Of course I can't know for sure the reason... it is strange at least, the spare parts car that I have in my garage is a 90 SE and it has a regular VIN number... but, I haven't look the registration data of that one to compare it... maybe I should...

 

Did you check on the dash near the windshield on the drivers side yet??
Should be a metal VIN plate there.

 

registration data should have it, that or on the inside of the driver side door by the door jam there should be a white sticker with a bar code saying the manufacturing date and the VIN

 

Try this link: http://nissanhelp.com/diy/common/nissan_vin.php

But, if it isn't a 17 digit VIN, the car is probably stolen with a washed title.

I'm surprised there isn't a Nissan Maxima Registry web site. There was one for Thunderbirds a few years ago where owners could voluntarily place details and VIN #s of the Thunderbirds they owned. I found my Thunderbirds sisters, cars built one VIN ahead of and behind mine there. They had both been totaled.

P.S. You will see on the web site I linked that HJ3 is not a valid VIN for a Nissan built anywhere.

P.S.S. I wouldn't waste much time worrying about it or ask too many more questions about it. Once stolen its always stolen. There is no way to make it legal.

 

He is not in the united states and only for sure were the maxima's in the united states and canada that had vins. But that i cant say forsure is the correct answer. If someone from like Brazil or Australia and New Zealand could varify if there maxima's have 17 digit vins.

 

go to site
http://japancars.ru/index.php?route=catalog/nissan
enter VIN and your car is there. if it isn't VIN is wrong.

 

Have you checked the tittle for the vin

 

he has he said.



"Actually the car was originally registered here in Costa Rica in 1992, so, I asume it was bougth brand new for the first owner. It's not impossible that it was imported by Nissan local dealer from Japan as a special request, because actually The Maxima never has been marketed here as a usual model for Costa Rica's Nissan Dealer... it's actually not offered even today in the Nissan's line up for new models.

The Registration of the car just shows the same "Chasis Number" that I mencioned before and the Motor Number... nothing else related to a VIN.

The plate on the firewall shows the same... I'll take a picture of it to share it later.

So... still no answer... "

 

Except that he also said "... I also have a spare parts car, a 90' SE and it has a normal VIN number..."

Older car, 17 digit VIN. He verified it for us.

Its not cost effective for a manufacturer to make, for the sake of this example, 7 different VIN plates\Number schemes for 7 different continents. Thats why the various manufacturers got together and standardized parts of the VINs.

The World Manufacturer Identifier, first three digits of the VIN, in his case HJ3, does not belong to ANY manufacturer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identification_number for a list of WMIs.

http://rotorhead.ca/articles/decoding-vins/

 

 

Its all good no need to hide. This is a place to learn.

After 23 years I'm sure the statute of limitations is up and he has nothing to worry about where he is. He may have trouble if he ever tries to export it though, that is, move to another country and try to take it with him .

Of course, what I have said about his car is only valid if he gave us correct information. He may have found the actual VIN and has just dropped the subject.

 

Hello guys,

Just to be clear:

the number that I mencioned before is correct. It's a Chasis number, it's not a VIN number.

I found that my car is not the only one whit that kind of situation, I was able to found another Maxima with out a VIN number, that one was also registered with a chasis number.

I'm starting to think that is something related with the fabrication of some Maximas... maybe with the country of origin...

It's clear that all Northamerica produced Maximas have a VIN Number... But there's another version that just has a Chasis number.

Something curious is that my car and the other Maxima that I found here with out a VIN number, have two reflectors on the rear bumper cover. I think US and Canada Maximas have not.

Well, maybe it's just a small clue to find out something else about the origin of my car... that, by the way, I think it's a Japanese Maxima.

Please don't give up on this, any information that you can share will be good for all of us.

 

It's very possible that your Maxima is Japan. A lot of older model cars manufactured for the JDM don't have VINs, just chassis numbers. Also their engines tend to be smaller than the ones intended for the North American market. If you can figure out your engines displacement you could compare it to a North American Maxima from the same year.

The glass is different too, but I'm not sure if there's a way to visually tell the difference between US and Canada glass and the rest of the world.

Is the car right hand drive by any chance?

 

yep probably just a Japanese chassis tag then. same as my JDM Toyota Crown, no VIN and just the chassis code with the production number. North America was that way until 1981, just the chassis code with production number like my 79 Canadian Supra. thats why CarFax only works on 1981+ vehicles, they had VIN numbers instead of chassis plates

 

Hello,

Actually I also think that the car probably is a Japan made Maxima... It's not a right hand drive... It has a VG30E engine.

 

Hmm ... I think the 92 JDM Max had the VE30.

Is the VG30E SOHC or DOHC?

 

No my friend... it's not a JDM, because the car is not right hand driver...

And the motor it has is a VG30E SOCH. There's not such a thing like a VG30E DOCH... The DOCH version for the Maxima is the VE30DE engine.

 

I think you misunderstood. I was asking whether or not the VG30E was single or dual. I'm not extremely familiar with the older Maximas.

I'm also pretty sure that in 1992 the JDM "Maxima" was called Cefiro.

Again, I'm not 100% sure of that, just curious as to the origins of your car.

 

Ok... I see... well, the VG30E is a Single Overhead Camshaft...

 

It could be from New Zealand or Australia maybe? I think Australia may have been using VINs but I don't think New Zealand was.

 

arent all 3rd gens made in japan before export,besides the new zeland models of course