how to tell if a MK3 has the origional radiator support?

[scottiedawg66]

hey there. How can I tell if a car has the original radiator support? What do the numbers mean on the support, I don't believe they match the vin but perhaps I am wrong. I do not think my current car does not have the original support.

Sorry for the silly question, I did search.

 

[585Soup]

mine does, but it's got rust on the drivers side... and you can tell it's been reshaped. but who ever did it, did a good job and the rust is a small spot where it looked like it was kinked. it's only surface rust at least

 

[Nick M]

I didn't realize this was an issue. Mine are OE.

 

[scottiedawg66]

do any of the numbers on your support correlate with your VIN in any way?

 

[atmperformance]

http://imgur.com/a/1M5gh

does it look like this?

 

[scottiedawg66]

I was referring to the top section. I usually see a letter followed by a few numbers, but the support on the car I have owned for 12 years has no such markings stamped on it. It was in a pretty substantial front end collision so I suspect that it is not the factory support.

I am looking to purchase a nice MK3 and I want to be sure that the radiator support is factory. I am hoping there is some correlation between the letter and number sequence on the upper radiator support and a vehicles VIN, but since my current car has no such markings I do not know how to verify.

 

[RHDSupra89]

What's wrong with having non original supports?

 

[#04]

I thought it had something to do with the original paint colour?

 

[scottiedawg66]

I dont want to restore a car that has been on a frame rack or been a substantial accident

 

[#04]

^the factory service manual will have a page of chassis measurements, that will allow you to verify if your chassis is straight.

A skilled auto-body worker will be able to tell if a car has been on a rack. There will always be tell tale signs, of repairs.

I can't blame you for wanted to start straight.

 

[gats]

Can confirm that the number stamped on mine has NO correlation to the VIN...

 

[debrucer]

Can confirm that the number stamped on mine has correlation to the VIN...

and I can confirm for mine that they do not have correlation to the VIN.

 

[gats]

and I can confirm for mine that they do not have correlation to the VIN.

likewise - critical typo in above post. Edited...

 

[scottiedawg66]

Thanks fellas. I wonder what the stamping there does represent?

 

[Jeff Lange]

From what I've seen, and I've seen a few things, those numbers seem to be for some sort of internal system and correlate to nothing specific on the car at all.

I don't believe replacement upper rad supports have any numbers on them, so if you have no numbers it's probably been replaced, but if someone used a used one off of another car and replaced it properly, you'd not be able to know really. Still, check the spot welds if you really want to.

Jeff

 

[TurboStreetCar]

Pretty sure mine has a VIN sticker on it. Its an early '89.

 

[scottiedawg66]

can anyone else confirm VIN tag on rad support?