VIN number on Sylva Star

[RedStar]

Seasons greetings to all, a quick question with hopefully a quick answer.

My Star has a VIN number which is only 8 characters long.....is there a good reason for this? First registered in 1984 if that helps.

Hope this doesn't spell some form of disaster for me and my little one.

[MaRkStar]

Bit rusty on this
But if my grey matter serves me right, back in 'em days it simply had to be a unique number,
Know doubt someone more in the know will be along soon to say more.

The VIN on my Star for reference is a 9 digit number, crudely stamped onto a rough piece of steel and riveted onto the chassis.
It's the number that's been on the V5 since conversion in 1983.
The Vauxhall Viva VIN numbers were completely different, this was the VIN for mine as a Viva 9C11DEX138270 (pre-1983)
Which looks random, but in fact gives a lot of info, from factory, make, model, model spec, engine spec, year etc.
The VIN on my brothers Star which wasn't registered until 1994 and is on Q plate is again completely different.

Not a definite answer but something to go on I hope.

Mark

[Edd]

I wouldn't worry, my VIN no on Striker is 6 digits long, and on the V5, registered in 2001 and SVA'd.
Edd

[RedStar]

thanks Mark and Edd, (slight) panic over.

[micha]

typical VIn of an older sylva is

prefix:

S
SS
SL
SP

followed by the year of the kit e.g. 88

than a 3 digit number e.g. 011

SP90030

Sylva Phoenix from 1990, 30th kit built

[RedStar]

going by that method, my Star is number 14.

[micha]

could anybody confirm: if the prefix is a single S, that the chassis nu,mber is from a star?

S88xxxx would mean a star from 1988? no, i guess, as the star was built earlier....bit confused now.

[RedStar]

my VIN contains 'SS' which I took as Sylva Star.

[micha]

hmm....i have seen several strikers with SS.

as they all had a later reg.date (where the star was long gone), i thought SS stands for striker..

[MaRkStar]

Why don't you drop JP a line.
Very few manufacturers in the 80's were shipping the chassis out with VIN numbers, again JP could confirm when Sylva Autokits started to.
Generally it was up to the builder and the DVLA.
So your SS could well mean Sylva Star but rather than from JP it was simply what the initial builder could have made it up, logical choice.
Being first registered in '84 this is not the case for yours, but SS could equally mean Swindon Sportscars.
Anyway, whichever is the case if your chassis number is fine is on the V5c then that's all that matters.