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Different Door Handles?
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 8:59 pm
by Julesmat50
I've just had a curious experience. Tried to buy a new OSR outer door handle on Ebay, in my cars colour and the seller refused to send it to me and cancelled my purchase (refunding the money) on the grounds that the VIN number of my car didn't match his sequence, so he didn't think it was the correct part. Whilst I welcome his due dilligence in ensuring that the part was correct before sending it out, surely he is mistaken.
The part number he gave for the handle (CXB10112COF) shows up on Rimmer Brothers page for Rover 200/400 to 95 Rear Door Handles and Latches, complete with the correct paint code and no mention of any VIN range.
Mine is a car registered near the end of production - 95M, but seems to have an early (starts 10****) VIN number compared to the one he had listed (605482 on, clearly much later)
Were the rear door handles changed during production or is it that the VIN ranges are different depending on the model (4/5 Door, Coupe,Tourer)/engine combination (1.4,1.6.1.8,2.0)?
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 9:37 pm
by 220 GSi turbo
For some reason best known to Rover, the VIN number sequence reset for 1994.5 model year (when airbags etc became standard on most of the range).
So cars manufactured up to spring 1994 had VINs up to approx. 870,000 and then it all started again from approx. 001,000. At the same time, the 10th character of the VIN changed from A to B (denoting a new model year or series).
They did it all again a couple of years later, jumping from approx. 250,000 to 900,000: I believe this coincided with the end of saloon + hatch production and the continuation of Coupe, Cabriolet and Tourer with the later (R3) dashboard and other revisions.
Clearly, this seller has seen that your VIN is numerically lower than the one on his parts list but he is unaware of the bigger picture.
The magic '605482' marks the change to 1993 model year when the elongated front indicator lamps were introduced.
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 10:22 pm
by Julesmat50
220 GSi turbo wrote:For some reason best known to Rover, the VIN number sequence reset for 1994.5 model year (when airbags etc became standard on most of the range).
So cars manufactured up to spring 1994 had VINs up to approx. 870,000 and then it all started again from approx. 001,000. At the same time, the 10th character of the VIN changed from A to B (denoting a new model year or series).
That explains a lot, thank you. My car has a B as the 10th letter of the VIN, plus it also has SRS and a drivers airbag. Now to convince the seller that that part WILL fit my car, honest!
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2017 11:35 pm
by crepello
This from an old Legacy EPC:
Code: Select all
HANDLE-EXTERIOR-REAR-PAINTED
CXB 10062 HNR Stone Grey-RH 1
CXB 10062 SMG Oyster Beige-RH 1
CXB 10062 JPW Atlantic Blue-RH 1 (V)200104 TO 471118
CXB 10062 COG Pearlescent Cherry Red-RH 1
CXB 10062 BMF Lynx Bronze-RH 1
CXB 10062 HNA British Racing Green-RH 1
CXB 10062 JPD Henley Blue-RH 1
CXB 10062 JNW Azure Blue-RH 1
CXB 10062 LMZ Steel Grey-RH 1 (V)200104 TO 498942
CXB 10062 NND White Diamond-RH 1
CXB 10062 COF Flame Red-RH 1
CXB 10062 PMF Black-RH 1
CXB 10062 MMW Pulsar Silver-RH 1
CXB 10062 JQW Midnight Blue-RH 1
CXB 10062 JQV Nordic Blue-RH 1
CXB 10062 KMD Amethyst-RH 1 (V)471119 TO 498942
CXB 10062 COQ Nightfire-RH 1
CXB 10062 UME Caribbean Blue-RH 1
CXB 10112 JPD Henley Blue-RH 1
CXB 10112 JNW Azure Blue-RH 1
CXB 10112 HNA British Racing Green-RH 1
CXB 10112 LMZ Steel Grey-RH 1
CXB 10112 NND White Diamond-RH 1
CXB 10112 COF Flame Red-RH 1
CXB 10112 PMF Black-RH 1 (V)498943 ON
CXB 10112 MMW Pulsar Silver-RH 1
CXB 10112 JQW Midnight Blue-RH 1
CXB 10112 JQV Nordic Blue-RH 1
CXB 10112 KMD Amethyst-RH 1
CXB 10112 COQ Nightfire-RH 1
CXB 10112 UME Caribbean Blue-RH 1
Can't pretend to understand why they needed to be so pedantic, unless there really was a mechanical mod to the part after VIN 498942. The colour range is the same either side of this change point.
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 11:30 pm
by Julesmat50
Clearly this seller is not interested in selling his part to me.
Despite contacting him twice, explaining that yes the part will fit my car, despite the discrepancy on the VIN number AND that I am willing to accept the loss if it doesn't fit (which it will as it's the the correct part) and even posting part of 220GSi turbo's post about the changes in VIN number, he's not even bothered replying and has re-listed the part. Sometimes you just can't win!
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:00 am
by RoverRevival
neg feedback him then
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:13 pm
by Johnny 216GSi
And don't forget in '93 alarms arrived - I now the front handles are different in that respect, and I'm not sure if a later front handle can be fitted to an earlier car. Earlier front handles on to later cars are not possible because of the lack of burglar alarm compatibility I believe.
On the rears - did the handle change? Do they also have the rocking armature to prevent the handle being forced, and are they therefore different in operation to the earlier handles?
Re: Different Door Handles?
Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 9:05 pm
by 220 GSi turbo
If you really want that handle, just ask somebody else to buy it for you: we can soon find a suitable VIN number to fool him with
Then again, you may have decided by now that you don't want to give him your business
