Project: Chevy Van G30

having fun with the authorities

Higher prices than expected, problems with the postal service and the lengthy clarifying of requirements and procuring of documents are delaying the progress.

the hunt for the lost engine indicator

On the last registration attempt (14.08.2007) authorities complained that the engraved engine indicator on the cylinder block is wrong. Instead of a R it should be a Y.

Where to start with such a problem? Right: Google.

After surfing on many different Chevrolet sites I stumbled upon 2 forums:

The 73-87chevytrucks-Forum is located in the USA, the Vanforum in Germany. Despite the very experienced forum participants nobody could help. All other numbers and codes around the engine block indeed suggest the correctness of everything, but no one did knew anything about the engine indication at all.


So i tried the official way: at the general importer, GM Switzerland:

  1. Phone with GM Suisse SA in Glattbrugg, Zurich. They couldn't  give me any information but a phone number in the Netherlands:
  2. Namely the "Cadillac Corvette HUMMER Europe Homologation Desk" in Alphen A/D RIJN in the Netherlands. After a view phone calls and emails I've got an email with some numbers and listings, very nice formatted and collected, but unfortunately with data I already knew and absolutely not helped in any way... and the best thing: they absolutely didn't mentioned the engine indication code. They just didn't knew it, it didn't exist in their eyes. I wrote back and told them all this. Then they gave me another phone number:
  3. Adam Opel GmbH in Rüsselsheim, Germany. I thought "great", GM is Opel, and Opel is based in Rüsselsheim. So this should be good, right? Wrong. The people from Rüsselsheim sent me a really really, much more nice official document (manufacturer certification), but the only thing it certificates is, that it should be a Y and they don't know anything about an R. Well, thanks folks, that's exactly why I'm calling half Europe! So back to start:
  4. Called the Hotline of the "Vehicle License Office" in Schafisheim, Aargau (CHF 3.-/Min). This time I could speak to a really very competent person. He told me, that as soon as I get connected to foreign countries I should hang up, it's a waste of time as they just don't know nothing at all... and Rüsselsheim is THE dead end par excellence. I really must try to get in contact with a person that worked at the former GM-Importer in Biel, Switzerland. They could know something about the old cars, and ONLY they. Fortunately, he could remember a name and gave me a contact at the:
  5. DTC, Dynamic Test Center in Biel. Which was very funny indeed, because at the same time I had business with them about the registration of the track width. The man I got the contact of was really there (hooray), but he couldn't access the old Chevrolet archives anymore. But guess what: he gave me another contact:
  6. Homologation Consulting Matter GmbH, a consulting company specialised for type testing. Mr Matter did a short recherche and came to the point that an R really doesn't exist! At least not for that engine serie nor the year. Very likely it was wrongly taken by the importer. I got another extremly official document in the name of the importer that said: Wrong letter engraved by importer, suggestion: replace it in a garage. Wow, progress finally! Now ask the authorities again to be sure:
  7. "Vehicle License Office" in Schafisheim: Hey guys, is that ok with the fixing of the wrong letters? Yes it is, it just needs to be visible that the correction was done, for later. So we striked through the R with a few XXX

That is the story about the engine indication. It is really funny, because the van was used by the Zurich Police for over 20 years! The cops didn't give a S**T about wrong numbers in their cars, even the years after when the van was registred by a garage located in Zurich: no one was interested in the wrong letter! But back in Aargau where I live: hoopla!