Troy, thank you for replying. If I can get CA DMV on phone and give them some $, maybe they can provide title or registration info that might show when VW VIN became a REPLICA vin..... regarding hydraulic lifters.. when attempting to set lash (and more importantly with friend’s help with A&P cert) we noticed that when pushing bottom of rocker to eliminate free play, we could get pushrod to move slightly in-out as if spring loaded or “squishy” ...this was the giveaway. I would not have figured it out alone. He’s seventy and adjusted lots of valves on all manner of VW’s and aircraft motors.