Chassie numbers

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Daren
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:07 am

Chassie numbers

Post by Daren » Wed Sep 29, 2021 1:14 am

Can any one explane to me what the difference is between.

Chassis number.
And
Car number .

Thanks

peter_christie
Posts: 524
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:46 pm
Location: Newton Mearns, Glasgow

Re: Chassie numbers

Post by peter_christie » Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:36 am

Hi Daren,
Particularly, in reference to 'our' cars, conventionally built, mostly before the second world war, the assembly of a motor car was commenced by laying down a bare Chassis or frame at the start of an Assembly Line.
in Austin practice, the Frame Number was stamped on the nearside leg of the chassis before it was painted. during the course of assembly a more easily identifiable plate was riveted either on the bulkhead (also known as the scuttle or dash), sometimes on the near (Left) side and sometimes on the face at the left hand side; or on the off (Right) side leg of the chassis behind the Steering Box.
The Chassis Number is a Serial Number preceded by a Letter which signifies the Model Range [A is for Sevens, E is for Sixteens & Eighteens, F is for Light Sixes, G is for Tens, H is for Twelves] and there are other codes for Twenties and Twenty Eights. I have a New Ascot and my Chassis Number is H38692; my Car Number is H/R38692 and my Engine Number is 1H38564. The Car Number is Usually the same as the Chassis Number but with an additional identifier showing the Series of the Model Range. The Engine Number, similarly the 'H' shows the fact it's a Twelve engine and the '1' is a factory designation in case of variants of that engine range.
Sounds complicated, but I'm sure that the system was designed so that the identification of spare parts was made easier to ensure that the correct parts were supplied for each range and model made in the factory.
Hope this answers your query.
Peter C. [6515]

Daren
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:07 am

Re: Chassie numbers

Post by Daren » Wed Sep 29, 2021 11:49 am

Hi that is very interesting.
What does the H stand for ?

Do you have to take the steering box off to see number ?
Which side of box ? As if you are looking from the wheel .

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peter_winney
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Location: BATH

Re: Chassie numbers

Post by peter_winney » Wed Sep 29, 2021 3:39 pm

Daren

On the Lt12 an H prefix appears on chassis fitted with 4 cylinder engines and an F prefix on those fitted with 6 cylinder engines. From 1934 when 2 sizes of 12/6 engine were offered there was also a suffix /13 or /15 after the chassis No. Engine Nos were close to the chassis No, usually higher than the chassis No. but but not always, and prefixed IH or IF for 4 or 6 cyl Lt12

For a 10 the chassis No. prefix is G and the engine No prefix 1G (though 1G can also appear as a part No cast into the block - the engine No is stamped into the block).

Prior to August 1936 the "Car Nos" (Body Nos) and Chassis Nos did not align but from the introduction of the new programme models - New Ascot for the Lt 12/4, Goodwood for the Lt 12/6 ("Fourteen" although with the 15.9hp engine only) , and Cambridge 10 hp - the numbers aligned but the car No had a different prefix from the chassis - e.g. Peter C's with Chassis No. H 38692 and Car No. H/R 38692.

It is not unusual for the old buff logbook and modern V5 to show the wrong numbers!

Peter W

Photo shows stamped chassis No. on a Cambridge

chassis-no-web.jpg
chassis-no-web.jpg (102.08 KiB) Viewed 10986 times
Member since July 1972
Never too old to learn something new

Daren
Posts: 36
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:07 am

Re: Chassie numbers

Post by Daren » Wed Sep 29, 2021 6:09 pm

Thank you very interesting

MackGerad
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2023 1:30 am

Re: Chassie numbers

Post by MackGerad » Sun Jan 08, 2023 2:28 pm

Daren wrote:
> Can any one explane to me what the difference is between.
>
> Chassis number.
> And
> Car number .
>
> Thanks

Do you still need help with car details? If yes, you can easily do this by using a simple VIN Decoder app. Just go and search on Google for more information. All the best!

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peter_winney
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Location: BATH

Re: Chassie numbers

Post by peter_winney » Sun Jan 08, 2023 7:03 pm

MackGerad wrote:
Sun Jan 08, 2023 2:28 pm

Do you still need help with car details? If yes, you can easily do this by using a simple VIN Decoder app. Just go and search on Google for more information. All the best!
Might work for modern stuff but not for old Austins. The VIN at DVLA can be either the chassis # or the car (body) #
Member since July 1972
Never too old to learn something new

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