Engine number help...
Discussion
Right, my cerb has had a new engine fitted to it at some point. Whilst I dont have any documentation for this, its pretty obvious as its a 96 car, and the dip-stick is at the front. Low and behold, the chassis plate says that it should have engine 4200249, but the stamp on the block says 4200817.So, just for my interest more than anything else, can anyone help me work out how old the "new" engine is by comparing its engine number to the number on one of your cars. i.e. does someone out there have an engine number close to 817 that I can use to date my one?
I read somewhere that 1996 cerbs were made in total, so based on a roughly equal annual production, I guess tht no. 8xx should be about about '99?
Its a bit nerdy I know, but then I know I'm not the only car nerd here by a long shot!
Appreciated as always lads.
Hmmmm... I'm not sure. If the engines are grouped together, then 817 is probably later than '99. Anyone out there with engine 4500 001?
You can find the engine number on the block by standing at the front off side and peering down below the off-side intake plenum. You'll probably need a torch. Alternatively, the engine number is stamped on the identity plate which (on my car at least) sits next to the near side bonnet hinge.
You can find the engine number on the block by standing at the front off side and peering down below the off-side intake plenum. You'll probably need a torch. Alternatively, the engine number is stamped on the identity plate which (on my car at least) sits next to the near side bonnet hinge.
Edited by brogenville on Thursday 9th August 23:36
brogenville said:
Hmmmm... I'm not sure. If the engines are grouped together, then 817 is probably later than '99. Anyone out there with engine 4500 001?
You can find the engine number on the block by standing at the front off side and peering down below the off-side intake plenum. You'll probably need a torch. Alternatively, the engine number is stamped on the identity plate which (on my car at least) sits next to the near side bonnet hinge.
AFAIK all serial numbers begin 4200, 4.2 or 4.5, although on the block the 4.5's did (mainly/somtimes) have 'GT' added to the serial number as well. You can find the engine number on the block by standing at the front off side and peering down below the off-side intake plenum. You'll probably need a torch. Alternatively, the engine number is stamped on the identity plate which (on my car at least) sits next to the near side bonnet hinge.
Edited by brogenville on Thursday 9th August 23:36
Does this help.
OFFICIAL VIN No. CONFIGURATION CHART
NEW - The latest VIN number coding for late '97 on vehicles.
Position Typical Example Explanation
1 S Northern Europe
2 D Great Britain
3 L (with1&2) TVR Engineering
4 C Cerbera Body Variant
5 A First Variant
6 1 AJP engine Engine variant
7 1 Engine variant 2
8 A AJP Engine Base Engine
9 x Check digit
10 W Year Code See table below
11 B Always B
12 0 Always 0 Not Used
13 0 Always 0
14 1 Sequential build no. for year Thousands
15 2 Sequential build no. for year Hundreds
16 3 Sequential build no. for year Tens
17 4 Sequential build no. for year Units
SDL CA 11Ax WB00 1234 would be the 234rd 4.2 AJP Cerbera built in 1998.
SDL at the beginning of the chassis number is a TVR Unique ID
The next four characters are as follows:
4.2 AJP CERBERA -CAT = FAC2
4.5 AJP CERBERA GT-CAT = FAC5
4.2 AJP CERBERA -NON-CAT = FAN2
4.5 AJP CERBERA GT-NON-CAT = FAN5
The next is a P for Petrol engine
The next is 1-10 or an X, this is an internal check digit that can tell if the chassis number is a genuine one.
The tenth digit is the Year code V=97 T= 96 S=95 etc
The next (11th.) is a month in build code. A=Jan B=Feb etc. Except I
The 12th & 13th are just 0 & 1 not used for any purpose.
The last four digits are the sequential build number for the Year starting at 1000.
SDL FAC5 P x V L 01 1200 (example only) would be a 4.5litre AJP Petrol Engined Cerbera Built around November 1997, the 200th built in 1997.
See table below
SDL FAC2 P 1 to 10 or x T B 01 1234
Unique TVR identifier Vehicle Type Fuel - P=Petrol VIN Verification Digit Manufacturing Year & Month Nothing Particular Sequential Build No.
L 1990 P 1993 T 1996 X 1999 2 2002
M 1991 R 1994 V 1997 Y 2000 3 2003
N 1992 S 1995 W 1998 1 2001 4 2004
Bear in mind that there may be a considerable delay between the month the build started & the vehicle being registered, especially if the vehicle was a cancelled order or a dealer demo.
A JAN D APR G JUL K OCT
B FEB E MAY H AUG L NOV
C MAR F JUN J SEP M DEC
OFFICIAL VIN No. CONFIGURATION CHART
NEW - The latest VIN number coding for late '97 on vehicles.
Position Typical Example Explanation
1 S Northern Europe
2 D Great Britain
3 L (with1&2) TVR Engineering
4 C Cerbera Body Variant
5 A First Variant
6 1 AJP engine Engine variant
7 1 Engine variant 2
8 A AJP Engine Base Engine
9 x Check digit
10 W Year Code See table below
11 B Always B
12 0 Always 0 Not Used
13 0 Always 0
14 1 Sequential build no. for year Thousands
15 2 Sequential build no. for year Hundreds
16 3 Sequential build no. for year Tens
17 4 Sequential build no. for year Units
SDL CA 11Ax WB00 1234 would be the 234rd 4.2 AJP Cerbera built in 1998.
SDL at the beginning of the chassis number is a TVR Unique ID
The next four characters are as follows:
4.2 AJP CERBERA -CAT = FAC2
4.5 AJP CERBERA GT-CAT = FAC5
4.2 AJP CERBERA -NON-CAT = FAN2
4.5 AJP CERBERA GT-NON-CAT = FAN5
The next is a P for Petrol engine
The next is 1-10 or an X, this is an internal check digit that can tell if the chassis number is a genuine one.
The tenth digit is the Year code V=97 T= 96 S=95 etc
The next (11th.) is a month in build code. A=Jan B=Feb etc. Except I
The 12th & 13th are just 0 & 1 not used for any purpose.
The last four digits are the sequential build number for the Year starting at 1000.
SDL FAC5 P x V L 01 1200 (example only) would be a 4.5litre AJP Petrol Engined Cerbera Built around November 1997, the 200th built in 1997.
See table below
SDL FAC2 P 1 to 10 or x T B 01 1234
Unique TVR identifier Vehicle Type Fuel - P=Petrol VIN Verification Digit Manufacturing Year & Month Nothing Particular Sequential Build No.
L 1990 P 1993 T 1996 X 1999 2 2002
M 1991 R 1994 V 1997 Y 2000 3 2003
N 1992 S 1995 W 1998 1 2001 4 2004
Bear in mind that there may be a considerable delay between the month the build started & the vehicle being registered, especially if the vehicle was a cancelled order or a dealer demo.
A JAN D APR G JUL K OCT
B FEB E MAY H AUG L NOV
C MAR F JUN J SEP M DEC
jbvipercerb said:
My car is a 4.2 registered in January 1999, the engine number is 1062, this does'nt seem to help with your dates!
No, its all good info. I suspect that there must have been some overlap period where they were turning out cerbs with both types of block (ie dipstick at the front and at the back). Presumably the dip-stick at the front block came in when the 4.5 block started to get built in greater numbers?methodwares said:
nope, mine is a 2001 4.2 and the engine number starts with 4500
perhaps all pre 2001 start with 4200 and have a GT to designate the 4.5. Later on all engines were based on the 4.5 anyway so perhaps at that point 2001? they changed to 4500 serial numbers 
, good a guess as any.TBH all the blocks I have seen must be early (pre 1999 at least) and they all had 4200 block serial numbers and like mine the 4.5's had 'GT' as well.
Slightly OTT saw a Speed6 engine out last week and that had 'Tuscan S' stamped on it by the serial number, which proves there must be some real 'S' engines out there
Seems like a pretty good theory to me Harry. If its true, then I wonder if there was a major difference in the block casting/material/design in 2001 that would have caused them to swich to designating to 4500 by default. If there was a difference, then presumably early 4.5's will differ in some way to late 4.5's?
God knows, maybe the guy that stampted the engines got promoted/fired, and the new guy did things differently for no good reason. Sounds perfectly TVR-esk to me.
Does anyone actually have any technical details about what TVR changed on the cerbera during its production life?
God knows, maybe the guy that stampted the engines got promoted/fired, and the new guy did things differently for no good reason. Sounds perfectly TVR-esk to me.
Does anyone actually have any technical details about what TVR changed on the cerbera during its production life?
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