Welded TVR chassis number?

[V8Mad]

Hello folks, I'm looking at buying a 1993 Chimaera from a private seller. The chassis number (SDLDCC4PXPC011XXX) is stamped on a separate plate that has been welded to the chassis. Is this normal? I've never seen it on any other, merely cold stamped directly to the chassis... should I walk away?
Thanks

[shake n bake]

That's not as they left the factory I believe but doesn't mean you have to run to the hills either.
Has the car had a new chassis? Has it had a prang at the front? Does the chassis number match the v5 and hpi report?

[V8Mad]

As far as I'm aware the vehicle has an original chassis. The HPI and V5 also match...

[V8Mad]

What seems strange is that the date of registration is down as May '93, yet apparently the chassis would have been made in 1994? (If A corresponds to the year 1980 and the letter I is omitted...)

[wuckfitracing]

Is this on a front cross member near the radiator (from memory) if so mines the same in that its a plate welded onto the chassis, and its an early 93 430.

[V8Mad]

Hello,
It's on the right-hand side (when viewed from the front) of the second cross member, not like others I've seen that are stamped on the left hand side of the first cross member...

[Adrian@]

Early cars DID have plates welded on with the chassis number on.
Adrian@

[spend]

Adrian@ said:

Early cars DID have plates welded on with the chassis number on.
Adrian@

AIUI it's pre-serps with the swirl tank bolted on the heads/timing cover, they have a bolt in cross member that has the plate welded onto it.

When they updated to serpentine the swirl tank had to be re-located and the position chosen was where the plate was ~ so they started putting the chassis number on the (fixed) front cross member.

[Adrian@]

Customers bhing about having no chassis number ON their new car chassis (I know I complained at the time, that you could swap one tube and as such lose the car!).
Adrian@

[FlipFlopGriff]

Adrian@ said:

Early cars DID have plates welded on with the chassis number on.
Adrian@

Both our 1997 and my 1992 (chassis replaced in 2001 by the factory) both have welded plates. On the bottom cross member under the removable cross section.
I guess in typcal TVR fashion anything goes.
FFG

[Barreti]

Late 92 4.3 pre-cat here and my chassis number is on the removable cross member. Which I've always considered odd TBH

[V8Mad]

Adrian@ said:

Early cars DID have plates welded on with the chassis number on.
Adrian@

Hello Adrian. I don't suppose you'd be able to elaborate on why this was per chance? Seems to be a long winded way of numbering a chassis... why not just stamp straight onto the chassis?
Thanks

[V8 GRF]

V8Mad said:

Adrian@ said:

Early cars DID have plates welded on with the chassis number on.
Adrian@

Hello Adrian. I don't suppose you'd be able to elaborate on why this was per chance? Seems to be a long winded way of numbering a chassis... why not just stamp straight onto the chassis?
Thanks

I think the reason may well be because chassis were built for stock and as the Chimaera and Griffith used the same chassis it made sense not to pre assign either the build number or identifier.

I agree that stamping the chassis would be equally as easy, I'll ask some of the guys at Bristol Avenue and see if they can remember or even know.

[V8Mad]

V8 GRF said:

I think the reason may well be because chassis were built for stock and as the Chimaera and Griffith used the same chassis it made sense not to pre assign either the build number or identifier.

I agree that stamping the chassis would be equally as easy, I'll ask some of the guys at Bristol Avenue and see if they can remember or even know.

Thanks, I'd be interested to find out.

[citizen smith]

I had a 92 4.3 Griff, that had the welded on VIN Plate. As previously said, it would make good sense on an early production run to build up a stock of chassis, that would then free up Staff to be tasked to work elsewhere in the Build/Fabrication Unit.

Personally I consider that the welded on Vin Plate is nothing to worry about.

[V8 GRF]

I asked Trevor Cooper at S&D about this today.

I was correct that the chassis were batch made and thus it meant that a chassis could be built without needing identification.

Now the interesting bit, the plate was welded on as stamping the tube after construction would have caused the tube to collapse as the numbers were hammered in.

Apparently when the Chimaera was put through for the European certification VOSA then insisted that the chassis number HAD to be stamped into the tube so after that point another piece of metal was welded inside the tube to strengthen it and to allow the chassis number to be stamped on after.

So there we are.

[Pete Mac]

I don't know if this is much help as everybody has said different chassis production runs have different methods of locating chassi numbers, however this is where the chassis number and date plate are located on one of my 95 Serp Griff 500:



Pete

[V8 GRF]

So that will be a later chassis with the extra plate welded inside the top tube to allow the numbers to be stamped on when appropriate.

[V8Mad]

V8 GRF said:

I asked Trevor Cooper at S&D about this today.

I was correct that the chassis were batch made and thus it meant that a chassis could be built without needing identification.

Now the interesting bit, the plate was welded on as stamping the tube after construction would have caused the tube to collapse as the numbers were hammered in.

Apparently when the Chimaera was put through for the European certification VOSA then insisted that the chassis number HAD to be stamped into the tube so after that point another piece of metal was welded inside the tube to strengthen it and to allow the chassis number to be stamped on after.

So there we are.

Thanks for going to the trouble to find this out. A good piece of useful information.