Proving it's a small wedge world...

[wedg1e]

... Silverback and I discovered that our cars have consecutive chassis numbers!

His is the younger of the two and of course BBWF could have been the first time they ever met, since how many 390SEs would have been in build at any one time?

[silverback mike]

Tis a small world indeed wedg1e. Nice to catch up with you, next time hopefully we won't have to dash off.

[TVR-NUT]

Blimey - that was a strange and interesting find.

[l33]

With the Vin / chassis numbers, obviously they mean something...

Do they all start "SA9"?
The "DH" that comes next I presume is for drophead,
The "35" that comes next presumably is for engine size (Mine was 3.5 litre)...
Then the 5 numbers at the end 195** - Is this TVR build number?
Are the other numbers / letters for options added (Power steering, aircon etc)?

Maybe I'm wrong, but what does it all mean?

Can Tall bloke shed any light on the subject following Wedister entries?

[tallbloke]

l33 said:

With the Vin / chassis numbers, obviously they mean something...

Do they all start "SA9"?
The "DH" that comes next I presume is for drophead,
The "35" that comes next presumably is for engine size (Mine was 3.5 litre)...
Then the 5 numbers at the end 195** - Is this TVR build number?
Are the other numbers / letters for options added (Power steering, aircon etc)?

Maybe I'm wrong, but what does it all mean?

Can Tall bloke shed any light on the subject following Wedister entries?

Early numbers are much shorter. Just DH55**
The guy who knows far more than me about this will be along to explain shortly. I wish I could remember his name, but he's the TVR historian.

[dixiebabes]

David sales is the archiveist i think. Wedg1e explained my chassis number to me, mine is DH 5617 RI. DH(drop head) 5617 cnat remember what the 5 was but the 617 is the number of the car in production 1-whatever making mine 617 and the RI means Rover injection.

Cheers for thaat IAN (wedg1e)

Regards Jeff

p.s have any of you lads got 616 or 618 that would make the world even smaller eh LOL

Edited by dixiebabes on Tuesday 18th July 18:05

Edited by dixiebabes on Tuesday 18th July 18:06

[chassis 33]

Mines FH5033FI Which I've always taken to be
FC - Fixed Head
5 - Fifth Generation of TVR specific chassis (i tihnk thats right, anyone care to say yay or nay? Grantura & Griffith, Tuscan, Vixen, M, Wedge???)
033 - Chassis #33
FI - Fuel Injection, it could also be Ford Injection I guess, but why make the distinction between Ford and anyone else seeing as the RV8 was a Peter Wheeler thing and the Series 1 FHC Wedges were pre-Wheeler.

Regards
Iain

[wedg1e]

chassis 33 said:

Mines FH5033FI Which I've always taken to be
FC - Fixed Head
5 - Fifth Generation of TVR specific chassis (i tihnk thats right, anyone care to say yay or nay? Grantura & Griffith, Tuscan, Vixen, M, Wedge???)
033 - Chassis #33
FI - Fuel Injection, it could also be Ford Injection I guess, but why make the distinction between Ford and anyone else seeing as the RV8 was a Peter Wheeler thing and the Series 1 FHC Wedges were pre-Wheeler.

Regards
Iain

Aye that's about it: FI was for Fuel Injection even though as far as I know there was never any plan to use carbs.
When the V8 came along they switched to RI and then everyone assumes FI is Ford as you say.

[wedg1e]

l33 said:

With the Vin / chassis numbers, obviously they mean something...

Do they all start "SA9"?
The "DH" that comes next I presume is for drophead,
The "35" that comes next presumably is for engine size (Mine was 3.5 litre)...
Then the 5 numbers at the end 195** - Is this TVR build number?
Are the other numbers / letters for options added (Power steering, aircon etc)?

Maybe I'm wrong, but what does it all mean?

Can Tall bloke shed any light on the subject following Wedister entries?

SA9 was an international code that denoted TVR as the maker.

DH is drophead (FH for fixed head of course)

35 for 3.5 - although the 390SE is the same as it was easier for TVR to do that than have it type-approved as a separate model. Remember that the initial idea was that the customer bought a 3.5 and then paid for the modifications...

Mine has P3HB next, I forget exactly but it's something to do with model year and IIRC model specifics such as 2+2 etc (though I may be wrong on that bit )

...and the last numbers are the production number.

So yes, pretty much as you said

Robson's book on TVR spells it out in full but my copy has been out on loan for two years, hasn't it Steven

[chassis 33]

Well if you must have these new fangled 17digit chassis numbers

Regards
Iain

[s.hogan3]

SDLDSN4P1MH011--- Work this out then ?

[tallbloke]

s.hogan3 said:

SDLDSN4P1MH011--- Work this out then ?

Errrrr, Is that on the original TVR chassis plate on the nearside wheelarch?

[wedg1e]

How many of you know that the chassis number is also stamped into the right-hand suspension tower? You probably won't be able to see it for rust, mind...

[s.hogan3]

yes its for my 400se

[tallbloke]

s.hogan3 said:

yes its for my 400se

Interesting. Where was it originally registered?

[rev-erend]

Has anyone every told you lot :

You should get out more

[leorest]

rev-erend said:

Has anyone every told you lot :

You should get out more

Just been (let) out thanks.
I've used up my quota of fun this year so now I must live like a hermit till the next BBWF.

[tallbloke]

rev-erend said:

Has anyone every told you lot :

You should get out more

I'd love to.