Bulk numbers have me floored !!

[Guest]

Hello,

Firstly may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and all the best during 2019.

The Xmas Eve afternoon was spent in the garage [good a place as any !!!] working on some aspects of the Vitesse, in company of the very capable Clive. 

I happened to mention that whilst cleaning up the floor pans I noted a small reference plate, on the driver side pan, with a few numbers and letters thereon. It appears there is no doubt its meant to be there. Clive commented upon the fact that he has never seen any floor pan he has worked upon with a plate bearing numbers & letters. The reference on the plate is: 52955HCC.

Additionally on the driver side of the bulkhead just above the bonnet lock catch is a plate with the following closely related reference: 52938HCC.

I know that the plate on the bulkhead is the vehicle body number - 52938HCC, which is verified by the Heritage Certificate I have and I would expect to see the plate there.

The car has at some stage had new floor pans inserted and I am happy to accept the floor reference plate was there when the pans were welded in. Is it likely that when new floor pans were supplied by Triumph / British Leyland etc that they would of had a body reference number ?? Personally, I doubt that very much.

As such, I will be grateful to know if it was a common practice to place a body number reference plate on a floor pan or perhaps elsewhere on the body - other than the bulkhead.

One thought I have is that the plate on the floor (being out of sight) may have been an additional cross-reference for the vehicles identity should it ever have been stolen. However that said it will be of little use bearing in mind the body numbers are different in this instance. My Vitesse is quite a late model being built late June 1971.

Something of nothing really, but thought I'd flag it out of interest.

Many thanks.

Best wishes.

Richard.

 

 

[Pete Lewis]

Im sure  i remember a rear  body tub   number stamped on the overlap joint

It would be normal production control to number main body shell through the body in white process

 But there doesnt seem to be any on line records of which half went with what  only engine geabox diff and com numbers 

The one on the baulkhead and the hidden rear tub numbers seem to have  evaded  capture

Dave may have some better idea

Pete

 

[Colin Lindsay]

Isn't that a production-line reference number; same as the ones they used to stamp on the chassis front outrigger?

[dave.vitesse]

2 hours ago, Colin Lindsay said:

Isn't that a production-line reference number; same as the ones they used to stamp on the chassis front outrigger?

Yes.

[Guest]

Thanks Colin and Dave,

Taking the two numbers quoted, does / could that mean:

1- the floor pan is from a donor vehicle OR

2- the floor was new but from a different production run ??

Personally I doubt the latter, as one would expect the body number on the bulk head and floor to be the same ??

Dear oh dear, I really must get out more !!

Regards.

Richard.

[dave.vitesse]

Neither matched the comm-plate number.

I shouldn't be to concerned Richard as should match was the intention. But to keep the production line going anything went.

Dave

[Guest]

Hello Dave,

Many thanks for that and all makes sense.

Certainly new to me and thought it was worth pitching purely out of interest.

Best wishes.

Richard.