Air flow introduction

[Elanintheforest]

Just looking at Robinshaw / Ross book....and it gets more complicated!

At 5811 (30th June '66) - Airflow ventilation introduced on FHC with body quarter panel extractor grilles

At 6600 (23rd December '66) - Face level dashbord air vents introduced.

I hadn't realised that the Airflow was introduced in two phases!

A major issue to remember is that chassis numbers were not issued in any chronological order. For example, 5978 came out of the factory at the end of November '66, and 5979 at the beginning of August.'66. So it's probably more clear to determine the date from which a change was first made, and then accept that in all likelihood there would be many made after that date without the change!

Mark

[Mazzini]

I used to own chassis number 45/6217, a September '66 car, that was pre-airflow. Sorry don't know the body number.

[englishmaninwales]

My pre airflow S3 Coupe was registered 17/06/66 and its number is 36/5712. Not sure if that helps!
Malcolm

[billwill]

I'm 6725 with Airflow.

[trw99]

[quote="Mazzini"]I used to own chassis number 45/6217, a September '66 car, that was pre-airflow. Sorry don't know the body number.[/quote]

I think you have all around air flow if you have a 45!

Tim

[Mazzini]

I used to own chassis number 45/6217, a September '66 car, that was pre-airflow. Sorry don't know the body number.

I think you have all around air flow if you have a 45!

Tim

Haha! You are quite right, but I now have 45/6926 from April '67 and that has air vents next to the dash

[Coupe]

36/5358 Left the factory 15 th Feb 1966 - pre airflow
Ben

[dgym]

I think this thread is losing the focus that Andy had intended; body numbers and the change to airflow.
It's very apparent that chassis numbers don't really tell us much because as has been shown on this forum, there are owners with later chassis numbers with no airflow than those WITH airflow.

i wish i could find my bloody body number cause this really interests me and I want to help!

[trw99]

I'm beginning to get a lot less wedded to the Unit number. It's the dates that actually seem to count for more.

Not unnaturally we tend to think in numerical order and thus there is an expectation that the cars were built in numerical order. They were not. I am making some progress to what I suspect will be interesting discoveries about changes and series introductions based around looking at production weeks, as defined by the dates we have access to.

My hope is that we shall in future be able to pin down an accurate date that a change was made, rather than as at the moment relying on the Unit number, which is I now suspect a much blunter instrument, as it were!

Tim

[Craven]

Hi,
My car BODY No 6334, left factory 11th Jan 1967. Airflow.
Cheshunt Plate but where was it made??
Cheers Ron.

[simonknee]

My S3 airflow has the little "panel" imprint next to the solenoid but no numbers. Where numbers are present are they embossed or indents?

[dodo_z]

S3 FHC, body number 1467 -> pre airflow!

I'm sorry, the car is undergoing a full restoration, so I havn't the unit number present.

dietmar

[trw99]

[quote="Craven"]Hi,
My car BODY No 6334, left factory 11th Jan 1967. Airflow.
Cheshunt Plate but where was it made??
Cheers Ron.[/quote]

In the early part of 1966, before the factory was complete, lamination of body shells was carried out in some refurbished RAF huts at Hethel. They were then transported back to Cheshunt for finishing and painting. This was done to help with increased volume, a major reason of course for the move to Hethel.

The move itself from Cheshunt to Hethel by the factory and office took place over the course of one remarkable weekend in November 1966, production re-starting on the new line the very next Monday.

It is known that some cars that left the production line in those early Hethel days still carried a Cheshunt VIN plate. It would be nice to think that these were only applied to those bodies that had been laminated actually at Cheshunt during the transition phase, but I'd be inclined to think no such neatness was applied at the time!

So Ron, I would work on the supposition that your car was made at Hethel, given the date you posted.

Tim

[Elanintheforest]

Many early Plus2 cars had the Cheshunt plate. As production started for these in September 1967, I think that the most likely explanation is that they over-ordered on the Cheshunt plates!
Mark

[billwill]

Mine has a Cheshunt plate. 1967 36/6725 S3 Coupe.
It has Airflow, as mentioned above earlier.