VINs, Engine Numbers etc...

[daverubberduck]

I know this has been talked about quite a bit on this forum, but I wanted to add my story and ask a couple of questions. When I bought my late '68 car the original VIN plate was lost and there were 2 errors on the V5. The VIN number had the wrong prefix, it was 36 instead of 50. And the engine number was 595389, which is total nonsense. Fortunately the 4 digit number was correct and I have had the car authenticated by Andy Graham, the Lotus archivist.

The errors on the V5 go back to day one, so it was mis-registered right at the start. I was wondering how this could happen, so I have been searching for examples of early +2 VIN plates. I couldn't find any on line but I have found a photo of the VIN plate of a late '67 car. The first point of interest about this plate is that it is a Cheshunt plate. Lotus moved from Cheshunt to Hethel in 1966. Did they continue to use up stock of Cheshunt VIN plates? The second interesting thing is that the only information added to the plate was the 4 digit VIN number which was (badly) scratched onto the plate. There was no type number and no engine number. No colour code either. I know that in those days body and engine were sold separately, so maybe that's why there was no engine number.

Does anybody out there have an early +2 (pre-S, 1967-69) with an original VIN plate? If so, is it a Cheshunt plate? And what information is on there? If it is typical for those early cars to have only the 4 digit VIN number on the plate then I can understand how the first dealer who sold the car might have registered the car wrongly. A main Lotus dealer would have known about type numbers and engine numbers, but a dealer not so well acquainted with Lotus may have mistakenly put down type 36 (FH coupe) and read the wrong number off the engine (the correct number is not easy to find).
Dave

[Elanintheforest]

Dave, I've had three early Plus 2 cars (all 1967), and they all had Cheshunt plates.I think you're right that they were just using them up.

Two of mine had 50/nnnn (where nnnn is the chassis number) and one just had nnnn. None of them had the engine number, and there isn't a place on the plate for colour code.

It's quite easy to imagine that the supplying dealer just wrote 36/nnnn on the application for a log book, especially if the one he'd just done was for an Elan Coupe. It was my job to fill in these forms when I worked in school holidays for a main dealer cleaning cars, and I don't think that I took the care I should have doing the job!

Mark

[daverubberduck]

Thanks Mark for your post. That's fascinating and very helpful. I guess Lotus were not very organised in those days. My car was first invoiced to Sports Motors of Manchester. I don't think they exist any more. Anyway, whether or not my car had the Cheshunt plate, I'm guessing that it only had the 4 digit number on it. We will never know. I'm just pleased that Andy Graham is there to sort these things out. I found him very helpful.

Thanks again for your input
Dave

[Lotus 50]

My plate looks the same 50/887

The car is registered as a 69 but I suspect it's a 68. Perhaps Lotus could tell me.

[daverubberduck]

Mine was registered Jan 69 and it is over 300 cars later than yours so yes, I would say that your car was certainly manufactured in 68. I wonder when they changed over to the new vin plate? You could contact Andy Graham to find out about your car. His contact details can be found at:
http://www.lotuscars.com/gb/ownership/c ... provenance
Dave

[Spyder fan]

Further to the dealers not entering the correct vin numbers, the DVLA also made a whole load of mistakes when the old logbooks were withdrawn and the first v5's issued.
My chassis/frame number was transposed with the engine number on my S4 and the vin number was shortened. Nobody noticed until 2010 as the car had only one owner until then and it had been sitting in a garage since the early 1980's waiting for me to ruin/rescue it into its current form. A letter from Andy Graham sorted the DVLA out.

My +2 is registered simply as an ?lan, no mention of +2S

[trw99]

[quote="Lotus 50"]My plate looks the same 50/887

The car is registered as a 69 but I suspect it's a 68. Perhaps Lotus could tell me.[/quote]

From my records your car came off the production line in March/April 1968

Tim

[Lotus 50]

How did model years work in the 60's? Now in the US, an OEM can sell a car as a 2015 on Jan 1 2014. I assume its really a 68

[spridget]

Hi
Mine (50/302) also has a Cheshunt plate, Delivery on 1968 february 22th and probably built in 1967

Franck

[JJDraper]

Looks like they ran out of the Cheshunt plates by March 1968. Looking closely at the engraving of the numbers, I believe I can see a resemblance in the 'handwriting' used b y the engraver - especially the 5's and 3's.

Also note that paint code is now included, but mine looks unclear..

Jeremy

[JJDraper]

Just noticed the scratching out of the recommended lubes for the diff on Franck's plate and the change in lube recommendations on mine. Did someone at Lotus have a change of mind about diff lubrication??

Jeremy

[spridget]

Jeremy,
Our cars are sisters !
No idea about lube recommendations' changes

Franck

[types26/36]

Just noticed the scratching out of the recommended lubes for the diff on Franck's plate and the change in lube recommendations on mine. Did someone at Lotus have a change of mind about diff lubrication??
Jeremy

Although not a plus two the vin plate has been scratched on the Diff oil recommendation, some one at Lotus must have had second thoughts about the oil

[rgh0]

It appears at some point in 1967 while still using up the old Cheshunt plates Lotus changed it differential oil recommendations to more specialised Hypoid gear oils which you see on the later Norwich plates. During the change over period the guy with the blunt nail putting on the chassis numbers was told to scratch out the old diff oil recommendation

None of these recommendations are relevant today except the viscosity component !!

cheers
Rohan

[JJDraper]

Interesting that 10/40 is recommended for the engine, if BP is used... I use 10/40 in winter and something a little heavier in summer - Millers 20/60 for Euro heat..

Franck, our cars must have shared a shed! Mine left the factory in late March 1968.

Jeremy