B20 Inspection

[neil-yaj396]

Kevin Plowman is kindly inspecting a B20 for the club at Anglia Auctions next week.

Can any of our Aurelia experts advise the normal locations of the VIN plate, body stamping and engine number.

Thanks
Neil

[chriswgawne]

There is no VIN plate as such, just a chassis plate stamped B20*xxxx on the bulkhead in the engine bay by the bottom mounting of the bonnet support. The chassis number is stamped on the bulkhead next to this plate.
The engine number is stamped on the front rhs on the upper face of the block  - again B20*xxxx and if you are lucky and have the original cylinder heads, timing chain cover etc, the same number will be stamped on those.
The engine numbers never matched the chassis numbers when the cars were built.
Hope this helps.
Chris

[Sliding Pillar]

I'm sorry to be negative, but if you don't know where the identification numbers are on an Aurelia, how would you know if they are correct (ie not altered) when you found them.

[Kevinlincs]

There is no VIN plate as such, just a chassis plate stamped B20*xxxx on the bulkhead in the engine bay by the bottom mounting of the bonnet support. The chassis number is stamped on the bulkhead next to this plate.
The engine number is stamped on the front rhs on the upper face of the block  - again B20*xxxx and if you are lucky and have the original cylinder heads, timing chain cover etc, the same number will be stamped on those.
The engine numbers never matched the chassis numbers when the cars were built.
Hope this helps.
Chris

Thanks Chris, that's a great help. 

[Kevinlincs]

I'm sorry to be negative, but if you don't know where the identification numbers are on an Aurelia, how would you know if they are correct (ie not altered) when you found them.

A fair point, but the "inspection" I will be doing is merely (I believe) to confirm the chassis numbers on the car match the paperwork supplied by the Car Auction house so that DVLA are satisfied that what they are asking to be registered matches what the car actually is, rather than to go any way to check for originality or whatever. Guesing it's a fresh import or maybe one that's been in a barn for years that hasn't ever been on the digital records which started a long time after the cars were new.
Either way I'll find out next week!

[Sliding Pillar]

No disrespect to you Kevin, but it would probably be a good idea to take some photos of the numbers and show them either to myself or Chris just to check that they haven't been tampered with. The engine number as Chris says is on the RHS, this is when you are in the car, it will be on the LHS when you are standing in front of the car. Ade.

[chriswgawne]

I used to be asked to perform this task for the Club in the S of England for Aurelias and Flaminias from time to time by Barbara Longlands.
I always took photos to be on the safe side and I was surprised to find the occasional car whose numbers had been tampered with.
And once I came across a newly manufactured B24 Spider with a suspect chassis which had started life as a B10!!!
Not sure why I stopped being asked?
Chris

[Kevinlincs]

No disrespect to you Kevin, but it would probably be a good idea to take some photos of the numbers and show them either to myself or Chris just to check that they haven't been tampered with. The engine number as Chris says is on the RHS, this is when you are in the car, it will be on the LHS when you are standing in front of the car. Ade.

None taken!
I've worked on and restored enough cars over the last 40+ years in the garage trade to spot an obvious issue but there are some very convincing "alterations" out there for sure. Plenty of pictures will indded be taken, not just of the numbers as there are many clues to be found elsewhere if something doesn't feel right.
As I said, I've been asked to go as geographically Kings Lynn isn't a huge stretch for me to go to, but I'm more than happy to step aside if any other members with Aurelia knowledge want to help out Neil with his liasons with the car and DVLA.
If not I will travel this coming Wednesday evening and take the pictures and get the details over to Neil.

[Sliding Pillar]

I look forward to seeing some pictures of the car. 😀

[chriswgawne]

Me too!

[neil-yaj396]

No disrespect to you Kevin, but it would probably be a good idea to take some photos of the numbers and show them either to myself or Chris just to check that they haven't been tampered with. The engine number as Chris says is on the RHS, this is when you are in the car, it will be on the LHS when you are standing in front of the car. Ade.

Ade

As Kevin says there is no way the club can locate a model expert to undertake every inspection, in fact it's often hard to locate anyone to do this in an all volunteer club, especially for cars located outside the South of England. That's why the process, reviewed by a solicitor, is that the club is only stating what is seen by the inspector, and how we have come to a date of manufacture from that.

The inspector takes the photos then I decide if anything is awry from a a reference library that I have. If there is any doubt I would consult someone such as yourself or Chris for Aurelias, or Paul Baker for Deltas or Rally types.

There is then an extensive legal disclaimer on the certificate provided making it clear that we are just proffering an opinion to DVLA on the date of manufacture, nothing more.

If there are any model experts who are prepared to travel nationwide to undertake the inspections, I'd be more than happy to hear from them.

Neil