Which number is which?

[Shealey]

I am heading to the DMV with photos and a form to get a title on our Bugeye. We saved this car from a fate worse than the crusher. It was wasting away in a barn as a home for mice for the last ten years. Unfortunately we did not get a title card from the PO. The PO did not have one as he saved the car from the salvage yard where it sat outside uncovered for ten years prior to his ownership. So this car has been off the books for at least 20 years.

I need to list the VIN # on the form for applying for a title. Which number do I list? There is a metal tag in the engien bay, there is one on the left door jamb and one on the right door jamb.

I assumed the engine bay tag is the VIN as it also has a plce to add an engine # but it say's "See Engine"

TIA

 

[GB1]

The Vin number should read something like

AN5L 17570

Patrick

Edit: The number in the door jamb, I believe is the body #.

FYI the vin is also punched into the sheet metal of the engine compartment by the wiring harness.

 

[drooartz]

The metal tag in the engine bay, below where the carbs go, is the VIN that you want. There are all sorts of other numbers around the car which look like a VIN, but aren't. Strange, really.

Patrick -- I've not seen the VIN punched into the body before. Where exactly is that done?

 

[GB1]

Drew:

It is where the loom runs into engine compartment on the passenger side, about 16 inches down from the fire wall.

It is obviously painted over, so difficult to see.

Patrick

 

[bugimike]

Have you found it Drew? I went out and looked, but could find nothing!!

 

[john_j]

FYI the vin is also punched into the sheet metal of the engine compartment by the wiring harness.

No, it isn't the VIN. No one is exactly sure what it is, but it's known as the Thompson number (as they built the bodies IIRC)

The full set of numbers is
- VIN plate on the triangular chassis leg
- Commission number on one A post
- Body number on the other A post
- Thompson number

The VIN and the Body number are the same sort of size eg mine was AN5 27054 and BAE 26712, I haven't got the other 2 nearby, but I think they are similar, which is confusing, as you might think you have parts of more than one car!

John

 

[GB1]

John

When refinishing my engine compartment, I sanded down the body around the "thompson number" pretty well and it looked to be the same number as the vin.

Maybe as you mentioned, the numbers are very close, I may have been mistaken. When the weather gets better here, I will check it again.

And I guess that maybe I should also check what is stamped on the dumb iron as well.

Thanks for all of your help.

Patrick

 

[JP_Furble]

John is correct, the Thompson number may be close to the VIN number (or the Car/Chassis number as BMIHT calls it) but it would be a rare coincidence if they matched. My car is chassis AN5L/44287, BAE/43663 on right side door pillar, AN5 43620 on left side door pillar, and 44227 Thompson number.

JPF

 

[kcbugeye1275]

I've just repainted everything on the car you can see and I'm sur everything is covered, but that is good because I'm easily confused.

 

[GB1]

Thanks, JPF and John for clearing that up.

 

[ncbugeye]

All Sprite bodies were built at the Cowley Body plant, which during Bugeye days was called Pressed Steel Fisher before it merged with BMC in 1965 to become BMH, later BLMC, later BL.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressed_Steel_Fisher