"However, the fourth number, and the only number not held on by screws, is
the one stamped into the body on the top of the passenger footwell. On our
car, that number is 5180."
Not sure how reliable this number is. One of my Bugeye's has a number very
close to the VIN. The other car has the number "1"
Larry Miller
----- Original Message -----
From "Rich Hill" <richard.hill at sri.com>
To: "spridgets" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2000 8:47 AM
Subject: My '60 might be a '58!
> We were filling out the form for the Heritage certificate last night for
our
> Bugeye and found some interesting discrepancies on the numbers. There are
4
> numbers on the Bugeye body that should be close -- not the same, but at
> least close. Our VIN is AN5L31698 (January 1960) while the numbers on
both
> door posts (and the engine, actually) are in the 27400 range. I had
always
> assumed someone changed the VIN for some reason and our car was really
made
> in late '59 (corresponding to the 27400 range). However, the fourth
number,
> and the only number not held on by screws, is the one stamped into the
body
> on the top of the passenger footwell. On our car, that number is 5180.
> Horler says this was most likely stamped when the body shells were
produced
> and is close to the car number. 5180 and 31698 are obviously nowhere
close!
> 5180 would put the date of manufacture at around October '58. This does
> explain a few things about our car -- the apparent original primrose
yellow
> paint (discontinued early '59), the lack of the big rubber standoffs on
top
> of the inner fenders (added around car number 6000), and the long door
> handles. Turns out the door post numbers (and the VIN of course) are held
> on by screws and one of them (the right door post) has one phillips and
one
> flathead -- someone's been playing with numbers!
>
> I don't think any serious (i.e., front clip) bodywork has been done on
this
> car. I've looked but haven't found any evidence.
>
> So, is there a definite way of determining if the body is a '58?
>
> How close should the number stamped into the body be to the VIN?
>
> Horler mentions a tooling hole in the rear crossmember added at about car
> 6000 -- what am I looking for there?
>
> The change from 9 stud windshield to 2 was around car 5500 (more or less).
> Ours has two studs, but any bolt on pieces could have been changed (hey,
> someone changed the numbers!).
>
> Unfortunately, it looks like most of the early changes (box section behind
> the seats, etc.) were worked out before car # 5000 so those won't help.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rich Hill
> '58 AH Sprite (we think -- it was a '60 until yesterday)
> '79 MG Midget (completely sure of that!)
>
> p.s. if it is a '58 now we have one from the first and last year of
> Sprite/Midget production
>
>
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