Rich, Your not going to like this but, My 1958 bug-i sprite was stolen in
1974 in California, ID plate AN5L 5206 and body stamp 5180, the car was
painted the original yellow. I have fowarded a copy of this e-mail to the
Daily City Police who took the original report and they should be in contact
with you soon.
Crash
>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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