In a message dated 8/4/00 7:33:52 AM Central Daylight Time,
rodbean@earthlink.net writes:
<< Wait a minute here. A chassis and a frame are generally considered the
same
thing. A *rolling* chassis is the chassis (frame) with everything there
except the drivetrain (the engine and transmission). It the case of Sevens,
there is no separate body (unless you want to consider the hood (bonnet) and
fenders (wings) the sum total of the "body") so I'd say the body, chassis and
frame are all the same thing.
You're talking about a stamped frame number (put on there when it was a bare
chassis... or frame) conflicting (or not) with a chassis *plate* number
perhaps referring to the whole car. Very confusing.
>>
It is not really that confusing if you consider what was happening at Lotus
from 1957-1965. The company was wildly successful, but has no way of
building cars in-house to meet the demand for Sevens, sports-racers and
formula cars. They contracted with outside suppliers to deliver various
components, including engines and frames. A frame maker like Arch Motors
would make a batch of frames, add their serial numbers for control and
accounting purposes and deliver the frames to Lotus. There are many
contemporary shots of the Lotus factory with frames stacked everywhere.
Lotus would, as time and demand dictated, add the engine, suspension and
other components to make a complete car. At that point they would add their
own chassis plate, which had no relationship to the frame makers' numbering
system. Unlike the frame number which was either stamped into the frame or
welded on, the Lotus chassis plate was riveted to the car, meaning it became
an easily removable souvenir.
Sometimes Lotus kept good records and if the build sheets for a series
survive, a car without a chassis plate can be identified by the frame number
given by the company who made the frame.
Probably 75% of the race cars do not have original chassis plates, but can be
identified through the frame number. For road cars, including the Seven, if
there is no chassis plate I would be asking a lot of questions before I
bought a "Lotus" Seven. It might be a Caterham or a backyard knockoff.
David Whiteside
Owner of Loti with and without chassis plates
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