In my discussions, "Frame" refers to the tube frame
built by the outside supplier to Lotus. Its number is
stamped into the tube itself, or a 1 x 1.5 inch plate
welded to a tube in various places depending on
vintage) and supposedly has no bearing on what number
Lotus assigned to the car.
"CHASSIS, Body, or VIN" Number appears stamped or
scribed into a 3 x 4 inch plate which was rivetted in
the engine compartment under the master cyliders by
Lotus and is their designation for the car.
The seller of the car tells me that these two numbers
should match, but everyone else I've heard from says
they shouldn't!
My concern is that the car I'm looking at seems to
have matching numbers, which suggests that some
previous owner looked at the FRAME number, and the
produced a CHASSIS plate to match it, thinking that
was the proper number to use!
If anyone can explain this more correctly, please do
as I haven't decided yet what the car is worth based
on its dubious numbers...
John Donohoe
(considering purchase of '62 Seven S2 #SB1135, frame
#135?)
--- RB <rodbean@earthlink.net> wrote:
> 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.
>
> Rod Bean
> (Seven owner a long time ago)
>
> "Mark V. Mellinger" wrote:
>
> > At 10:20 PM 8/2/00 -0700, you wrote:
> > >Nope. The frame number will indicate whether it
> was
> > >built by Progress Chassis or Arch Motors. There
> may
> > >have been a third frame builder, this isn't clear
> in
> > >my memory.
> > >
> > Mine is chassis #SB1878 and has Frame # B1682.
> It's always been registered
> > in NY as a '63 but it may actually be a '64.
> > Mark
>
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