David,
Thanks for the concise explanation. It's still confusing but now intelligible.
Rod Bean
DWhitesdJr@aol.com wrote:
> 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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