[Healeys] heritage certificate question

Oudesluys coudesluijs at chello.nl
Fri Dec 11 04:44:17 MST 2009


Often British cars  do not carry a stamped chassis number, but only a 
rivetted chassis plate to the body with the number stamped on it, at 
least for the UK market. It happened on my Triumph Spitfire I brought 
back from the UK in the early 70's and it caused problems with the 
authorities here in the NL where a chassis number stamped in an integral 
part of the chassis is required by law. In the end I stamped the number 
(the same as on the chassis plate) myself.
I also have a probably illegally imported very early British parts 
Jensen Healey that was written off in an accident in the NL. To avoid 
the required transportation back to the UK or paying import duties and 
taxes here all identity: tags, number plates, chassis plates and the 
engine were removed so that it could be dumped in the NL and not be 
traced . This was sufficient as there is no stamped chassis number at 
all to be found. My other 2 JH's (one UK car and the other USA car) do 
have stamped chassis numbers.
Appearantly the USA situation can be the same as in the UK, no chassis 
number struck in an integral part of the chassis either. 
It is known that Jensen was fairly sloppy with their numbers. Numbers 
and type codes are often overstruck on e.g. Interceptors.
Perhaps the number on the suspension tower is some kind of production 
code which can be deducted to the correct chassis number?
Kees Oudesluijs

BJ8 Healeys schreef:
> Ira, you will get the build info on the car that left the factory with that
> engine, and since you've stated that your engine is not original to your
> chassis, you won't be getting any information about the chassis you actually
> have.  Since you have no body number and have found no number on the shock
> tower, there is no way to identify the original number of the chassis (to my
> knowledge).  The most you could do is use the chassis number you would get
> from BMIHT for the engine.
> I think your chances are slim of finding out if that chassis number is
> already being used by another car unless the DMV does a national search on
> that number before allowing you to register the car.  Of course, the
> BT7-I/-II registries would be a source to check to see if the VIN exists
> somewhere. 
>
> Steve Byers


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