Thread: Can you determine year from engine number

Chassis number is also stamped on the frame rail near the driver's side shock tower, facing outwards, under where the steering box is. You can see it through the wheel arch clearly enough with wheel in place, helps to go full right hand down first though.

Cheers Chivalry, will check for details tomorrow
Cec

Originally Posted by Cecil

Hi all,
i recently picked up an old 2 door in poor condition to use for parts. The panel above the radiator has been removed so no vin number, it's got the detox engine no. 398003791, the 1 on the end is partly covered with the dip stick tube and should be a letter, maybe an F?
any way of telling the year from engine number and if it's a CKD were they all detox engined.
(has 2 interior roof courtesy lights, and diff lock light on dash)
Are these vehicles more or less desirable than the RHD imported in the 70's?
i better know this info before deciding what to do with it

Cheers,
Cec.

Not exactly but an Air injection 398 with 8.13:1 ratio will come from a 1978/9 MY , should also have automatic choke and twin air cleaners .

Australian 398 were all air injection .

The suffix F in the engine number is not the same as F in the VIN

The engine number F denotes specifics to the engine like timing carb setting etc .

The colour can indicate if a CKD but the paint plate will say if a CKD colour

You would have to know the engine was related to the body for the number to be relevant , our 85 RR has an engine number for a 2001 RR .

All two-doors are worth saving these days. They have well-and-truly reached "classic car" status.

Originally Posted by Davo

All two-doors are worth saving these days. They have well-and-truly reached "classic car" status.

Which is why I can't afford one now. Seems to have happened very quickly as well, within the last year (triggered no doubt by JLR announcing the factory restorations) and now they're being dragged out of barns and advertised for five figures!

Found the chassis no easily enough. 35642454F
looks to be a 1978 RHD export, it does have auto choke and squarish twin air cleaners attached to strombergs. it's a mustard like colour ( orig paint, no paint plate, maybe a clone out there somewhere) with 3 wide side stripes and '4wd' ahead of door.
would 1978 RHD export arrive in Aus with this engine or more likely been swapped by a previous owner.
how to find out orig vin and engine no.?

Originally Posted by Cecil

Found the chassis no easily enough. 35642454F
looks to be a 1978 RHD export, it does have auto choke and squarish twin air cleaners attached to strombergs. it's a mustard like colour ( orig paint, no paint plate, maybe a clone out there somewhere) with 3 wide side stripes and '4wd' ahead of door.
would 1978 RHD export arrive in Aus with this engine or more likely been swapped by a previous owner.
how to find out orig vin and engine no.?

From what you`ve typed i understand you know some of the following .

Could be sahara dust the colour common through to 1985

The 398 engine is an Australian engine it would have come in the vehicle from the UK .

They had the pipe work, pump , etc for the air injection but the RRs didn`t have the same copper/brash tubes in the heads that the cars had to feed the air onto the exhaust valves . The car set up was like a venturi the RR set up was a hole/orafice .

The Engine numbers they used for their domestic were 395 and 355 , though 395 is a different comp ratio .

The Chassis number you have is about as good as you will get for anything like the VIN .

The VIN with 17 digits didn`t happen till the end of 1979 start 1980 .

There was a time 1978/9 when Leyland Australia and i would think UK was using the 9 digit chassis ( you have ) and for (356) LHABV1AA and the last 6 digits of the chassis , which gave a 14 digit VIN .

Deciphered LHABV1AA is ...........

LH = RR , A = model code , B = 2 Door , V - low comp Carb V8, , 1 - RHD 4spd man , A = model till june 1984 , A = Solihill UK built .

The chassis 356 42454 F ..............

The prefix 356 says RHD export ( as opposed to 355 RHD home market UK ) etc .

The suffix F is like the engine number F and denoted design mods .

The 42454 is the build sequence , meaning your 42,454 is that build number for a 2 door RR ( the number takes into account all types of 2 door prior to 17 digit VIN )

In 1979 with the 17 digit VIN the number restarted at 100001 and wasn`t related to build numbers .

Nice reply, thanks Peter

I need most of its body parts and manual gearbox etc to save two others, a 74 and 75.
As I mentioned its in a poor state with many parts already missing, but it will be put to good use.