Thread: New Series 2A owner

I'll check in the morning for the chassis number on the actual chassis.

It was last registered in QLD in 2008 and since then it has been parked under a tree.

Actually, it's personalised registration plates were "dodgy" so maybe that relates to the way it has been put together. All the panels are very straight and there are no obvious signs in the panel gaps etc that is a bitza slapped together. I would not have bought it. It looks very complete and unmolested.

Thanks Carolyn, I'll give you a call tomorrow.

The series 2a chassis is a "box welded" design and series 3 is a " clam shell" design.

Cheers Rod

Sent from my GT-I9507 using AULRO mobile app

Originally Posted by 67hardtop

The series 2a chassis is a "box welded" design and series 3 is a " clam shell" design.

Cheers Rod

Sent from my GT-I9507 using AULRO mobile app

Good point, but note that this applies only to lwb (which this is), with all 88s being welded boxes. And I seem to remember that early Series 3, perhaps about the first year, had the welded box. As with most other detail features, they tend not to change right at the change in Series!

But the legal determinant is the number stamped on the chassis.

Just because it is a bitza does not necessarily mean it is a badly built bitza.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Originally Posted by 67hardtop

The series 2a chassis is a "box welded" design and series 3 is a " clam shell" design.

Cheers Rod

Sent from my GT-I9507 using AULRO mobile app

Good point, but note that this applies only to lwb (which this is), with all 88s being welded boxes. And I seem to remember that early Series 3, perhaps about the first year, had the welded box. As with most other detail features, they tend not to change right at the change in Series!

But the legal determinant is the number stamped on the chassis.

Just because it is a bitza does not necessarily mean it is a badly built bitza.

John

More than that some of the very early SIII 109 still had the welded box section.

Hi all, a quick update

I still haven't checked the chassis number. I will try tonight.

I was more focused on getting it started and running, which i did! Very proud of myself. So after nearly 10 years of sitting under a tree, she runs...and runs very well!

Before I attempted to start it, I replaced the spark plugs and coil, checked the distributor, topped up all fluids and put fresh fuel in the petrol tank (and a little down the carby), put in a battery and turned the key - there was nothing! The solenoid on the firewall clicked but the starter did not want to turn.

So out came the crank handle. Also out came the can of "start ya bastard" and after numerous attempts at handcranking (compression was very good), checking for spark and fuel, a closer look at the carby determined that the choke flaps were jammed open and after partially covering the opening, she fired!

After a period of warming up, and once it got hot it idled perfectly. Water pump bearing was noisy and leaky, but apart from that, it revved and idled nicely. I decided to turn it off and try the starter motor...well it decided to work as well!

So it was test drive time. I went around the block and everything worked surprisingly well. I need to bleed the clutch as there is not much pedal there. Someone has added a remote booster to the brakes so the pedal feel was good and the brakes were very effective. I'll checks all the brakes.

So now it is time to work out where to start with this. I guess initially is to make it driveable and get it registered.

I've checked the number stamped on the rear LH spring hanger and it is N80602049P...... this does not look right



Thanks

That is a number allocated by NSW authorities (NSW Police), and the NSW authority (RMS) should have details of it. This should establish the legal identity of the vehicle.

The usual reason for these numbers being allocated is that the vehicle was presented for registration and no number could be found on the chassis. This may be because the relevant chassis section had been replaced, or simply (as with my 2a) they did not know where to look. But it could have been allocated to a "bitza".

I'm not sure they still do this since the introduction of the blue slip system, but I'm guessing the number would have been allocated some time not later than the early nineties.

John

Hi John

In my first post, I listed the chassis number and the engine number that I read from the rego papers (QLD) that the previous owner gave me. It was last registered in 2008 in QLD.

This is really confusing!

I was looking in the dark last night with a torch. The chassis number in my post last night was read from the actual leaf spring hanger. There looks like there may be a stamped number on the the actual chassis above the weld where the leaf spring hanger is attached.

I'll try to gently hand sand some paint away to get a better look.

The plot thickens!

Thanks