VIN number identification on the rear chassis

The Oily Bits S1 Specific Topics
1

Hello there
while cleaning the chassis, and after removing the rear right wheel, I was expected to find the marking of my VIN which is SCCGA1118YHC80113. What is engraved on the chassis looks like LR1110300120002, which cannot be related to the previous. Am I looking at the wrong place ?
Thank you for your help

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/5989/200909020014.jpg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2474/200909020015.jpg

2
3

Sorry not at ease with those servers…

[img=http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2474/200909020015.jpg]

[img=http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/2474/200909020014.jpg]

4

i might be wrong but doesn’t the ‘R’ denote a replacement chassis?

5

I suggest you speak with Andy Plant at the factory.

6

Thank you mr Pesky - an Email contact for Mr Plant ?
Concerning the R suffix, I would have expected the original sequence of VIN to be repeated.

7

http://forums.seloc.org/viewthread.php?tid=233840&page=1#pid4160061

8

Thank you - an interresting reading, an a supplementary headache for the local MOT check…

9

Jean-Yves

Andy’s email is: [email protected]

Let us know how you get on, please.

10

Voil�… Mr Plant was pleantly quick on his answer :

“I can confirm that a Lotus official replacement chassis, number LR1110300120002 was supplied to an official Lotus dealer on 01/10/01.
At the time that specific chassis was produced the regulations did not specify that Lotus cars had to produce replacement chassis with an identical VIN number to the one it was replacing.
Lotus Cars does not have any details of why the vehicle required a chassis I can only suggest you go back to the previous owner of the vehicle to obtain further information
Lotus Cars does not produce any further documentation for the LR range of replacement chassis as at the time there were no regulations requiring us to do so.”

11

Thanks for posting the reply, Jean-Yves - glad that Andy could help you.

12

Thanks for directing me to him. Now as the chassis was changed 12 months or so after the car was sold - and with a mileage of max 3.000 miles, I suspect it has been done by the original Lotus dealership - Dick Lovett - that took care of the car until 2003. It was originally sold to a Mr Houghton of Cheltenham. Do anyone has a good contact at Lovett’s to recommend, as I’d like to take my chances to ask them if they have some info.

13

I know Ed Lovett, send me a PM with your questions and I’ll ask him.

14

Excellent… I always find help and councelling on this forum, keep it up boys :wink:

15

Hi just looked at a s1 elise which also has a Lr vin number in the rear wheel arch the owner has contacted lotus for more info as he didnt know my question is will it devalue the car and what views you have on byeing a car like this

16

I guess it depends what was the reason on changing the chassis. Is it correct to suppose some were changed under warranty for corrosion problem ? I think I’ve read somewhere that if the car needed a new chassis following an accident, there’s some info through Hpi ? I think also that a limited number of official dealers could get a replacement chassis and carry the rebuilding.

17

i did a Hpi check and it came back clear only thing that showed up was plate change to private plate still waiting to hear from lotus why it was changed and when

18

Apparently the only info that Lotus can have is the date the chassis was sold…

19

Lotus have replyed they confirm they suppled the chassie to a dealer storm in 2000 thats the only records they keep