DAYTONA ENGINE NUMBERS?

On my engine, the boss where the chassis number used to be stamped on older Ferraris has the engine type stamped on it "FERRARI 251". Above that a couple of inches is stamped the actual engine number, starting with the letter B. Mine is B686.

-steve

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Hey, our cars are kin. Mine is 12775, seems that would be 4 cars before yours. They were no doubt born together.



Terry

 

Dear Steve

What is your chassis number please.

Mark Shannon

www.markshannon.net

 

14201

-steve

 

Correct, early Daytonas, like previous Ferraris, had "engine" numbers that matched the "chassis" number. Heck, just look in your owners manual and you'll see the matching number, and where to look for it, on the car they use for the manual. My early car has a macthing number as well, but it's the 10th one built. Pretty darn early.

I've been told, but haven't verified, that it was during 1970 that Ferrari stopped this practice.

Steve

 

Thank you

 

non competition cars have odd serial numbers

 

my guess he made the same mistake when looking at the serial numbers, confusing 12883 with 12773.....

just a guess....Thats the mistake I made..

sorry

 

One of my Daytonas is 12513. Following is the chassis number stamped on the block. I was told this practice stopped in early 1970. I have no idea is that statement is true. But, if so, I would have thought that all 12xxx cars still had the chassis number stamped on the block.

I do know that at least for 12513 it is.
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Just in case someone asks, the Internal Engine Number is B70 for 12513, a 1969 365 GTB/4. This number hides out above the Engine Number, or, on later cars, where the Engine Type is stamped.

Steve
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Steve,

Do you know why they used a "B" prefix on the internal engine number? Could this have been as in GTB to help the foundry storemen distinguish Daytona blocks from GTC blocks?

Ian

 

Ian,

I do not know. I have older Ferraris with "F" and "E" after the number. (Both Type 168 Engines by the way, but one was on an "F" block and the other an "E" block.) And another car has no letter at all, just numbers. I didn't think the Internal Engine Numbers were "significant" alphanumeric characters. By "significant", I mean in Bill of Materials sort of way. The first letter means "xxxx" the second digit means "yyyy", etc. It does seem like Daytonas start with the "B", at least all the ones I've seen do.

I'm sure someone on this site must know.

Steve

 

Ian was kind of right, GTC's had an 'A' Prefix GTB's had the 'B', The number is the engine builld sequence, but rarely coincides with the Chassis number, if it does it's pure chance...

Terry, #12775 should have B142 installed - Can you confirm this ?

Argento

Argento

 

All Daytona engines start with leading letter "B". Earlier 365 engines have a leading letter "A". It seems that the first cars in 365 GTC/4 series had a leading digit "C" but this was soon dropped and replaced with a five digit number surrounded with starts like *00123*. Best wishes, Kare

 

Argento and/or Kare:

Any idea when Ferrari dropped the Chassis Number being stamped on the block of Daytonas, like 12513 did? I think it was Keith Bluemel who told me it was early 1970s. But, from 12775 and 12883 above, it looks like the change happened in 1969, much earlier than I've been led to believe.

Thanks,

Steve

 

So far I've thought it was when Fiat-engineers walked into their new acquisition and streamlined production in 1969. If 12883 really has the engine type number stamped into engine block, I'd say it happened VERY EARLY. "Bighitter", can you confirm what exactly is stamped on your block "tipo 251", "Ferrari 251" or something else...? Best wishes, Kare

 

Cannot confirm 100%, but as that number is quite exactly what I would expect it to be, I would say it is the original unit.

 

Chuck,

I agree with Kare, without a build sheet, it's hard to confirm, but from Daytonas I know of, your Internal Engine Number is right about where I would expect it to be.

And, it's clear that Ferrari stopped the practice of stamping the chassis number on the engine block a bit earlier than some "experts" stated. It's not early 1970, but 1969.

Steve Hill

 

Los Gatos (Bay Area).

Steve