Is there any way to confirm a matching numbers car? In other words confirming the factory original Vin, Assembly number & Engine number on a 355?
There is a guy named Anthony who works in "after sales support" at FNA corporate in NJ. He helped me determine the original sound system configuration of my car down to the brand of head unit. Give him a shot.
I dont think the keep track of the engine number. I remember someone told me that unless I was dreaming.
Here in the UK the official Ferrari dealerships were able to give me the original build sheet including the chassis and engine number, even the paint and leather codes so you can check if it's ever been changed.
As for the engine there is sort of a way to track it, by the casting stamp. If you look on the block there will be a round stamp with a number in the middle of the circle. Also there will be 12 little squares around the circle, representing 12 months of the year. Each square will have a dot in the middle of it for the month it was cast. The same goes for the heads. For example if you see a round casing stamp with the number 97 in the center, that means it was cast in 1997. Then if there are 5 dots present inside the squares aroundmeans circle means it was cast in May. So casting stamp should be pretty close to the build date of the car. Also if you car has a build date of 1996 it shouldn't have a block or heads with a casting date '97, '98, or '99. It also shouldn't have a casting date after the month the the car was built. Like a car that was built in in February should have casting from November. The number stamped on the block should be where in the build line, of that casing, that particular block/head fell. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. As for putting those numbers with the exact car, I have no idea.
Ferrari chassis numbers and engine numbers no longer match like they did up through the '70s. That is to say, during Queen Mother production, engine numbers still matched serial numbers. Then, with the introduction of the Daytona, a different numbering system for engines was implemented. So, for example, 112720 is a 1998 355 F1 Spider, and the engine number is 50066 (assembly number 29826, built in April, 1998). However, if you mean "matching numbers" in the sense that the engine in your car is the original engine, the same engine with which it left the factory when it was built new, that's a different story. Unfortunately, the engine number stamping on a 355 engine isn't visible when the engine is in the car. If you lift the rear deck lid, you'll see the assembly number plaque in the engine bay on the left - but it's futile to search the surface of the visible parts of the engine block while the engine is still in the car. Only during a major service will you be able to locate the engine type casting (F129C) and the engine number stamping. Once you learn the engine number of your car, you can then match it to what's printed in your car's warranty card (first page) where your car's VIN is also printed - only then can a match be made, confirming that the engine in your car is the original engine. Can you tell me the serial number of your 355 F1 Spider? Do you have reason to suspect your car's engine is not the original engine?
Isn't the engine number stamped on the raised pad located just to the front right of the oil filter as shown in the owner's manual? It is on my '95 at least. It's not easy to see but it is readable. That number can be compared to the one in the warranty book as stated
Excellent explanation. Thank you. Yup. I am after the original to the car engine tracking. Sadly, I have a feeling mine was swapped by the previous owner...along with the heads. I do not have the warranty cards, but do know the original dealer and they are still in business... perhaps I'll call this week. Thanks for doing that BTW. Seems every car group has one person that dedicates themselves to this. The data is priceless stuff.
^Fixed it, and here is an example. This pic is of the casting stamp on the side of the engine block, on my 348. Looking at the stamp you can see it was cast in '90 (1990). Then counting the dots shows it was cast in May because there are 5 dots in the boxes. The numbers above the round stamp are for where that block was in the run of those molds. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi Ernie that's great, is it easily visible or hidden away under pipes and hoses etc? I can't tell from the photo where it's located. Many thanks.
On my engine they are stamped on both sides of the block, under the headers, next to the coolant drain plug. So you can see the stamps from under the car if you have it on a lift, or the wheels off and through the wheel well. Also. That back of the heads have the stamps too. This pic (from my engine out thread) you can see the casting stamps on my heads. You can see they are were both cast in '90 and, it's hard to make out but, in March because there are three dots. If you look at the numbers to the right you can see where in the run of molds each head was. The right head was one mold away from the left head xxxx70 vs xxxx72. So for my engine, the castings match the year the car was built, 1990. It should be similar for a 355. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks Ernie that really helps. I'll take a look on the weekend if it ever stops raining always good to know more about our cars. Cheers.
