GT4 Build Numbers - Solving the Mystery

Got me curious, my 10254 (Feb 1975) has chassis #190 (engine 01069) - which aligns with prior comments by being relatively close in sequence with 10080/124, 10130/146. Mine is +62 in S/N production and +44 in chassis from 10130/146.

 

Hi Ian. thx for posting. If everyone posts the build number maybe we can figure this out.

 

MAYBE

 

awesome Welcome. would be great if we can get all members on the List to look for the build number. maybe each split some PMs to listed cars and see where we end up? in other words get as many build numbers into the listed chassis numbers and see what we can all come up with as a pattern? Maybe suggest the headlight bracket/ door hinge cover/ Coil mount as a safeguard for front end damaged cars?

 

Where are the numbers situated on the car?? I have chassis number of mine. Have read post but can’t see where it mentions the areas to look at on the car for your research. If you can post what you need them hopefully we all can get this to you

 

Easiest place is the black headlight bucket bracket. The number is usually upside down. Also another easy place is the door hinge cover remove 2 screws and pull the wire off. It will be stamped on the back of the panel. Also on the ignition coil support. And multiple other places

 

Cheers Mike

 

Chassis 10402
Build number 281 Image Unavailable, Please Login


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Nice Guy . does it match the headlight bucket?

 

I have been looking into this, for Mazda, and Ford, since I ran across Fords system. the Ferrari system has to make sense. Obviously the build number is a way to keep the parts for a given car together, and they are probably assigned a vin number at completion, but other than that I don't know.

Fords system, for the record, the Ford build date on the vin tag is when the car was scheduled to be built, this is back when a given car could be made in a couple different factories. the actual build date is written on the radiator support, in crayon. up to about the mid 90's the Ford vin, isn't really associated with anything else, they didn't keep track of anything they built.

Mazda is maybe more interesting. I've been looking at the US 1995 Rx7 production run (~520 cars). All of the Rx7's came from the Hiroshima Factory, although not sure if its #1 or #2, or both. Since the numbers are so low, they are built in batches, and not in Vin number order (JM1FD3332S0400103 was built 4/24/1995 and JM1FD3334S0400104 was built 4/21/1995). the batches roughly correlate to paint colors, on a given day they might make 4 red ones.
The engines were built next door, so they were probably built in order, but they are not installed in the cars in order. (103 got 13BE 129516 and 104 got 13BE 129462)

i have a feeling that Mazda assigns the vins before the car is built, but the build date is when its done. Ferrari seems to have had an internal build number, but assigned a vin when the car was done, or in process. its possible that the build number came from Bertone.

 

Thx for posting. Later ill get a chance to read through it

 

Interesting factory picture. I just noticed that the wiper mechanism is already built in at that early stage. I now understand why it was such a hell to remove and fit it in back while restoring my gt4.

 

Benoit is your GT4 info in the list? Chassis and build number? 1974?

 

I don't follow can u explain?

 

Yes #9232 already in the list BN 772 if I remember correctly

 

I do love a good challenge... If I'm correct VINs / serial numbers were only even numbers... so from 10000 to 10100 there were 50 cars built. Chassis numbers are both odd and even... so if built in sequence, the VIN number would jump 2 for every +1 in chassis number. Engine numbers do seem to be VERY close to a sequential usage - reference all the engine numbers reported in the Dino GT4 registry (though a lot of old data). From initial indications, it appears chassis numbers are close in sequence but potentially in blocks as discussed earlier - i.e. grab 20 chassis at a time, usage not in sequence. While engines mostly appear to be in sequence off the assembly line.

My intuition is that some cars (perhaps chassis 400s) were initially put aside as 'UK/RHD' cars which would explain them being apparently out of sequence. Others that appear highly out of sequence likely imply front-end damage and replaced headlight frames from where the number was sourced.

 

Yes The Vin is even numbers +2s. But the Vin is the chassis number . not the" build " number correct.? And as far as front end impact I always ask for someone to check other areas after checking the lights. Also another thought. Could some cars have been built and sent to dealers, and others were ordered cars by actual customers. I'm sure the engine numbers don't line up cause they had a line of engines lined up and grabbed whatever number and then wrote it down

 

Could be confusing my semantics, but I would align with one of the earlier comments (skullyspice) that the smaller number (what I'm calling the 'chassis' number) was stamped on it by the chassis builder - Scaglietti. i.e. Ferrari would contact Scaglietti and order perhaps 200 chassis (frames) at a time. Scaglietti would build them and stamp them say 1-200, and ship them in batches to Ferrari.. clearly the first car would be #1, because it would have been an initial frame build before they started mass production. Then perhaps 20 or so at a time were delivered based on transporters. Ferrari would then assign a VIN number with a build order, grab a chassis and start building it. This would result in some VIN cars having out of sequence delivery based on custom orders that may have delayed it. The VIN plate would finally be bolted to the car once everything was completed on the build sheet. As per prior comments likely cars were shipped in groups, perhaps 20 at a time, and just grabbed without thought to using sequential chassis builds. This would imply most cars would likely have a chassis number +/- 20 or so from similar VIN cars. As proposed earlier, I suspect RHD cars had different numbers as they may be some slightly different build to the chassis... I speculate!

 

we are all speculating , and I'm starting to think you, skully. and j9fd3s are on to something with the out of sequence Build. I just typed for 15 minutes and my thoughts are all jumbled. so I deleted everything I was writing. but ill be around with some thoughts, and I hope you guys stick around with ideas and contribute . Thx

 

My 74 build Dino 308 is Chassis 9646 build number on the headlight frame is 643.

 

Thx Jon. Did you find that number elsewhere on the car also?

 

Not yet I will have a look behind the door hinge covers.

 

if you look closely at your list there are a bunch like that. Welcome back. where you been? don't let work interfere with your GT4 duties!