Chassis numbers?

[Mopar Mick]

Can anyone please tell me if the 1940 Chrysler Coupes had a "chassis number"?

If they did, where is it to be found?

I presume the chassis rail is stamped with a number somewhere.

My Coupe is to have a "body off" resto so once the body is off the chassis it should be easier to find the chassis number if it is in fact stamped on the rails.

There is a plate with a number attached to the passenger side door frame between the hinges but i believe that is the "serial number".

Many thanks.

Mick.

[TodFitch]

On Plymouth, and I assume other Chrysler built cars, the engine number is stamped on the driver side frame rail around the kick up for the rear axle.

It is not considered a chassis number in any of the old documentation I've read. Just a location they stamped the engine number. In addition, of course, to stamping it on the engine.

Chrysler tracked the cars through the serial number you found on the door post. But many states registered the cars using engine numbers.

Oops. Just realized you are in Australia. Not sure what they did for export cars.

[greg g]

The serial number is the official number for Chryslers purposes and wasn not affixed till the car was nearly complete on the assembly line. The historical section at the Walter P Chyrsler museum, can provide a facsimile (at least for US cars) build card that the factory used to origiate the vehicle build process.

The cars had majoe body stampings made off site by Briggs (they also built bodies for Packard) They were shipped knocked down to the assembly facility whew they were mated with chassis and drivetrain. the engines were also cast and stored off site till they were needed for assembly orders. So you have a vehicle with 3 distinct numbers, the engine number stamped on the block just above the generator ( and as mentioned a duplicate of it stamped into the frame, usually above the left rear wheel) the body number (probably assigned by Briggs as a sequece of their process) and the Serial number attached to the completed car.

Exports may have been handled differently, as I understand that they were shipped knocked down (to save taxes o complete vehicles) and assembled by licensed companies in the country the recieved them ( Richards I believe for Australia)

So maybe the serial number was assigned there as they were put together.

If you go to the life magazine archive that google recently released and search detroit, you will find pictures of bodies, doors, truklids, hoods, and engines being driven through detroit from suppliers to the assembly facility

[Eneto-55]

I have often wondered about this, and since the subject here is the engine number being stamped on the frame, on a car that has had the engine replaced, is it illegal to restamp one or the other so that they match?

[Mopar Mick]

Many thanks for the replies.

My Chrysler wasn't assembled in Australia.

It was "imported" from the U.S.A. last year.

My serial number is 7638157

On the "import approval document" (can't register an imported vehicle in Australia without this) the chassis number is listed as 76388157 "extra 8".

Our registration authorities are extremely pedantic and this obvious typo on the paperwork is enough to have them refuse registration.

Mick.

[greg g]

You might like to contact the folks at chrylser historical to verify that your model and year of car had 7 didgit serial numbers and the paper work is a typo with an inadvetant 8 added.

[TodFitch]

If I read my serial number table correctly, 7638157 would be for a C25S "1940 Chrysler Royal 6". 76388157 is for nothing (there is a gap between 71050872 (Chrysler C60-2) and 76500001 Chrysler C55)).

[austinsailor]

About changing the numbers - first, I thought the frame number matched the body number, not the motor, but regardless, in Missouri there is still a law on the books that allows for the number to be changed when you change the motor. I haven't looked it up lately, but I think the cost is $2. It's signed by the guy changing the motor (probably intended to be the mechanic or owner of the shop) and the owner. Filed with the state and the title is changed.

I doubt it's been used in years, and I doubt even more if anyone at the DOR would have a clue what was going on.

The good news is, as it was written there is no certification of the old motor number so a guy could put in a new motor, have it changed to the motor you have laying around and get a title brought up to date.

I'm guessing most states have a similar old law on the books to handle the motor swaps. I'm also guessing most people never even used it back in the day, leaving the mismatching numbers hanging around.

[TodFitch]

About changing the numbers - first, I thought the frame number matched the body number, not the motor, but regardless, in Missouri there is still a law on the books that allows...<snip>

Nice to know but I doubt that it will help Mopar Mick as he is dealing with Australian government officials about the import paperwork on his car.