C2 Frame Marking Question

[Rick A.]

Folks,

As many of you may be aware I purchased a 1963 Z06 last summer and have been trying to validate that it is "truly a Z06". I know who the first and second owners are and have been trying to contact them to gather information and see if they have any paperwork. So far - BLANKS!

Anywho, had the car in the air today and was looking at the frame by the left front fender well and what do I find - the VIN stamped into the frame! IT is definitely a stamp, like you would stamp an engine stamping pad! Now, I checked all of the books - Noland and Dobbins, and several others and nowhere does anyone mention the VIN being stamped, written or anything in that area! Has anyone ever seen anything like this?

Second, I found a crayon/chalk marking on the passenger footwell and it looked like either 1394 or 394 - something along those lines - again, looking at all the books I couldn't find any reference to any marking in that area or that code.

Thoughts!?

[Page C.]

Re: C2 Frame Marking Question

Hi Rick,
The number on the passenger floor panel is the "job number".These numbers were given the body as it was being build. This was prior to it having been assigned a vin #. This number can also be found on the bulkhead at the rear or the car were the gas tanks is located and sometimes inside the doors. There are a couple of pictures in Noland's book on pages 22 and 23 that shows the numbers on some bodies going down the assembly line.
Hope this helps.
Page Campbell

[Rick A.]

Re: C2 Frame Marking Question

Page,

thank you for the response - is there any way to trace this? looking for angles on documentation for the car (VBG)

[John H.]

Re: C2 Frame Marking Question

Rick -

I think you mentioned on another forum that the car was exported to Switzerland early in its life, which could explain the VIN stamped in the forward location. Most European countries have local regulations for vehicle indentification that require a visible VIN on the chassis, local government chassis identification plate riveted somewhere in the engine compartment, etc. On export Vipers we have to stamp the VIN, homologation certificate number, and some other unique characters on the spaceframe structure in a visible location under the hood to satisfy European (ECE) regulations; before the ECE, each country had their own regulations, and it was a PITA keeping up with them.

[Rick A.]

Re: C2 Frame Marking Question

John,

thank you - you are correct, the car was imported into Switzerland - is there any way to validate this VIN as being a requirement for importation into Switzerland? do you know who I would need to contact in Switzerland? would the FIA possibly have records like this, since I know they require homologation documentation on all cars registerred for racing, etc. I know I am reaching here, but trying to trace documentation like we all are on the older Vettes.

[John H.]

Re: C2 Frame Marking Question

Rick -

Bill Braun lives in Switzerland, and he may be able to provide contact information for the Swiss equivalent of a DMV; check his profile and shoot him an e-mail.