What can the engine number tell me about the engine?

[Dolly-Bolt]

Evening chaps!

I just wondered if anyone could tell me what the engine number on a Sprint engine, can tell me about the engine itself. For example, roughly what year it was made, or do any of the letters mean anything other than "It's a Sprint lump!"
My engine number is: VA22608HE

Just intrigued that's all!

Cheers!

[TahitiSPRINT]

Hello!

It started with engine number VA 1HE on the first production Sprint VA 1. The first 24 press cars probably had the same engine number as their chassis number, but after that it’s more of a mismatch.

I think the engines were numbered consecutively without interruptions, but were more or less randomly picked to be married to the body on the production line.

The last production Sprints had engine numbers in the VA 23000’s and your engine number (VA 22608HE) could be dated back to roughly end of 1979, early 1980.

Hope this helps

[TrustNo1]

Wouldn't the last batch have the newer (mid 1980 on) 13 digit VIN number?

[gmsclassics]

Assuming they were produced in consecutive numerical order that does sound like a very late engine. My engine in the pageant blue car (one of the first of the VA30000 chassis series - fourth and final series as I understand it) is VA21460. That was first registered on 16 Jan 1979 by Triumph.

Alun may know more.

Geoff

[TahitiSPRINT]

Wouldn't the last batch have the newer (mid 1980 on) 13 digit VIN number?

Only the chassis numbers, not the engine numbers. More info on the chassis number series and 13 digit style VIN number can be found on the old forum

[xvivalve]

I can't add much more, but bear in mind far more engines were produced than there were cars...

[TahitiSPRINT]

I can't add much more, but bear in mind far more engines were produced than there were cars...

I'm not quite sure about that Alun. The newest engine number I've seen is VA 233** HE on an August 1980 produced car. That's only 400 numbers more than the total Sprint production (22.941), about a 2% surplus on engines if all maths are correct .

Do you still own the last 'old style' chassis numbered car?

Cheers!

[xvivalve]

Yes I do, the engine number of that is 22526

Some of the early cars I have have engine numbers up to 200 in sequence behind the VIN numbers and then I have a V plate car on the later VIN number with engine 231**

There were the Goldseal and Silverseal replacement engines and those supplied to motorsport that wouldn't have been originally allocated to VINs and an estimated 60 units went into TR7s. Factory recon units were given a new number with an RKC prefix on an ally plate fixed over the previous number

[Dolly-Nut]

Factory recon units were given a new number with an RKC prefix on an ally plate fixed over the previous number

I was wondering why that was on mine!

[TrustNo1]

Wouldn't the last batch have the newer (mid 1980 on) 13 digit VIN number?

Only the chassis numbers, not the engine numbers. More info on the chassis number series and 13 digit style VIN number can be found on the old forum

Not to self, read post properly and don't reply when overly tired.

[Howard81]

Just to add to the confusion, my Sprint doesn't have an engine number!

[Dolly-Bolt]

Just to add to the confusion, my Sprint doesn't have an engine number!

That's madness! No evidence at all? Mind you it seems as if they used a Fisher Price hammer to stamp the numbers on, mine was faint as anything

Meant to say ages ago, thanks for the all the help and info guys! After questioning why my engine sported late carbs, that answered that!

[Howard81]

Well there's one on the V5 (from new) but nothing on the block. When the engine was rebuilt no sign of it ever materialised either

For those trying to fathom out the difference between car and engine numbers, for my Sprint it is about 6000 - car is VA265xx and the engine is VA208xx. I know the commission numbers skipped around a bit later on, but I'm not sure of the specifics.

IIRC, the gearbox and rear axle were not far off the engine number, 22,000 rings a bell for the axle.

[sprint95m]

For those trying to fathom out the difference between car and engine numbers,

The cars were assembled using body numbers (to distinguish models), commission numbers were only allocated to completed cars.

The engines, gearboxes and axles were not arranged in numerical sequence so the selected numbers could be quite random.



Other makers did things differently, e.g. Hillman Minx chassis and engine numbers always matched.
A friend of mine had to produce proof of this before the DVLA would issue him a registration document
(it was a bit complicated because the previous owner's son had attempted to sell the registration ).
I took several photographs showing the whole car as well as the matching numbers, which proved enough to satisfy the DVLA .




Ian.

[olr159w]

I just checked mine in relation to a question from ham204 re location.

It's VA22956HE. First registered 1 Sep 1980. Just thought I'd share