Are motor blocks and other parts stamped with the vin numers?

[66 Vette]

Hello All,

Did the Deloreans come from the factory with engine, transmission stamped with the vin number that corresponded with the cars Vin number? In the Old Corvette world this is a major deal to have the original matching number parts associated with the car. Can you pull one motor from one car to another car and no one would know?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Chris 16409]

There are virtually no DeLorean cars that are "numbers matching". When they were assembled, cars were frequently pulled off the line to address certain issues. The fame and engine number never match the vin number. This does not affect the value of the cars. Sometimes lower VIN cars, like the first batch shipped, sometimes command higher prices. It all depends what the buyer is looking for and what quirks they like.

[Iznodmad]

Speaking of early VIN cars, record keeping of those was a little better. My early car has documentation of when the build
Started, when it was finished, the engine number, gear box number, and proof that it was part of the first shipment.

[David T]

There is no correlation between the vin #, the transmission # and the frame #. The vin appears on the tag on the dash and the driver's door jamb and the paperwork. The frame # is a metal tag attached the frame at the right/rear of the car. There really is nothing like a #'s matching car in the world of Deloreans. Just make VERY sure the vin is correct on both tags and your paperwork. You may see a vin # in marker under the headliner on the driver's door (or not).

[Dangermouse]

For many cars paperwork exists that show the original VIN and engine number. Mines in my sig below.

However there is no correlation between the two. 02744 undoubtedly has an engine that is not +1 from mine.

And it adds precisely $0 to the value of the car.

[David T]

Minor error, the frame tag is on the frame on the rear LEFT side. You have to get under the car to see it. As far as #'s matching, there is no #'s matching BUT. Depending on the vin # there were running production changes so according to the vin the car should have (or should NOT have) certain features like the muffler tips, grooved hood and or gas flap, radio antennae, clock, 2 key system, etc. Refer to the Concours Manual for the differences.

[DMCVegas]

Very true. But as with any production line (and QACs) that is trying to consume all available parts first, there is always the problem of what should be, and what just was build as-is. I say this as an owner with mismatched wheels and two clocks...

[David T]

Very true. But as with any production line (and QACs) that is trying to consume all available parts first, there is always the problem of what should be, and what just was build as-is. I say this as an owner with mismatched wheels and two clocks...

If it is one of the '83's, you are right, the rules go "out the window" because they used what they had left with no regard to the running vin changes. Many were undercoated too. To be fair, unless you bought it new, never changed anything and can document it, many of the things could have been changed by PO's so there is very little way of proof to say it was bought new that way. Makes it very hard to judge the '83's properly. We had speakers who worked in the QAC's and while they did try to respect the running changes, when they had to get a particular car onto a truck, they did what they had to do. In some cases they cannibalized from other cars if they didn't have the right parts but often they didn't have the right parts that way either! When the end came they had to get what they needed to put back together the cars they had cannibalized and at that point they had to use whatever they could get.

[Shep]

"Grabbag numbers" is more like it. You had a collection of parts and just picked one. It wasn't a supply chain like other big car companies did. Part of what made issues so sporadic across VIN ranges quite honestly.

Probably the earliest frame of reference, here goes:

VIN: 559
Frame: 97
Engine: 447 or 477 (since replaced under my ownership)
Tranny: ???

I didn't know transmission numbers were a thing, I can grab those too though -- where are those on the transmission? Have pics of all of the aforementioned numbers.

[David T]

"Grabbag numbers" is more like it. You had a collection of parts and just picked one. It wasn't a supply chain like other big car companies did. Part of what made issues so sporadic across VIN ranges quite honestly.

Probably the earliest frame of reference, here goes:

VIN: 559
Frame: 97
Engine: 447 or 477 (since replaced under my ownership)
Tranny: ???

I didn't know transmission numbers were a thing, I can grab those too though -- where are those on the transmission? Have pics of all of the aforementioned numbers.

There should be a thin metal tag under one of the bolts with the numbers on it.

[Shep]

Correction, my frame is 98, NOT 97. Full numbers below (Thanks David for the pointer!)

VIN: 559
Frame: 98
Engine: 477
Transmission: 0432

Pics for all four:

VIN:
54243

Frame:
54241

Engine (excuse the grime):
54240

Transmission:
54242