I have an austin 7 special bodied car of unknown make and date rebodied it has a V5C registering it as a 1/12/1934 car and it has an age related No. plate. The engine No. M188375 seems about right for 1934 but the V5C has the chassis No. H16484 . I can find no other reference in the A7 register to a chassis with a H prefix and a 16484 number would give it a much earlier date around 1929.I have looked for dating evidence but can find no stamped numbers on the chassis ie around the engine mounts(have scraped all the paint off) and can find no dating evidence on the rear axle.Is there any other way of dating the chassis and could DVLA have made a mistake when the car was registered with the H prefix.Knowing how fickle DVLA can be should I notify them or just leave it as it is???

Location: herts

I'd leave well alone with DVLA, but try and establish what chassis it is. i.e could it be on a Nippy chassis with short rear outrriggers and specific rear brake hanger brackets, or does it look like a Ruby with wide outriggers? Or...

Is it short or long wheelbase which would give you a start.

You need to post some pics!

Clive - I've never heard before of a diff that didn't have the date stamped into the top of the central housing - large figures, example 25/3/33 - right from first car to last. If it's a Ruby-type diff it will be a D shaped housing - if a drum type, it would be earlier - either long w/b high chassis with wide track or short wheelbase with narrow track earlier again. If it's a Ruby-type low chassis there should be a zinc plate rivetted to the top of the longitudinal rail, between the engine mounts. Usually near-side but off-side also known. If it has been removed you could find evidence of the rivet holes. If it's the long w/base, high chassis which probability Jon has suggested, the number could be stamped into the top of the long rail about 4" ahead of the front cross-member. If it was in Australia and the chassis number can't be found, the Registration authorities insist that an identification number of some sort be stamped. Perhaps the same in your case? It would help if you let us know what type of chassis it is. Good Luck with your search. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

many thanks for your reply Jon & Bill
the chassis appears to be a ruby chassis with a 81" wheelbase
and the dif housing is bell shaped but still cannot identify any numbers on it. I will probably take the body off when the weather improves so will be able to get a better look. there is no evidence of rivet holes on top of the frame but there are two holes 4" apart on the side of the o/s chassis member just below the rear engine mount.
many thanks;
Clive

Location: herts

http://a7ca.org/downloads/QuoteThisNumber.pdf
this is useful!

There was also a thread on when the change in the chassis number occured that I posted:
http://pub25.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=2099944454&frmid=5&msgid=1002308&cmd=show

Have a look at the chasis outriggers... nippy type below

https://aus7in.wordpress.com/originality/#jp-carousel-2254