chassis number

[pierre1b]

my 1968 mk3 spit vrd says fd 31886 under the grease i have found a number on the engine cross member fc 122744 and as previously disscused seem to have a toledo engine i am now 5thinking oops it's a kit car does anyone know where the chassis came from
pierre :o

[Deleted User]

The number on the chassis is NOT the "Chassis Number", it is the number of the chassis, and for all Spitfires it starts FC.  On the MKIV and 1500 it is on the left hand outrigger.

The only number that counts is the one stamped on the aluminium tag that is pop rivited to the body - that is the "Chassis Number"/"Commission Number" that is quoted on the VRD.  

BEWARE, there is also a "Body Number" stamped on a strip of steel rivited just below the "Chassi Number" - it's only relevance is that it is the number of the body.

Engine numbers - your car is 41 years old, and dates from the time when engine reliability was not its greatest.  Engine swaps are common, especially if someone wanted to fit a 1500 engine to a 1300 Spitfire.  There were many more 2nd hand Dolomite/Toledo engines than there were Spitfire ones, so that is probably why yours has a Toledo engine rather than a Spitfire one.

[Jason]

"kit" car - well that's the beauty of these cars, they were akin to a good kit car in the first place :-)