WHERE TO FIND THE NUMBERS

Several inquiries to the Register have asked where to find the ‘S’-type’s identification numbers. All of the original identification numbers are stamped on a plate in the engine compartment. Most plates are on the firewall but a few are on the left-hand inner wing. Numbers are repeated on the item itself (as described below) and if they do not match those on the plate, that component has been replaced and is not original. All original numbers of your ‘S’-type are also available from the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT).



Chassis or car (VIN) number
The chassis number will also be etched or stamped in the bonnet catch channel forward of the radiator header tank. It breaks down into four components: a ‘P’ prefix indicates that the car has power steering; ‘1B’ is the ‘S’-type designator; the next four or five digits are the cars serial number; finally there are two possible suffixes, ‘BW’ indicting a Borg Warner automatic transmission and ‘DN’ indicating that the car has Laycock d’Normanville overdrive with its four speed manual gearbox. If there are no suffixes, the car has manual transmission without overdrive.

rhd (right hand drive) 3.4’s chassis numbers began with 1B1001, lhd (left hand drive) 3.4’s began with 1B25001, rhd 3.8’s began with 1B50001, and lhd 3.8’s began at 1B75001

Engine number
The engine number is also stamped on the two major engine components: block; and head. It is on the right hand side of the cylinder block above the oil filter and on the front of the cylinder head casting beside the front (#6) spark plug hole. The number has three elements: a ‘7B’ prefix indicating that it is an ‘S’-type engine, a four or five-digit number, and a compression ratio suffix (/7, /8 or /9) indicating a 7:1, 8:1 or 9:1 compression ratio. 3.4 litre engines have a four-digit number, 7B1001 onwards and 3.8 litres a five digit number beginning at 7B50001.


Body number
The body number also appears stamped on a small plate riveted to the right rear of the body under the rear bumper. On some cars there will be a similar plate on the left side, which is a Pressed Steel reference number and will be different from the body number. The body number begins ‘4B’ followed by 4 or 5-digits. 3.4 ‘S’s have a four-digit number and 3.8 ‘S’s a five digit number. Pressed Steel numbers begin with a ‘D’ and are usually followed by 6 digits.


Gearbox number
The gearbox number of standard transmission cars, both OD (overdrive) and non-OD, is stamped on a small shoulder at the left-hand rear corner of the gearbox and on the rim of the core plug aperture on the top cover. The earlier ‘Moss’ gearbox begins with ‘GBN’ followed by four or five-digits and the suffix ‘JS’. The later Jaguar all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox has the prefix ‘JBN’, three, four or five-digits and no suffix.
Automatic transmissions have their number stamped on a plate attached to the left-hand side of the housing. They begin ‘JBC’ followed by four or five-digits and usually a ‘P’. Some very late (1968 build date) 3.4 ‘S’-types were fitted with the later ‘FG’ automatic gearbox.


Build Date (this is NOT stamped on the plate)
This is the date the car was actually manufactured and will be different from the date of first registration. The build date can only be obtained from Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT). The easiest way to obtain your certificate is at the Jag-lovers website; You must provide as many of your car’s ‘numbers’ as you can and, in return, you will receive a very nice ‘certificate’ with all original information including build date, original colors, factory options, first owner, etc.

 

 

Copyright 2012