Nagari engine numbers

John Davies (B8/26) has a computer that won't let him put queries on the 'comments' section for security reasons so we're doing it another way:-

Hello John,
I noticed in your blog on Wednesday about B8/110, you speak of factory built Nagaris with engine numbers beginning with the prefix A1E. My Nagari B8/26 has the engine stamped on the plate as V720143P.

Do you know if this means B8/26 was not factory built?

Regards
John Davies


I am very sure that your car was factory built. I think it must have had a replacement engine fitted somewhere along the line. You might recall that I mentioned on the blog that I had trouble with that car getting it inspected when I brought it from Melbourne in 1977 because of the funny place that they stamped the number. To help the inspecting policeman I engraved the number on quite a few different places on the block hoping he would find one, which he did. I can't remember the number now but am sure that it originally had the A1E prefix. Your present engine number is one issued by the police to engines that either don't have a number stamped or are unreadable. This is indicated by the letter "P" at the end. It may have been either a secondhand motor or a reconditioned one and the number stays with the engine for the whole of its life. Each state had this provision, Queensland ones having a "Q" prefix, SA ones having an "S" prefix and so on. Your engine number was issued by the Victorian police in 1972 as indicated by the "72" and was the 143rd one issued by them for that year. I don't know if they still have that system operating. There's a bit of trivia for you.

John L.


Thanks John.
Another bit of trivia - When I re-registered the car in 1993 there were not any numbers on the block that we could find. So I stamped the block with the number on the ID plate.
I do know that Leon Ellery did not change the engine, so how did the car get sold from a Parrammatta Road dealer without an engine number?

The ID plate seems to be original with the V number etc.
I wonder if Bolwells issued a new plate without an engine number?

Regards
John Davies


It makes more sense that my memory these days is not working properly. I heard on Radio National today that a glass of red wine (or 2) helps stave off early dementia and I'm just about to go inside and begin my treatment. It must have had that police issued number all along. Then again, someone else said their car had nothing stamped in the provision for an engine number on the ID plate.

John.