VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Engine /Car numbers

I have a 1941 Cabriolet that is titled by engine number is there any way to find out what car number or chassis number went with that engine number?
Ron.

the vin tag number on the floor will match the engine id number

I don't think so. The engine number and the serial number are two completely different numbers. If you have only one there is no way to find the other.
Prior to 1955 most states registered the car by the engine number.

Chev Nut is absolutely correct. The engine number is not the same as the car serial number that appears on the serial number plate that is on the floor.

:) :grin:

Canadian cars had the serial and engine number quoted on a plate on the firewall.

If your car is a US one, then assuming that the serial number plate is missing, you may have to rely on old evidence. SAre there any old title documents available, or if you know where the car was registered, perhaps old rego records might assist although as has been said so many times before on so many forums, States often used the engine number for registration purposes.

41 Fan,

Are you asking because you need to visit your DMV (like you just purchased the car or whatever)?

Or are you just asking because of a 'curiosity' type thing? As in you're just looking for some more info about your car.

If you need to visit your DMV, I would offer some advice. No need to now, until I know it might be needed or wanted or etc.

Bill.

Here in Aus we use frame numbers for rego. Which poses the question If the US uses the engine number what happens if a engine is swapped into another car what happens as far as rego goes?
Tony

I have the original 1941 CA title for my 1941 Chev. It has both the engine number and the serial number on the title. Over the years the serial number was dropped and the title (when I bought the car two years ago) had only the engine number on the CA title. I titled it using the engine number since that was what was on the CA title.

Perhaps you can back track the title history of your car and see if an earlier title has the serial number on it. There are several services that will do this --- for a fee of course. This is a long shot, but if findng that number is important to you, it may be worth a few bucks.

David

If the engine was exchanged the state offered a certificate to verify what happened. If a new block was installed the old number was stamped into the new block.

The engine # is listed on rego papers here but not a major hassle to adjust records unless the new # shows up on 2 lots of papers or stolen. The main identifier is the frame number so I frame is changed the rego is no longer valid.
Tony