Fiat Dino chassis number

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Vravolta
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:41 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe

Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Vravolta »

I’m currently in the process of checking the consistency of my updated e-version of Mike Morris’s book. There are tons of issues with our Dino chassis numbers, but today, one very obvious just exploded to my eyes:
I’m pretty sure chassis numbers should be the actual chassis number padded with enough zeros on the left to get a 7 digits number. For instance, #4321 should actually be 0004321 on the chassis plate and #26 should read 0000026. That’s what I have on my car and what I found on the various chassis plates I could find on the web.

But when I refer for instance to page 118 of Mike Morris’s book, I see numbers padded to 6 digits. Did I missed something? Has he made it all wrong on his entire book by forgetting one zero or is there another explanation?
Hope someone has the answer!
DWR46
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2020 9:32 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Spider

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by DWR46 »

Vravolta: How do we get a copy of your E-version?
Vravolta
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:41 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Vravolta »

That's unfortunately not possible as long as this remains copyrighted content and that the owner of the rights (Mike's widow) is not opened to a new eddition. I was discussing the french translation with Mike, but he passed away before I've had the time to finish it. So, I'm finishing the job, including all the new info we have today (remember that in 1989 when he wrote the book, internet didn't exist), internal hyperlinks for convenient navigation, new photos or color versions of Mike's photos, new sections are also planned (ex: various compatible parts with other cars, what is original, what is not, etc.). e version allows also to post comments on the sections where the doubt remains (for instance, Mike had clue that Coupé production switched to 2l4 version for #3655 but there is strong evidence that #3670 was actually still a 2l). There are also debates on the colors, the Fiat labels (for 50 years, many people have struggled to remove them as much as they could, making it difficult today to determine if this was originally a production variation or something that was modified by the car owners).

The idea is to have it finished, to inform the owner of the rights that this now really exists and would benefit the comunity (and the owner of the rights's wallet) + stop speculation on the original edition which is good for no one. Then, we'll see if it's OK or wait until the rights go to another person or wait until the copyright ends. I plan to have finished my translation by the end of this year. In parallel I also update the english version so that a parallel edition could be issued. But that's definitely a long term project, yet not finished and when finished, this will need more time to have the possibility to release it. But at list I will have collected the clues in one single place allowing me to answer to the comunity questions.
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Tobi
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Posts: 528
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:56 am
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe
Location: Upper Palatinate - Bavaria

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Tobi »

Good project!
Vravolta
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:41 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Vravolta »

Someone needs to do that otherwise our cars will become fake garage queens. And that's also a pleasure to search and find clues. Maybe also that at the end, the book will be so different from that of Mike that it will be by itself a new book that can be made available.

Indeed, I got the sting from Mike: when I've started discussing with him, I only wanted some confirmations on particuliar details. But at the end, I now have the same wish he had to find the truth or at least to get nearer to the truth. I guess he felt this 'cause he sent me copies of an aborted project he had to create a video on the Dino. THe quality is poor (old video tapes) but I have his voice and some interesting details of the era can be spotted.
hanskristianjepsen
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2014 8:27 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by hanskristianjepsen »

I have been through all of my photos for spiders and coupes, and there is no doubt that chassis nos. were all 7 digits, shown on both the chassis and the VIN plate.
For 246 GT and GTS they were all 5 digits.

Kind regards,
Hans Kristian Jepsen
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ThomasK
Posts: 187
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2013 12:44 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by ThomasK »

Interesting Initiative.

I think it would be good to use the technological possibilities we have today. Why not sharing your questions with the community - although its small there are many active and knowledgeable members than are willing to share their knowledge. And can send you also Pictures and details of their cars to determine topics.

I would be happy to support and I guess many here are as well.
Vravolta
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:41 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Vravolta »

That's exactly what I'm doing when I ask this question about chassis numbers. By the way, still no answer on that particular subject. Any clue?
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Tobi
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Posts: 528
Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:56 am
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.4 Coupe
Location: Upper Palatinate - Bavaria

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Tobi »

Maybe the chassis numbers are simply only 3 or 4 digit and just filled up with leading zeros to avoid tampering - sometimes to six and sometimes to seven digits at all. Not every detail on these cars has been thought out completely ;)
Dinoswede
Posts: 109
Joined: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:22 pm
Dino: Fiat Dino 2.0 Spider

Re: Fiat Dino chassis number

Post by Dinoswede »

All Fiat Dino chassis number plates should show the "seven-digit number", following the FIAT "chassis number plate standard"
of the period.
As already suggested, the reason for using a long line of zeros before the actual chassis number must be to prevent any kind
of tampering with the identity. If your Dino is numbered e.g. 135 AC 000 0025, your actual chassis number is 25, not 000 0025
or 00 0025, but all these zeros need to be there, to secure your Dino´s identity.

Mike Morris and I wrote many letters to each other during the eighties´, always discussing Fiat Dinos. If anybody (at the time)
knew how the chassis number plates should look, I am convinced Mike did.
I remember that he was concerned over some printing errors in his book, as he never was able taking part in the proof-reading,
before the book was printed. It is probably the publisher of the book that made these errors concerning the number of zeros
before the serial numbers, at page 118.

Dinoswede
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