Chassis numbers and dates

[malcolm]

Does anyone know how to find the manufacture date of a Renault 4?

I've got one (a deluxe - chassis 5149008) that was first registered on 4th May 1973. It's a pain as had it been 1972 I'd not have to pay UK road tax.

I believe the free tax is based on the date of manufacturer rather than the date of first registration, so I might be in with half a chance of a 1972 date. Anyone know how to go about finding out the manufacture date - maybe asking Renault, or the clubs?

 

[Simon.AU]

The thing that is the main determinant of build date is the Oval Plate number rather than the chassis number. From my reasonably extensive research of around 400 odd cars, it would seem that the chassis are built in batches for the various markets.

For instance, to take an extreme case, chassis numbers for RHD 8 Gordini's are in a fairly tight range, however once you look at the larger production range in conjunction with the oval plate numbers, the oval plate numbers indicate the actual assembly date and equipment used. In the case of the 8G, LHD and RHD cars with close oval plate numbers can have widely varying chassis numbers, to the extent that a RHD chassis number can match up with a much older LHD car. The same pattern seems to be the same for RHD 15's and 17's. In a nutshell, the RHD chassis' seem to be made in one batch, then those batches were stockpiled and pulled out whenever they programmed to make a batch of RHD cars. However the AUS assembled 12's and 16's show a much more ordered pattern, there is a relationship between the chassis number and ovalplate number that does not exist with the French assembled cars. Apologies if that seems terribly geeky, I'm a sucker for all the various numbers.

Also sometimes (very rarely) I've seen the manufacture date stamped on the diamond plate like 2-72

The PR 953 parts catalogue quotes the following oval plate number ranges for the various model years. Note that the French model year, therefore the oval plate number, generally commences in September of the preceding year:

1971 model year R1120 1164581-1263200, R1123 931590-1122678
1972 model year R1123 1122679-1239156
1973 model year R1123 1239157-1357385

I know that all the above doesn't really answer the question of what is the actual production date, hopefully your car is a 1972 MY car from the ovalplate range that happened to hang around in the showroom :-). So as an addition, it may be worth a letter to Renault, they may have a service that provides a certificate of production for their "heritage" models.

 

[malcolm]

Thanks for that data. Assuming a reasonaly consistant production rate, and the first of the 1973 model year cars actually having been produced in September of 1972, that would make the cut off date for free tax somewhere around oval plate number 1280000.

Mine has the oval plate number 1322156 which would date it to roughly April 1973. That would make sense as it would have allowed enough time for it to be shipped to the UK and sold.

That's a shame. Otherwise it seems to be very similar to the '72 spec with black dash and bench front seat, although I think the plastic front indicators might be a 1973 thing.

 

[Nettlesoup]

Hi

Certainly one of the bigger dealers should be able to assist, maybe worth trying Renault London West parts or service dept. 0208276 2000 they are one of the biggest uk dealers.

Hope they can help!

 

[Simon.AU]

What are the rules for tax free rego in the UK for being a pre 1973 car? As a total hypothetical, and given the propensity for rust in UK based cars, say you reconstructed a 1972 model R4 around the remains of the unrusted stamped chassis number using a GTL donor, and then attached the diamond and oval plates from that 1972 car to the donor GTL shell, would it then still be considered a 1972 car?

 

[malcolm]

We have a points system used to work out whether a car can keep it's original identity. You add up the points for different parts of the car, and if you have 8 you have the original identity. Less than 8 and you are supposed to re-register. http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/regrebil.htm

Points awarded are as follows:
Chassis/body shell - 5
Suspsension - 2
Axles - 2
Transmission - 2
Steering - 2
Engine - 1

A brand new replacement chassis is OK and would give you 5 points. The way I read the regs a replacement chassis from another car would not be acceptable unless the car had also been "radically altered" (is a kit car).

I don't know quite how the authorities would identify whether the suspension, axles, transmission, or steering have been replaced. I'm not aware of them having the serial numbers for the parts that have them, and the parts that don't have them can't be identified. So that's 8 points. But you probably can't argue that a car is "radically altered" if all those bits are original.

So probably no, you can't use a chassis from another car unless you can argue it's a brand new replacement.

 

[chudson]

Hey how should chassis numbers on a 1964 r4 look like ? should it be short number - the same as the diamond plate has ?? Which in my case is 500 8972 ?
Or should it be R1220 500 8972 ?? coz mine rusted and is barely visible :/

Is the 5009872 number right for a 64 year ?
The oval plate says 1120 486759

 

[angel]

It should have the R1120 up front.

Diamond plate (and chassis) number are only for registration purposes. What denotes model year is the oval plate number. Your R4 is 1965 model year (August 64 to July 65).

 

[chudson]

Thnx for the info