WHERE TO FIND THE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ON YOUR BSA
The following guide lines have been drawn up to assist new members but may also assist some of our older members identify their cars. Graham Skillen would be grateful to hear from anybody with information and particulars on body numbers.
CHASSIS NUMBERS
On the left hand front chassis member, top face, at the bottom of the slope where it goes from a deep section to a narrow section.
ENGINE NUMBERS
Usually these are not found on the engine at all! They are invariably to be found on the top fringe of the clutch bellhousing. The original number may be lost if tile gearbox is changed. ,
For early version three wheelers have an engine number stamped on the top face of the crankcase between the pushrod tubes.
The 4 cylinder engines differ between the two and three bearing types. For the short engine, the number may be found
stamped on the timing case upper flanges or on tile distributor / dynamo mounting unit.
OTHER NUMBERS
BSA castings are liberally covered with numbers which have no real significance. A popular 'engine number" is MC 10504,
recorded on several logbooks, but is believed to be only a casting number.
PART NUMBERS
Many BSA parts cany part numbers. These are of the form 21-73 or 3 5-1652. The'35'is not a year number or the like.
The BSAFWDC has parts lists for most models and can help identify these items.
BODY NUMBERS
Some pre-1932 three wheelers carry a body manufacture's plate either on the front tank woodwork or the door recess of the
form 'Coachwork by Carbodies, Holyhead Road, Coventry. Body number 1234, 26.10,31.'
Later BSA built bodies sometimes have numbers on the tank or toolbox woodwork, e.g. 646 on a 1933 three-wheeler,
A36748 on a 1937 Scout Coupe, 2448 on a Series 6 Scout. These are usually on metal tape with pressed out numbers.
MANUFACTURER'S PLATE
On the tank woodwork for three-wheelers, and on the toolbox woodwork for Scouts and quotes the Chassis number,Engine number and Model number, together with a list of patents. Trike model numbers are of the form TW2 on earlycars and TW35-10. The '35' here means 1935. Scout model numbers say Series 4 or Series 5A ('A' denotes a two seater),and the very early Series 1 cars of 1935 have S.C.35 as a model number.
For help on this contact: Graham Skillen on 01963 3338
Email Graham here