FE Body numbers

[FE_225]

Has anybody noticed this before with thier FE. Have a look next time your out in the shed.

Open the front passenger door, and have a look thru the bottom hole where the lower door hinge goes back into the body. On mine I found the body number, not chassis number, stamped into the panel there.  It had been stamped in from under the inner gaurd area, so what you see is a mirror image of the number thru the hinge hole. You can't see it from under the gaurd cos of the paint and tar over it, only way to see it that way is to strip it back to bare metal . The number is stamped vertically with the plant letter up top instead of at the end as per usual, like this:
S
1
5
2
6
2

I could understand the chassis number being stamped on the body( for assembly in the factory), but why the body number when it is already on the body ID tag, and why in such an odd place ?  this is something I've wondered about for ages. Has anybody else noticed this? Does anybody have an explaination?

Any thoughts are most welcome
Cheers
Tony

[customFC]

Hi Tony.
First time I heard about that trick. Will have to check out some others. If it is only on yours, my guess is that it is a smart previous owner who was worried about the car being stolen and re-birthed. No-one else would think to look there.
Regards
Alex

[Ken McLean]

Tony,  somebody asked me this same question a couple of years ago, but I can't remember who it was - possibly it was you.  However if it wasn't you, then there is another car out there with the same type of marking.
Does it look like the marks were there from the factory or has the inner guard been sprayed later on in life making it very hard to tell.  What size and shape are the numbers/letters - are they the same as the chassis numbers/letters.  If they are identical to the chassis number then they were most likely done at the factory. If not maybe later by an owner as Alex suggested or in a panel shop where some repair had to be made which involved removing the ID plate.   Maybe an engine bay fire?

Ken

[JB]

I had a look at my Van today, but there were no markings of any kind where you described.

Jason.  

[FE_225]

Ken
It was me who asked years ago.
It looks like you'd have to remove the gaurd to stamp it where they are, it would be very awkward to do otherwise. They are right next to the nut under the gaurd for the centre bolt on the lower door hinge .They are stamped very deep and neatly and about 1/4" in height, not like the hand stamped chassis numbers on mine that are small and faintly stamped.
After it was stamped ,it was heavily coated in tar , it couldn't be seen by looking under the gaurd. I only found them after taking it back to bare metal.
It is the body number, same as appears on the compliance plate. the compliance plate is undamaged and never been removed by the looks of it.
I was hoping someone else had seen this and could explain it. This thing is a real "mystery machine".
Cheers
Tony