Restoration question

[mavroman]

Hi Folks,

Thought it was about time to do something with my Alpine that's been waiting patiently in the garage for the past 12 yrs. It's a Series IV - the number on the data tag reads "BC5 9401819 LRX", color code 39 and SAL #351214. After referring to the info on the website, I'm not sure what the "C5" portion of the serial number means.

I purchased the car in 1989, which was declared as "rebuilt". At that time, I could only afford to make minor mechanical & cosmetic improvements - enough to enjoy about 5yrs of summer driving fun - but I had always suspected that beneath the shiny surface, lurked a world of rust and who-knows-what. Eventually I parked the car, torn between not wanting to sell and not being able to afford a proper resto.

Cut to 2007 and I'm now ready to look at options for restoration & perhaps modification for the little classic. I'm based in Vancouver, BC and would like to know where the nearest facility is to... you know, do it right. I'd appreciate any suggestions anyone may have.

Thanks,

john

 

[Series3Scott]

John - I've seen the C4 and C5 tags on Series 3 and IV Alpines respectively, and the only thread I've been able to spot with these cars is they all seem to come out of California. That may be a coincidence or may be something California did on imports for some reason - I have no clue.

Any chance your car was originally from CA?

 

[RootesRooter]

Is the data tag factory original?

I wonder if the original "B" might have been dropped in favor of a provincial identifier "BC", as in Vancouver, B.C., when your Alpine was declared "rebuilt" (= totalled?) and then assigned a new number. The "5" could mean a lot of things: type of car, maybe a specific location within B.C.. A quick call to your local licensing dept or maybe a web search could verify.

 

[Pumpkin]

B.C Licence questions

You may address your questions to Ohan, at sunbeamcanada@hotmail.com he has quite abit of info for up that way, regsitrations and such. Also being a county deputy is a plus.
Very sharp guy.
Chuck

 

[mavroman]

Thanks fellas,

After having a chat with a rep from the vehicle registration department up here, BC used to assign new VINs to rebuilt cars brough into the province (they've since stopped that practice in the early 90's). I've requested the document history as far back as when the car was registered in BC (1986?). I think RootesRooter may be right about the "BC5" portion - and maybe (hopefully) the "4901819" is the original part of the VIN. I'll be in touch with Ohan as well to further the investigation (thanks for the tip, Pumpkin). More news as it happens...

john

 

[mikephillips]

The 940*** part is correct as an original serial for a round corner door, hood, trunk series IV. If it still has the original engine you can verify this by looking at the flat area above the fuel pum where the number also appears, although you may need to clean the dirt and grease off....

 

[mavroman]

Thanks Mike - My S-IV has the rounded corner door/bonnet/boot and today I wiped away the cobwebs & found a matching serial number of B9401819 LRX stamped on the engine block. Still on the hunt to determine the "BC5" portion of the ID Tag. Ohan (sunbeamcanada@hotmail.com) had come across a similar issue with a S-III (originally from Portland, now residing in Nanaimo). This car had a "C" stamp after the "B" but did not have a "5". The plot thickens...

On another note, can anyone recommend reputable facilities (at least on the west coast) that specialize in Alpine coach work - metal stripping/acid/base dipping, metal fabrication, etc. I suspect that if the car is indeed a 'rebuild', I'll be uncovering huge tracts of bondo, fibreglass and other frankenseinian bits...