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Series I Alpine Body No and Colour Code

DanR

DanR

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I recently purchased a Series I Alpine from Allan Ballard. It is pretty much stock and in fairly decent condition.

He did convert it to a FORD (Cologne) 2.8 V6 with a T5 transmission. He ran it hot and started a tear down before I came into posession. I now have the engine out and steam cleaned the Alpine nicely.

The engine compartment is my first area to consider painting. The Alpine data plate/Body No is a bit baffling to to me. Here are few PIC's.

As you can tell it is of a white colour, my question is what is the correct colour code?

The Body No is not real clear in this picture, but I can see what appears to be a number 4 then two zeros and a 9.

The VIIN is B9004114 followed by LRXMy Series I - B9004114 LRX 4 009 20240719_125848.jpg
 

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Looks like an early moonstone coloured S1 so it should show colour code 19 on the VIN plate. However it only shows the "4009" which appears to be the SAL. Didn't know that early S1's carried the SAL instead of the colour code on the VIN plate. Actually a very nice project, so definitely worth rescuing it...
 
Can't tell by heart, but you may try. Given the condition of the paintwork- which looks original to me - plus the white piping on the seats it has to be moonstone (19). Almost certain. There were only a handful of colours and only one shade of white for the S1's so the seats are really telltailing. Just spotted the Club sticker on the windscreen, so perhaps the Club has some records...
 
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bernd_st said:
Looks like an early moonstone coloured S1 so it should show colour code 19 on the VIN plate. However it only shows the "4009" which appears to be the SAL. Didn't know that early S1's carried the SAL instead of the colour code on the VIN plate. Actually a very nice project, so definitely worth rescuing it...
Click to expand...
Bernd I can't find any indication of a paint code anywhere on this Alpine. I read recently where some of the early SI's had different VIIN's from the Body No's if they had to be taken out of the assembly line for some odd reason, then put back in assembly at a later date.

Could that be the difference in the B9004114 and the 4009 ?

The Tags/Plates are still unmolested.
 
bernd_st said:
Given the condition of the paintwork- which looks original to me
Click to expand...
I think it is original but there has been in the distance past some over spray that is pealing off.

Anyone have a suggestion how to match the Code 19 ?
 
You can see in one of the PIC's that the VIIN has been scratched a tiny bit (Not by me) in the first couple of positions, probably in an attempt to see the numbers.
 
Were the early Series 'vin tag' screwed on or riveted? I keep feeling like that's from a different car but I'm probably wrong. It's a sweet, sweet car regardless.
 
It has rivets for the Body No. The Plate that had the "screen" has been gone from a long time due to wear. It is held in place by very small screws. I do not believe they have ever been taken out. There is not wear, scratches or pressure marks from where an attempt was made to remove them.

The PIC showing the VIIN Number is stamped into the body on the firewall. Some prior owner (Either the original owner or perhaps Allan made the scratches in the first few characters in an attempt to verify the VIIN (B9004114), they are visable from under some overspray.

I need to find a paint colour matching the Code 19 Moonstone (White).
 
DanR said:
It has rivets for the Body No. The Plate that had the "screen" has been gone from a long time due to wear. It is held in place by very small screws. I do not believe they have ever been taken out. There is not wear, scratches or pressure marks from where an attempt was made to remove them.

The PIC showing the VIIN Number is stamped into the body on the firewall. Some prior owner (Either the original owner or perhaps Allan made the scratches in the first few characters in an attempt to verify the VIIN (B9004114), they are visable from under some overspray.

I need to find a paint colour matching the Code 19 Moonstone (White).
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Sounds original to me too. Wonder what occurred to have that plate on that car. At least it's a fun little intellectual mystery and not one of the 'I cut off so much already and the damn thing still won't fit!' variety :)
 
DanR said:
Bernd I can't find any indication of a paint code anywhere on this Alpine. I read recently where some of the early SI's had different VIIN's from the Body No's if they had to be taken out of the assembly line for some odd reason, then put back in assembly at a later date.

Could that be the difference in the B9004114 and the 4009 ?

The Tags/Plates are still unmolested.
Click to expand...
You may compare with the S1 VIN plate which Michael posted. It's showing the colour Code in a dedicated field on the right. That's what I had on my S1 and my California Black plate S2 ( very original) too. The SAL plate was rivetted while VIN plate was always just screwed on with some tiny set screws (yours are original) on the early series. The SAL and the VIN almost never matches, but should at least be close. So your difference between 4114 & 4009 appears definitely original.

P.S. The early moonstone is a very nice colour and completely different from the later series. It's a bright white which appears a bit greyish. This is because a tiny bit of green is in the Mix. The later one is a rather creamy white...
 
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bernd_st said:
You may compare with the S1 VIN plate which Michael posted. It's showing the colour Code in a dedicated field on the right. That's what I had on my S1 and my California Black plate S2 ( very original) too. The SAL plate was rivetted while VIN plate was always just screwed on with some tiny set screws (yours are original) on the early series. The SAL and the VIN almost never matches, but should at least be close. So your difference between 4114 & 4009 appears definitely original.

P.S. The early moonstone is a very nice colour and completely different from the later series. It's a bright white which appears a bit greyish. This is because a tiny bit of green is in the Mix. The later one is a rather creamy white...
Click to expand...
Bernd.. my SI was originally a moonstone with scarlet interior and OD ...
The original paint moonstone series IVs I've seen aren't creamy... It's more a bluish tinge to the white , not arctic white car.. proper code 19
 
alpine_64 said:
Bernd.. my SI was originally a moonstone with scarlet interior and OD ...
The original paint moonstone series IVs I've seen aren't creamy... It's more a bluish tinge to the white , not arctic white car.. proper code 19
Click to expand...

I have no other way than trusting my good old ICI paint chip and the mixture formula on the back side says a tiny bit of green. Should be a blueish green though since it looks cold/ blueish indeed...
 
bernd_st said:
You may compare with the S1 VIN plate which Michael posted.
Click to expand...
I jus noticed the plate has the VIIN starting with "B901" - Mine is B900 lots of changes could have taken place between the production of these two Alpines.
I'm heading back to do more search.... thanks for the help,

Up date: B9000001 (Mine 4114) thru B9011904 are Series I's
 
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DanR said:
I jus noticed the plate has the VIIN starting with "B901" - Mine is B900 lots of changes could have taken place between the production of these two Alpines.

I'm heading back to do more search.... thanks for the help,
Click to expand...
My blue race car is an Australian delivered series I .. 1960 model...so not long before SII starts.

The car you have is 411 ... So very early production... So may have been changed to spec plate etc... there is a 57 that just turned up on another site...would be one of the oldest surviving alpines
 
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