I am replacing the swing arm gusset plate on my slimline frame and wanted to know if there is anybody out there that can re-stamp the identification numbers to the new gusset plate? I would like the restamp to be the proper font and size(see attached pictures)?
Vehicle Identity.
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Hi Paul, Thanks for the…
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the reply. I understand your concern of somebody committing Norton identity theft but I assure you that I am just looking to repair damaged bent gussets and I am open to any suggestions. I have attached a couple more pictures of the damaged gussets. The one with the factory stamping on it is bent and marked up. I could possibly try hammering it back into place but I am afraid it will look awful. Another problem I have if keeping the original gusset is that I need to also replace the bent rear cross member. The cross member on this frame is welded to the gussets whereas the new cross member will be through bolted through the gussets. This will require me to drill a hole through the gusset right where the factory "18" stamping is. On my 1963 ES2 they put the ID stamping below the cross member bolt. So my thought was to replace the damaged gussets if it was possible to have the new one re stamped. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ed
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Hi Ed, I see your…
Hi Ed,
I see your predicament. As you are in the USA if you go with replacing the gusset, I would check with your local licencing office (if the frame is going back on the road) as they might have some guidelines or regulations to follow. If you go ahead, I would document everything and that's probably all you can do. I agree that drilling through the '18' is not ideal but that is only the model code and the serial number aspect, will remain untouched. That would be my preference. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
With Commando frames, only the early English frames and the later Italian frames had their numbers stamped into the frame headstock. The rest relied on a VIN plate, which as we all know, are easily swapped, replaced or lost! Commandos are unique in the Norton range for this and so are the problems associated with them.
Kind regards,
Paul.
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DVLA restamping form
Don't know where you are based Edward, but here in the UK and many other European countries there is a possibility to apply to have a frame number restamped with appropriate evidence, look up their website.
Jon
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What an intriguing answer to…
What an intriguing answer to the removal of a frame number on a Norton frame gusset.
It brings to mind the Commando frame plates available from reputable dealers which can be stamped with any numbers that a nefarious seller conjures up claiming them to be "genuine".
These plates at one time where only available through dealerships which suggests they where trying to minimise cloning even back then.
So, if you can buy a Norton frame plate in this manner what's the problem of stamping a replacement gusset.
Answers please on a postage stamp in upper case, ie, in brief!
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I find it odd that the…
I find it odd that the advice given by the club Record Officer above contradicts the advice given by the same of the Land Rover Series 2 Club, that when replacing the chassis, to stamp the new one, destroy the old one and not inform the DVLA as there is no legal requirement to do so.
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The alleged devotion of the…
The alleged devotion of the Civil Servants (who actually draft and enforce most of the rules which govern our lives...) to the authenticity of a bit of mild steel is frankly bizarre. The only real practical value of a stamped number on a machine is that it allows you to visit a police pound with your documentation and recover a stolen machine. Robin's report about the Landrover club advice is refreshing and perfectly logical. In other words.. just do it; don't let the world know you've done it; and get on with life. And don't get involved in a Hercules Poirot murder mystery where the stamped number clinches the case. It's Grandfather's Axe anyway. Like most old machines.
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Landrovers
Unfortunately, the sheer number of "Series" Land-Rovers on coil sprung chassis with the numbers transferred over is one of the reasons that DVLA are now so tight on things. Some of the "Historic" Rovers had Range-Rover bodies and V8 engines.
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Hello Edward,
I am one of the Record Officers in the Club and I would STRONGLY advice NOT to replace the frame gusset plate without good reason. The number shown is an original Norton Factory Stamping and is the frame's identity. As soon as you remove this, you loose the identity under UK law. It maybe different in the USA but any re-stamped number arouses suspicion as to why it has been done. There are many 'cloned' bikes about and even with supportive documentation as to why the gusset has been replaced, the removal of the original frame number would render the frame as unusable for road use in the UK. I would seriously try and find a work-a-round than doing what you are intending.
Kind regards,
Paul Watkins