Cavalier hull number

[texashans]

I have just purchased a 15.5' 1959 Cavalier, in need of a little TLC. I spent some time crawling around inside today looking for a hull number which might help in identifying what size motor (among other things) orginally came with the boat. I know that they are supposed to be on the motor mount "stringers", but if they are on top then they are obscured by the added 283 motor currently in the boat. Nonetheless, there are supposed to be a 1/2 dozen places other places where the hull numbers should be found, but I could not find anything. The only thing re. numbers that I found on the boat are the following numbers penciled in the front and aft:

155-38-1 front
155-15-? aft

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Mike]

Look aft for crosspiece.. between stringers

[E-J Ohler]

I'm not familiar with a fifteen and a half foot Cavalier. Are you sure it is not a 15' (14'11") or a 16'(15'11" or 16'4") What is the titled year?
Besides that as mentioned some of the cross members (also for deck) might have a number and they could be ink-stamped (if the boat was painted over inside hard to find) Sometime a number was letter stamped somewhere close to center below water line were bottom meets transom.
Good luck.