On Mon, 22 May 2000, Barry J Hammel wrote:
> Need some help. About to buy a '59 TR3.
>
> Current owner advises following tags in engine compartment:
>
> Tag on left front fender is 30067
> Tag on firewall on passenger side isEB76322
> Tag over the battery is 1097820
>
> I always assumed prefix as TS for chassis numbers (passenger tag
> followed by L for left hand cars.
>
> What is the EB prefix? And 76322 does seem a bit high for a '59?
I believe that's a type of body number. For reference, my own 1960 TR3A is
as follows:
TS71909L (built 3/28/60)
EB70481
1075235
The "EB" numbers seem often to run somewhat below the commission numbers,
as a further point of reference. "Yours" might imply a commission number
in the 78000 range, for a mid-1960 calendar year build, NOT a 1959.
> Also what is the 1097820 number over the battery area. This also appears
> as the VIN on the Title. Originally titled in New York.
FWIF, the car, if originally sold new and registered in New York, would as
likely have been registered by the engine number as by Commission. Also as
a matter of semantics, cars registered in New York previous to the 1973
model year were not "Titled". Instead, they were issued "transferable
certificates of registration." Unless the car was recently registered in
New York (within the last 5-10 years), it's quite likely that there will
be no record of it in NY's DMV computers or files.
Whoever picked up on "1097820" as any sort of number to serve as a VIN was
confused at best. I forget exactly what that number is; it's a "proper"
TR number but has no validity as a commission number. Is there any
evidence at all of a commission number plate? I have no guess at all as to
what the "30067" is unless, as you suggest, it is at least preceded by a
TS and is found on a proper commission number plate on the RH side of the
firewall.
Any hints of the engine number? Not that the engine likely is original,
but if it's in that 76000-77000 range, it might be?
You could be looking at a bureaucratic nightmare here! :-)
--Andy
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