George,
I think the explanation is simple. From what I understand the build records
at BMIHT are microfilm copies of the originals and are not very clear. The
build record I got for my TR2 listed an engine number that was earlier than
the chassis number. This is out of sequence with the usual situation. TR2s
in that build range usually had an engine number about 150 to 200 numbers
higher than the chassis. This is because Triumph was selling TR engines to
Swallow for the Doretti and to Morgan. In California in the 50s cars were
registered by their engine numbers. My car came with an engine block that
matched the Ca. registration which was 196 numbers greater than the chassis
number (TS1436L, TS1632E). So, BMIHT was telling me one thing and the
physical evidence told me another. The tie breaker came when I got an build
record extract for my car from the TR Register in the UK. The TR Register
has access to an original build record from the factory. The extract from
the TR Register agreed with my registration documents and the engine I had.
Looking at the two engine numbers you state CT 29988 E and CT 29938 E, it
seems very likely that the researchers at BMIHT were looking at a poor copy
and interpreted the first 8 as a 3. As for the missing body number, someone
just didn't note it down in that record book.
Just my onageristic estimate.
Cheers,
Kurt Oblinger
Triumph Register of So. California
www.triumphssocal.org
You wrote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 17:57:35 -0700
From: Geo Hahn <geohahn@ultrasw.com>
Subject: History & a Mystery (long and possibly honing)
Got my BMIHT certificate for the TR4 today. I was very interested in
how it would come out as the car has some large gaps between the
numbers:
Commission: CT 36536 L Engine: CT 29988 E Body: 29272 CT
When I had previously removed the 'original' commission plate to replace
it with a fresh one (brake fluid had gotten to the old one) I had found
a second set of holes where a prior commission plate had apparently been
mounted and then drilled out. FWIW the rivets on the plate I removed
looked like 'factory' to my eye.
The BMIHT indicated:
Commission: CT/36536-L Engine: CT/29938-E Body: 'not recorded'
Something strange seems to have happened -- perhaps before the car left
Coventry. The engine number is so similar that I wonder if the car was
re-commissioned and in preparing the records the engine number was
misread.
To others who have obtained certificates for their TR4s... was your body
number present on the cert or 'not recorded'.
I suppose for another $65 I could have them search using the body
number I have and see what commission number that turns up.
Speculation welcome, though at this point I doubt I will ever know the
whole story.
Geo Hahn
64 TR4
Tucson
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