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Re: [TR] TR3 Numbers

To: "Steven Newell" <steven@newellboys.com>, "triumphs"
Subject: Re: [TR] TR3 Numbers
From: "John Macartney" <standardtriumph@btinternet.com>
Date: Fri, 4 May 2007 00:59:57 +0100
Steven Newell wrote:
> Are you saying the reason Triumph engine numbers don't track with body 
> numbers is that engines were supplied to car production, spares, and 
> special requirements -- while all incrementing the same engine 
> indentification number?
> So suppose my TR4 comm # CT5018LO came with engine # CT5155E. If next the 
> factory made a TR4 (CT5019LO) for the Royal Marines, it might have 
> received engine CT5156E and their spare engine CT5157E. After that, 
> CT5020L might get engine CT5158E -- with the commission number 2 greater 
> than mine but the engine number 3 greater than mine? Over thousands of 
> cars, that adds up.
> I'm not saying the Marines drove TR4's, of course, but hoping to clarify. 
> It sounds like the simple reason that commission numbers and engine 
> numbers don't line up is because production supplied more engines than 
> cars. Is that pretty much right?

Don't ever remember Marines driving TR's but I do recall a large group of 
very attractive ladies of the Metropolitan Police driving GT6's as Squad 
Cars in London :)

To attempt to answer your questions:

Engines made for the Parts Division usually had no engine numbers stamped on 
them as these were applied by the fitting dealer. They were type identified 
by a stamped alloy label fixed by wire around the oil filler or other 
prominent projection
Engines made for other manufacturers for industrial use were similarly 
identified
Engines for reconditioning had the original number ground off, another 
applied in a different format and the engines painted a 'yucky' blue.

What *throws* many people today was that an engine number was often 
duplicated or triplicated but with different suffixes such as LE, E and HE. 
Certain markets (north America was one, post 1968) had different engine 
prefixes. These codes were identified by the issue of Service and/or Parts 
Bulletins for importers that were not affiliated companies to the Coventry 
parent.

Believe me, the commission, engine and body numbering at Standard-Triumph 
was not as easy to unfathom as many believe. There were about 130 different 
export markets for built-up, or CKD or SKD local assembly and all of them 
had differing territorial and federal build requirements - most of which 
could be translated by the multitudinous prefixes and suffixes used.on the 
production 'tally card' from which Heritage Certificates are now issued.

Anyone who has got this far care to identify MG4305DLO or ML21372DLBW?

Jonmac 


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