On Fri, 27 Jun 1997, Bruce T. Clough wrote:
> 2. The engine lifting hardware deleted from the engine. We know it was
> after CT925E.
Engine CT3479E has it.
> 6. The hood latch lose catch for safety hook? We know it was after CT2966,
> but before CTC50001.
That's reelated to body number, not commission number. Body number 1845CT
has it.
> 8. The windscreen and rear cockpit capping switch from chrome plated brass
> to aluminum? It was after CT2966, but before CT22083.
Another body number (not commission number) issue. Body 1845CT has
chromed brass on the windscreen. The cockpit capping is aluminum, known
to be a repacement.
> 9. The cloisonné hub cap badges switch to painted? It was after CT2966,
> but before CTC50001.
CT3154LO has cloisonne.
> Hood (Bonnet) prop rod color - All I've seen in perior photos are prop
> rods painted body color, but close up and personal inspections of some
> cars indicate that these also came in black. What do those who have
> original cars have? I would think that if they were painted body color
> the attachment hardware would be painted also.
Body number 1845CT has a black prop rod.
> Front valence support tubes (run from the inner fender near the horn mounts
> to the front valence inside the headlamps) color - same arguement as the
> prop rod. I'd say that they were painted body color.
Black on CT3154LO. These would have been installed on the assembly line,
not at the body factory, so the one color fits all theory makes sense.
> I got into a discussion about wheel color at this years Triumph Register of
> America National Meeting. All the steel wheel cars we've seen have been
> painted with the warm silver paint, or at least up until last weekend. A car
> showed up with white wheels and the owner stated that was original for the
> car. This doesn't make sense from a manufacturing perspective, especially
> since silver wheels were standard since late TR2s! Several people stated
>that
> they've seen ads with white wheels, another person stated that a run of cars
> ended up with white wheels. I tend to believe this as much as the aliens that
> are hanging around Area 51. So, what's the experience out there?
Someone else already posted a factory bulletin explaining the run of white
wheels.
> If it strikes you that the questions border on the trivial, you're
> right. But these are the things that separate the boys from the men in
> this era of $20K+ (US) restorations.
Miscellaneous comments based on a lot of long-ago originality research of
my own (T Series MGs, not triumphs):
Be sure your judges understand that commission numbers, body numbers,
engine numbers are only approximate guides to when changes occurred. Even
if you go only by the numbers in factory spares catalogues, you will often
find deviations on cars known to be original.
Going by commission number for body pasts and engine parts is never
safe. Go by body number and engine number instead, because they were not
assembled in order. For example, commission number CT3154LO has body
number 1845CT and engine number CT3479E. There's no guarantee that CT3154
had body 1846CT and engine CT3480E, in fact it's unlikely.
Advertising brochures, official factory photos, and photos of factory show
cars are often misleading. Those cars often got special treatment. For
example, chassis were often painted body color on show cars, but were not
on the production line cars.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 NEMGTR #2271
Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO (daily driver)
fold@mail.bcpl.lib.md.us
If cars had evolved as fast as computers have, by now they'd cost a
quarter, run for a year on a half-gallon of gas, and explode once a day.
|