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Re: Thanks for the welcome

To: mg-t@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Thanks for the welcome
From: Roadrunner@Post.com
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 21:23:07 -0800
Marlene Rzepkowski wrote:

> Thanks to all who have ...

>
> I went out and looked to see some of the numbers on my car and they are as
> follows:
> Car # HDE23/4969
> Engine #XPAG/TF/34881
>
> Could someone please decipher them for me ?
>
> ...
>
> Marlene
> 54 MGTF
> 77 Midget

-----------------------
Hello there, Marlene:

    Hope you folks enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

    According to Chip Olds (a member of this T-Series mailing list, former 
Technical Editor of The Sacred Octagon,whose many expert articles the New 
England MG T-Register republished in The T-Series Handbook, 1986*), shortly 
before the introduction of the TF in 1953, the British Motor Corporation 
created a car numbering scheme which reveal information about each individual 
car not previously available for the earlier models, such as the TD or the TC.

    If your car number is HDE23/4969, Marlene, this is what that means:

    HD ==>>    an M.G. two seater, model TF
    E    ==>>    originally painted Almond Green **
    2    ==>>    Right Hand Drive for General Export
    3    ==>>    nitrocellulose lacquer paint
    4969 =>    your car's chassis number

    You should find the chassis number stamped into the side of the left side 
of the frame, on the outside face up front, not far from where the front bumper 
is attached.  It should read TF 4969.

    I'm only guessing, Marlene, but I suspect your car rolled off the bricks at 
Abingdon, England, on Thursday or Friday, the 22nd or 23rd of April, 1954.

    XPAG is  the general engine type (the 1250 cc 4-cylinder ) installed on all 
T-Series MG's since the forties (at least). XPAG/TF is the latest of the XPAG 
engines, and it was installed in most of the TF's. A TF-1500 has an XPEG (1488 
cc) engine.

    34881 is the serial number of your car's original engine.  The engine 
itself has an octagonal brass plate riveted to the block on the same side as 
the carburettors, near the front, close to that cute little brass drain valve.  
On that octagonal plate you should find an engine number matching the one you 
found on the "Maker's Plate" near the end of the tool box in the engine 
compartment, close to the voltage regulator and the coil.




*You might like to check with The New England MG T-Register's book store*** to 
see if any of its current publications contain this material--as its T-Type 
Restoration Handbook quite possibly may.

**(Ditzler [PPG] paint code for a close match is DDL 44159, according to Mr. 
Old's article).

***    http://www.nemgt.org/handbook.htm

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