[TR] Narrowing in on a lost commission number

[nwolf at u.washington.edu]

Hi Geo
   That is true.  The engine number is CT10205E, which does fall within the range suggested by the body tub... but several other components do not match - including the frame, with its late-style rear axle check straps (CT23383+).  The overdrive transmission may have been added as well, as evidenced by the fact that a previous owner clearly improvised an overdrive switch.  So, I'm not really sure what to believe yet.  My goal is to get as far as I can just by looking at the body tub, and then consider the bolted-on equipment (including the engine).
   The other thing I hadn't tried yet is the "body-in-white" number (stamped on a welded-on tag inside the left rear wheel well).  For those not familiar, here's a pic I saved from an old eBay auction:

http://tinyurl.com/2vqnbq

... but everything I've read says these numbers aren't very helpful, and no database exists for them (for example, see Piggott's "Original Triumph TR4/4A/4/6" pg. 119).  Is that a fair statement?  If not, I'm happy to go scrape the paint off and try to read those numbers.

   Cheers!
-Nick


On Tue, 4 Mar 2008 11:54:42 -0700 ahwahnee at cybertrails.com wrote:
> In case you do not know, BMIHT can usually produce a build cert with
> nothing 
> but the engine number to go on.  This would give you the other numbers.
> 
> Useful, of course, only if you believe the engine to be original.
> There is 
> an extra charge for this sort of look-up.
> 
> Geo
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <nwolf at u.washington.edu>
> Subject: [TR] Narrowing in on a lost commission number
> 
> > ...My TR4 has a sordid past.  At some point, it was separated from its 
> > original commissioning and body ID plates.  It currently has '4A IRS 
> > plates (and title), but it's obviously a TR4...