TR2/3/3A TR3a Chassis Number

T

Tcraftdriver

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #1

Hi All,

Where can I find the chassis numbe ron the 1959 TR3a Ijust purchased? I have the VIN or Commission number and I know where the engine number is but cannot seem to locate anyone who knows where the chassis number is. Any help is always gratefully appreciated.

 

AEW

Jedi Hopeful

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #2

I've been told the number on the front cross member is not a tracked number and not much use. It will be "Z" something I think. Numbers that identify the car are on the tub and engine. The gearbox number only helps to tell if it is the same age as the car and so does the differential number.

 

OP

T

Tcraftdriver

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #3

Where would I find the tub number?

 

OP

T

Tcraftdriver

Member

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #4

Is the tub number, the VIN number on the tub firewall?

 

OP

T

Tcraftdriver

Member

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #5

I have just learned that the British Car Registry can only check the car's history if they have the engine number and the chassis number. There are a lot of references to the chassis number online but no one seems to know where the number is. The actuallocation of the chassis number seems to be a mystery of some kind.

 

Andrew Mace

Moderator

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #6

There are -- or should be -- two "tub" or body number plates, one atop the other above the battery box. One is the "body in white" (bare body) number, and the other is a number for the fully painted and trimmed body.

 

Mickey Richaud

Moderator

Staff member

Gold

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #7

VIN is located on the passenger side firewall. It will begin with the letters "TS".

The body number is on one of two brass plates on the center firewall, and will be close to, but not equal to, the VIN.

Check here. for more.

 

Geo Hahn

Yoda

Offline

• Sep 17, 2012

• #8

Here's a pic of said tags:

As I understand it the upper (painted) one was affixed by Mulliners when the body was built -- that is the body number.

I do not know what is meant by the 'chassis' number -- is it the body number of the number below it that STC put on there?

I believe BMIHT can issue a cert based on the commission number (the sometimes reduntaly named VIN number):

In fact, using the commission number for this is the usual procedure -- they charge extra to do a search using engine, body or chassis number.

 

6TTR3A

Jedi Warrior

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #9

<span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="color: #003300">There's a recent thread here about "Brit speak" and abbreviations used on the forum.
CHASSIS can now be added.
On page 71 of Robert Bentley's <span style="font-style: italic">THE COMPLETE OFFICIAL TRIUMPH TR2 & TR3 1953-1961,</span> there is what I would call a clarification.
Page 71 of the Manual under GENERAL DATA, Item 4 heading says <span style="font-weight: bold">"COMMISSION NUMBER (Chassis Number)"</span>
so
IMO: English = Chassis
American = Frame and body
That do you think ??
FRank </span></span>

 

Geo Hahn

Yoda

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• Sep 17, 2012

• #10

Yes, looking at my BMIHT certificates it appears they use 'Chassis Number' for what I have always called 'Commission Number'.

Since the plate (see pic above) actually says 'Comm No' I think I will continue to call it that.

 

OP

T

Tcraftdriver

Member

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• Sep 18, 2012

• #11

Thank you Geo Hahn, 6TTr3a and the other guys who replied. A light went on and I emailed Acorn Insurance, ainsurance company in the UK or Great Britain, and asked them the same question. This is their repsonse:

Chassis Number:
These days a car can be insured based on its Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), also known as its chassis number.

That clarification is right from Acorn INsurance so it appears that we can consider the Commission Number, VIN number and Chassis Number to all be the same number that is on the tag on teh firewall. In my case it is TS57745L and the L stands for left hand drive.

Thank you to everyone who responsed to my question and al lthese replies eventually led to the answer. This web site is a great resource for anyone with a Triumph car.

 

Don Elliott

Obi Wan

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• Sep 18, 2012

• #12

On the bare frame with the radiator out you can look down onto the top of the square cross frame (directly under where the bottom of the radiator was) and you will see a small plate that has been welded to the top of this cross frame and is painted over the same colour as the rest of your frame. It measures about 1" by 2". As referenced above, the number should start with a "Z". I only saw this number on this plate on the my bare frame while I was restoring it from 1987 to 1990. The number on the plate on my TR3A reads Z28 and according to some "experts", the Z is for the subcontract company that made the frame and the 2 = February and the 8 = 1958. My TR3A was completed on Feb. 14th, 1958 so this agrees - if it is true. So if there were say 1200 TR3As completed that month, there must be 1200 frames marked with the same Z28. I have owned my TR3A from new and no-one uses or needs this number. It must have been a "tracking number", used in pre-assembly and during final assembly.

 

B

BRSLimited

Jedi Trainee

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• Sep 22, 2012

• #13

Don Elliott said:

On the bare frame with the radiator out you can look down onto the top of the square cross frame (directly under where the bottom of the radiator was) and you will see a small plate that has been welded to the top of this cross frame and is painted over the same colour as the rest of your frame. It measures about 1" by 2". As referenced above, the number should start with a "Z". I only saw this number on this plate on the my bare frame while I was restoring it from 1987 to 1990. The number on the plate on my TR3A reads Z28 and according to some "experts", the Z is for the subcontract company that made the frame and the 2 = February and the 8 = 1958. My TR3A was completed on Feb. 14th, 1958 so this agrees - if it is true. So if there were say 1200 TR3As completed that month, there must be 1200 frames marked with the same Z28. I have owned my TR3A from new and no-one uses or needs this number. It must have been a "tracking number", used in pre-assembly and during final assembly.

Click to expand...

My frame has Z31, using this logic it was made in March of 1961, the car is a 58 TS23679.

 

PeterK

Yoda

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• Sep 23, 2012

• #14

My 58 is Z28 as well.

 

Don Elliott

Obi Wan

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• Sep 23, 2012

• #15

I was only quoting what I had heard that some "experts" said.

Is it possible that your 1958 TR3A was restored onto a replacement frame built in March 1961 ?

Or the "experts" are wrong in their explanation.

Don Elliott, Orginal Owner, 1958 TR3A, TS 27489 LO

 

Tr3aguy

Jedi Knight

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• Oct 1, 2012

• #16

I just got down to my tag and it is Z29....using the theory that means the frame was completed after the heritage build completion date of the car which was 2 Sep 1958...
I know this frame is original to the car so I think the theory may be a bit askew.....
my 2 cents

 

Andrew Mace

Moderator

Staff member

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• Oct 1, 2012

• #17

"Askew" is putting it nicely; I sincerely doubt there's any real correlation between those "Z" chassis numbers and build dates other than later cars might have had higher "Z" numbers!

 

F

flyingbp

Freshman Member

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• Jan 17, 2014

• #18

i have two tr3 frames one has b stamped on the front lower crossmember no number the other has z31 ? flyingbp

 

V

vivdownunder

Jedi Warrior

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• Jan 18, 2014

• #19

Some years back a retired S-T design engineer told me the front cross member Z number represented engineering changes along the way. For instance revised brackets for the upgrade from drum to disc brakes, extra bracket on the spring towers for the split steering column etc. The Z number was applied by frame manufacturer Sankeys prior to delivery to S-T and the plate also gave the centerline for body mounting and frame repairs.

Viv

 

S

sp53

Yoda

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• Jan 18, 2014

• #20

interesting