E in VIN

OK, went to look at a new project today. Confused me a bit with the VIN...TS5688E on the title. The commision plate is corroded beyond recognition.

So, I was wondering, is there such a suffix, or is it just mis-recorded and should be the usual L?

John

That's an engine number. "Back in the day," some states used those numbers on registration/title documents. Fine...until the engine gets swapped out. Did you get an engine number on this "project" car? or the body numbers above the battery box? I'm assuming by that relatively low number that this was a TR2.

Interesting Andy. The car was in very sorry shape. It took 20 minutes just to clean the commission plate enough to read that number. I considered digging for the engine number, but did not think it would be used on the title and knew it would not match the commission. The title does not match the commission either...guess I'll have to go digging!

It appears to be a TR2, which is the only reason I considered a "back 40" car in this condition. It has an OD, but no O, so I was figuring it was pieced from several cars...maybe not if the engine number matches the title??

Thanks,

John

I agree with Andy; it was common practice back then to use the engine number rather than the commission number. And for Triumph, they are not the same number! I had the same problem with my 56.

You were supposed to notify the authorities of any engine change (hence a change to the number).

Overdrives were at least sometimes installed by the dealers, who of course did not modify the commission number. So not having the 'O' on the commission number doesn't necessarily mean it was delivered without OD. The OD was also available as an add-on kit.

Yep, a club member here in Houston has a TR2 titled by the engine. A real pain for him too when he tried to export the car.

Same thing happened to me. Engine number on the title. Alabama doesn't recognize titles before 1975 so I sold with notarized bill of sale and AL tag receipt.

Well, the seller took my offer, so I am now the owner of a "slightly worn" TR2. Thanks to all of you for the explanation about the VIN/title discrepancy. Turns out the car is not a piece together like I thought. Pics in a separate post...take it easy on me, as I know what a wreck it is!

John

Now that you can read the Comm. No. (VIN) on the black and aluminium plate measuring about 4 inches by 4 inches on the sloped firewall in front of the glove box, (this would tell you it's a TR2). Compare that number with the "official" number on the registration papers with the "E" in it. Then read off the engine number located on the block below sparkplug #3 a bit to the rear of the coil and above the fuel pump.

If the first number you quoted above is the "VIN" number written on the papers and if this engine number is about 100 to 300 numbers higher than the number you can read on the Comm. No. plate on the upper firewall near the glove box, then your numbers match.

The numbers on my 1958 TR3A which I bought brand new in May 1958 are still all original.

Comm. No. TS 27489 LO (the L is Left hand and the O is for the overdrive that came with my TR3A from the factory). If yours has no "O" at the end of the numerals stamped on the black & aluminium VIN plate, all it means is that it left the factory without an overdrive and someone has installed one since then.

My other numbers - Body Shell No. = 983670 and the "EB No. = EB 27710. These two numbers should be reverse stamped on brass plates above the battery box. The EB plate shoud be painted body colour while the other number should be bare shiny brass.From some old records I have and if your engine is the original one and bears the number you quoted above, your car is a TR2 built between Jan and March, 1955. One of your brass plate numbers should be stamped about 772000.



My Engine No. = TS 27789 E (the E is for "Engine").

Thanks Don. The car is now resting in my back yard in Texas, but I am working in Florida. It'll be later this week before i can dig into it.

The body numbers coincide with what you say they should, but I still have not had a chance to clean and read the engine number. Your explanation about the O gives me encouragement that this still could be an original overdrive car. I cleaned till I read the L, and assumed that if there is an L, there could be no O...the plate is so bad it may be there under the rest of the paint/dirt/and corrosion.

I did find and talk to the owner that had it from'71 to 2009. He says he rebuilt the motor, but all the big parts are at least original since '71. At the time I still thought the title was wrong, and he had no idea why it differred from the plate. Thanks to the knowledge base here in the forum, I understand the numbers, and there is even still a chance the whole car is original.

Thanks again...I'll update once I get time time crawl all over it...

John

Wrapping up my project, so closing out all my old threads for anyone wondering in the future.

It turns out that it was common in the '50's to title and register cars under the engine number...and indeed, the engine number in this old car matched the Title. Seems odd, but I had absolutely no trouble getting the car titled this month and re-registered for the first time in 30+ years. Since Texas has linked inspections to registration electronically, I did have to make sure the inspector logged the inspection under the engine number, instead of the obvious body number on the Comm plate.

So, I got a few hundred off the sale price for an old bureaucratic custom...turns out that was a drop in the bucket in the big picture. But, every little helps!?!