BMIHT certificate came today!

[HerronScott]

So it was a little like Christmas today when I found the envelope from Heritage Motor Centre in the mailbox today for my TR3A!

They came up with the same engine and body numbers so it still has its original engine. I was surprised to see that it was originally Silverstone Grey with Silverstone Grey leather interior and a black top. It's currently painted powder blue but it looked to me like there was white under the blue in the engine compartment (and some black under that?) and it looks like the dash was covered with white as well so I figured it was going to come back that it was white originally!

Factory fitted equipment included 590 Whitewall tyres, Tonneau cover and Heater. Build date of May 4, 1959 and dispatch date of May 28, 1959 to Southwest Triumph Distributors Inc. Houston. It was shipped from the Royal Edward Dock, Avonmouth aboard the vessel "Dick Lykes".

I guess now I'm going to have to at least get one for my original TR4A as well. They've gotten me hooked now...

Scott

 

[HerronScott]

I found a few references to the S.S. Dick Lykes using Google. Looks like it was a freighter of the US Merchant Marine (S.S. Dick Lykes) and was scrapped in 1970.

"Dick Lykes 1945 built by North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Del. | Standard ship type C2-S-AJ1 built for United States Maritime Commission, March 1970 scrapped at Kaohsiung. 8,174"

 

[Andrew Mace]

So it was a little like Christmas today when I found the envelope from Heritage Motor Centre in the mailbox today for my TR3A!...I guess now I'm going to have to at least get one for my original TR4A as well. They've gotten me hooked now...

Yeah, that happened to me after my first certificate arrived!

Like you, I was "fooled" by what appeared to have been a "white" interior in a TR3A I had for many years. Mind you, I'd never have known it was "white" were it not for years of wear that prompted me at one point to try some paint stripper on various interior panels. But there it was, under the black...and tan...and BLUE paints or dyes from previous owners. All this on a car with much of its original green paint still present! It was only after I got a build record that I learned the interior was Silverstone Grey and not "white"!

 

[WedgeWorks]

You guys should be thankful that BMIHT can generate your certificates. They have no records for my 1980 TR8 Coupe. They have it for the car built before and the car built after my VIN number.........so frustrating!

 

[Mickey Richaud]

Scott -

Don't take the certificate as "gospel". The TR3 ('57) I had was listed as beige with blue leather trim. The paint color was correct, but the trim was stone vinyl. I'm sure it was original to the car as it was as dry rotted as only 40+ year-old vinyl could be. Of course, the dealer may have swapped it out at a customer's request.

Point is, the records were not as accurate or thorough as we'd like to think, as Michael just mentioned.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

Ive been wanting to get me one of those for my GT6, but I see the money and think "gee, I can buy me one of those cool certificate thingies or I can buy more parts and get closer to getting the car running." Perhaps someday in the far far future.

I would love it if someone would scan me theirs. Ive got this really bad fear that the info I get will be "you car was built sometime in 67, it was green with black vinyl interior, and was built in england" I just wanna see an example of what one looks like.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

You guys should be thankful that BMIHT can generate your certificates. They have no records for my 1980 TR8 Coupe. They have it for the car built before and the car built after my VIN number.........so frustrating!

Just noticed your avatar. I learned yesterday why the 44 is backwards.

 

[Guest]

Hey Scott,

Like Mickey said, don't lose any sleep over the certificate. Although, of course it is a nice thing to have. As mentioned before, there is no telling what was done to a car by the DEALER, once it set foot on this side of the pond.

I knew before I bought my TR3B that there were going to be discrepancies. For instance, when the car was taken down to bare metal, MANY COLORS of paint were found! Although all of my panels are post-60,000, my firewall is from a 1958 TR3A, and the original engine had to be replaced with another TR4 engine during the rebuild.

Here is my certificate-vs-current comparison:

Original color exterior, BLACK, now RED
Original color interior, RED, now BLACK
Original color hood, WHITE, now BLACK
Original color side curtains, WHITE, now BLACK (there is white showing underneath on some edges, so I touched them up with airplane dope)
Original color tonneau, WHITE, now BLACK
Original Heater, now YES
Original Windscreen Washer, now NO
Original Synchro gearbox, now YES
Original 60-spoke wire wheels, now YES

So, if I were to hear from BMIHT tomorrow, telling me that there was a mixup on commission numbers, I would believe them. Still, it's nice to know the history of one's car. Come August 3, 2012, I AM going to have a 50th Birthday Party for the ol' girl!

 

[HerronScott]

You guys should be thankful that BMIHT can generate your certificates. They have no records for my 1980 TR8 Coupe. They have it for the car built before and the car built after my VIN number.........so frustrating!

Michael,

Wow, I could see records from the 50's/60's coming up missing but the 80's? Sorry to hear they can't "find" your car. So did they give you a refund?

Scott

 

[HerronScott]

Mickey and George,

I'm definitely not going to lose any sleep over any inaccuracies and I certainly don't feel the need to restore it as it was built or delivered. When I do get the space and time to get started on it, it will get wire wheels and an O/D for example and it will more than likely be repainted powder blue (haven't decided on the interior color yet).

I grew up watching a friend's older brother drive this car which is what got me interested in Triumphs. Years later after I had bought and restored my TR4A, I got the chance to buy this TR3 from him so since I originally fell in love with it as powder blue, that is the color that is "right" for me for a TR3.

Scott

 

[HerronScott]

Ive been wanting to get me one of those for my GT6, but I see the money and think "gee, I can buy me one of those cool certificate thingies or I can buy more parts and get closer to getting the car running." Perhaps someday in the far far future.

I would love it if someone would scan me theirs. Ive got this really bad fear that the info I get will be "you car was built sometime in 67, it was green with black vinyl interior, and was built in england" I just wanna see an example of what one looks like.

Although I think it's really neat to have, if I were you, I would stick with buying more parts and getting your car on the road.

I pretty much listed all the information that the certificate has on it in my first post - Make and model, Car/chassis number, Engine number, Body number, Specifications (LHD, North American export for mine), Color (exterior, interior, top), Date of build, Date of Dispatch, Destination (dealer), Factory fitted equipment (the whitewall tires, tonneau and heater for mine), and Other information (which was the shipping information for mine).

Scott

 

[Mickey Richaud]

I grew up watching a friend's older brother drive this car which is what got me interested in Triumphs. Years later after I had bought and restored my TR4A, I got the chance to buy this TR3 from him so since I originally fell in love with it as powder blue, that is the color that is "right" for me for a TR3.

Scott

THAT'S the spirit! I ended up painting mine Pearl White with red interior, which were both factory options at the time. Those were my choices, like yours, because it just looked "right".

(Although, in hindsight, beige with blue leather would have been unique!)

Carry on!


Mickey

 

[UmmYeahOk]

You guys should be thankful that BMIHT can generate your certificates. They have no records for my 1980 TR8 Coupe. They have it for the car built before and the car built after my VIN number.........so frustrating!

Michael,

Wow, I could see records from the 50's/60's coming up missing but the 80's? Sorry to hear they can't "find" your car. So did they give you a refund?

Scott

If it makes you feel any better, I cant get any info on my ford mustang. Theres something called a marti report that not only states everything that the BMIHT certificate does, only can tell you when it was ordered, serialized, rolled off... ...how many cars came in that color, color/interior. They can break down all the options to give you a number your happy with. Last show I was at, EVERYONE had a "rare" mustang.

Problem is, my cars too new. Ford likes to hold on for information for 10 years. They claim they dont have it, but exterior color numbers have been taken on many year models, Some working at ford have even broken down the numbers for their own cars, making them public.

The organization that gets the reports used to only do 67-73. But now he does 67-79. He said that hed do 80-98 in 2009, but that was back in 2008, and 2009 is almost over.

Ford does have a number you can call to request a history report. They break down the VIN for you, and tells you what options came with the car. Everything was correct except the gear ratio. It said I had 3:27 gears when all v6es came with 2:73. GTs came with 3:27s.

Pretty sure the data was computerized and stored somewhere that wasnt just a spreadsheet. So even in 1994 the data was wrong.

 

[WedgeWorks]

I guess my TR8 TCN160020 is an exception to the BMIHT rule of how Triumph/British Leyland/Jaguar-Rover-Triumph......on and on and on kept records. I know my TR8 was renumbered from a batch built earlier in 1979 to 1980 production numbers which has been previously documented in some books. To add more mystery it had two drilled out rivets behind the dash and the VIN plate has only one rivet installed. Never seen that before. It also had under the headliner an inspection sticker that was signed off in November 1978 with LHS V8 scribbled on it. I also found another sticker with a V8 designation under the front bumper mount. The 1980 catalyst decal on the driver's door was put over a 1979 and a 1978 model year stickers.

Who knows what the factory or the dealers ever did to get a car out of the plant or dealer parking lot! I am going to try again with my other TR8 coupe TCN160058 so who knows how accurate the paperwork could be or if this car exhists in the piles of boxes in a dark storage room. I will say one thing about the #20 coupe I was offered to look through all the records I wanted to for the car if I was to ever visit the UK. I might have to take them up on the offer but trying to convince my wife France and the UK are the same place may be a hardsell. Its only a train ride away, right?

Ummm-I am a true Group 44 Groupie! Love all the stories and I still talk to some of the guys who worked for Bob over the years especially the TR6s, TR7, TR8s and the XJRs.

I had bought new a Dodge Neon ACR in 1996 and waited 8 months for the car. Thats is the difference to a hand built car vs. a regular production model!When I got it it had everybit of information on the old green and white computer printer paper like a parts manifest, white paper with when each step was done and the dyno sign off stating 158hp at 6,200rpms all in the passenger side door pocket. I told the dealer that "NO-ONE" was to remove anything from the car until I got there. I wonder if Chrysler/Fiat has copies of those records? Oh well that car is long gone!

 

[angelfj1]

Good for you Scott! Yes, Avonmouth Docks is in Bristol. I lived close to there in the early 1990's. Must have changed a lot since the days when TR were being shipped across the Atlantic.

here are a couple of scans of the docks and train station from my scrapbook

 

[UmmYeahOk]

I might have to take them up on the offer but trying to convince my wife France and the UK are the same place may be a hardsell. Its only a train ride away, right?

Im the exact opposite! My husband wants to go to France, and Im trying my hardest to sway him into traveling across the channel for a bit

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Ummm-I am a true Group 44 Groupie! Love all the stories and I still talk to some of the guys who worked for Bob over the years especially the TR6s, TR7, TR8s and the XJRs.[/QUOTE]

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcforum/ubbthreads.php/topics/610320/Re_Upcomming

Currently featured on the main page:
https://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

 

[HerronScott]

If it makes you feel any better, I cant get any info on my ford mustang. Theres something called a marti report that not only states everything that the BMIHT certificate does, only can tell you when it was ordered, serialized, rolled off... ...how many cars came in that color, color/interior. They can break down all the options to give you a number your happy with. Last show I was at, EVERYONE had a "rare" mustang.

We bought a 2005 Ford Thunderbird earlier this year (12,000 miles on it) and found a Thunderbird forum where a member will pull up that information for you if you give him your VIN.

Here's the info he pulled up on this car and given the mix of colors and options, it does make your car seem "rare".

Order date: 5/18/2004
Date built: 7/20/2004
AT dealer: 8/25/2004
Sold date: 7/23/2005 Sold by Richmond Ford, Richmond, VA
Yes the softtop is sand colored. Your car came with the front license plate bracket, engine oil cooler, was originally a red carpet lease, and it did leave the factory with the soft top boot cover.
Your premium 2005 steel blue, steel blue hardtop, sand interior, SST, 7 spoke chrome wheels is one of 147.

Scott

 

[HerronScott]

Franks,

Would love to see some old photos showing Triumphs being loaded on ships for the trip to the US!

Scott

 

[UmmYeahOk]

If it makes you feel any better, I cant get any info on my ford mustang. Theres something called a marti report that not only states everything that the BMIHT certificate does, only can tell you when it was ordered, serialized, rolled off... ...how many cars came in that color, color/interior. They can break down all the options to give you a number your happy with. Last show I was at, EVERYONE had a "rare" mustang.

We bought a 2005 Ford Thunderbird earlier this year (12,000 miles on it) and found a Thunderbird forum where a member will pull up that information for you if you give him your VIN.

Here's the info he pulled up on this car and given the mix of colors and options, it does make your car seem "rare".

Order date: 5/18/2004
Date built: 7/20/2004
AT dealer: 8/25/2004
Sold date: 7/23/2005 Sold by Richmond Ford, Richmond, VA
Yes the softtop is sand colored. Your car came with the front license plate bracket, engine oil cooler, was originally a red carpet lease, and it did leave the factory with the soft top boot cover.
Your premium 2005 steel blue, steel blue hardtop, sand interior, SST, 7 spoke chrome wheels is one of 147.

Scott

This isnt TCCoA is it? Cant imagine there being any other thunderbird forum other than that. Just wanted to know if you could give me the guys info, or link to his thread. He probably works for ford. It may be hard since he'll probably only want to do it for t-birds, but its worth a shot. I have a very rare interior color. Just no numbers for it.

 

[HerronScott]

The user is Quickdraw on Thunderbirdforum. He has a couple of threads in the 2002-2006 Thunderbird - General forum for how rare and what day it was made. I tend to frequent the ThunderbirdNest forum more frequently ( ThunderbirdNest ).

Scott