TR2/3/3A Commission Number Plates Stamps

[kindacreeky]

I am trying to make a reproduction commission plate for my Triumph Italia (TR3). The font of the stamped numbers and letters is an odd height. I tried 5/32" Hanson, but they were a bit too tall. The original figures measure 4.85/32" (0.152") or 3.85mm tall. I am guessing that Triumph Standard used these special height characters so that they could not be exactly duplicated. Does anybody know for sure? The fonts match vintage sets from a UK brand named "Imperial". The 1 has no bottom. The 3 is flat top. The 4 is closed. The 5 has a curved top. If anybody has a set of these special stamps, I need to possibly borrow. I am trying to help a bunch of Triumph Italia owners with this issue. If they are special, possibly only a Triumph collector would have a set.

 

[RichB4493]

Can you post a picture of what it should look like? I had the brass oblong Body plate for my TR3 made by McMaster Carr and it came out pretty close.

 

[kindacreeky]

For the Italia, there were three variations of the Commission Plate. One said 1120 KILO (no period). One said 1170 KILO. (with period) and has (1959) in the manufactured line. The third has the same 1170 KILO. but has abbreviations in the CO. and LTD. (TSF cars)

 

[kindacreeky]

The font for the letters and numbers is the problem. We can have the plates properly etched and blanks made. We need the steel stamps to stamp the numbers and letters on the blank plates. The font is unusual and the height is odd. I found a set of stamps on ebay that had the correct font, numbers only. A vintage set made by Imperial in the UK. Here is a pic. it has long top on 1, also no bottom on 1. 3 is flat top. 4 is closed. 5 has curved top. 7 has curved diagonal (not unusual).

 

[CJD]

If you are a real perfectionist, the originals are not etched. The background is painted, but the lettering is raised and polished through the paint. I can look at one in a second and tell you if it's an original or an etched repop. (In your pictures, the first is a repop, while the 2nd and 3rd are original) Or...another way to look at it...if you cannot get the original raised lettering for the plate, why worry so much about a few fractions of a mm for the stamping?!?

PS, the first is confirmed as a repop in the screw used to fasten it. Triumph used larger style pop-rivets. It can be tricky, as many of these cars are in their 2nd or 3rd restoration, so even the repop parts look patinaed like an original would. I made this thread on restoring your original...but photobucket makes it difficult to see.

Post in thread 'Commission Plates'

Feb 28, 2012

OK, just a follow-up for posterity. I could not bring myself to use either of the repo commission plates. The original has raised lettering, whereas the repos are painted on an absolute flat plate. The repo's also have different info...the worst of which was trying to add 50 kilos to my trim lady!

So, here is the process I went through. The first problem as that the PO had painted right over the plate, so the gold had to come off.

I did this in a galss bead cabinet. The blasting curls the thin metal, so I had...

• CJD