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Engine Numbers

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TheAssociate

TheAssociate

Jedi Hopeful
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What do you think of this engine number? It's from the block in my 1973 Triumph Spitfire, and I'm trying to figure out if it's the original, or warranty replacement and which year it was built.

The door plate says FM989U

The engine number is FM837UESS

Thanks(maybe I should address Andrew directly - very helpful!).

Adam H.
 
Interesting numbers, Adam! First off, that's obviously a pretty early "Federal" 1973 1500, with that low a number. It's not terribly unusual for the engine number to be relatively close to, but off several hundreds (sometimes higher but on rare occasions lower). But the "puzzle" is in the suffix letters. "UE" is correct for a "Federal" spec engine, but the additional "SS" letters after that usually indicate "Spares Stock" or similar.

I think your guess of warranty replacement is a very good one and probably correct. If a fault had been found with the engine before it left the assembly plant, I would think another "normally serialled and suffixed" engine would have been substituted...but that "SS" engine might have been installed at that time as well.

Given how expensive they've become ($50 or so right now and due to go up in February), it's risky to even suggest that a Heritage Certificate would answer the question...but it might.

I have to go now...those voices are back! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Thanks Andrew.

I think your right. I think that it's pretty unlikely that if someone along the line exchanged engines that they would "just happen" to put a FM837UESS motor into this '73!

Funny, for the longest time I thought this car had a later engine until I looked closely.

I appreciate your voices!

Adam.
____________________________________________________________
1973 Triumph Spitfire
 
P.S.: What is a "Heritage Certificate" and where do I get it? Sounds interesting.

Adam.
___________________________________________________________
1973 Triumph Spitfire
 
Quoting from the Heritage Motor Centre in the UK: "The Archive of the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust preserves the surviving records of some of the most famous names in British motoring history. The Archive department offers the proud classic car owner a Heritage Certificate which is a certified copy of the entry against the chassis number in the authentic factory ledgers. Discover the original numbers and colour scheme, dates of build and despatch, and where available, the details of factory fitted equipment."

See https://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/archive/certificate_index.html for complete details!
 
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