New Member, Year of Manufacture/Title Question

[Jim 58 BN6]

Hi,

This is my first post.

I recently purchased a '58 BN-6 project. It's a fairly complete car, and hasn't run since the late 70's/early 80's. It was apparently stored fairly well, since although there is rust in the usual places, it is actually fairly solid (the definition of solid will no doubt change as disassembly progresses!). I have a good title - the numbers are a close match!

Over the last couple of years, I have collected a lot of the books for research and restoration of Healeys. In my dealings with TR's over the last 40 or so years, I know that the cars were sometimes titled as the year sold, rather than the year built (I own a '68 TR4A, for example). After looking through the Healey books, it appears that mine is a very late BN-6, so I had the BMIHT do 3 email searches for colors, engine number and date built. My car's colors and engine number match their research, but they show a build date in early March, 1959.

So, I think I have the car that I think I have, except the title shows a "zero" instead of the "O" for overdrive, and the YOM as 1958.

Does anyone have a clue as to why this could be anything other than a mistake? Since the BN-7 was about to arrive, were all the the remaining BN-6 cars sold as '58's?

I have ordered a BMIHT certificate. I have not yet titled the car here in NM since they can be a major PITA.

Should I hire a local title service to try to use the BMIHT data to correct the car's information, or just go with what's there? I worry that it might be an issue if I should want to sell the car. If I have the BMIHT certificate, and the numbers match, is that enough to satisfy most folks?

Thanks in advance,

Jim

 

[PHulst]

My 1959 BN-4 is 400 from the end of the 100-6's, built in early 1959 just like yours, so I doubt yours was a 1958 from the beginning. Mine has been titled as a 1959 since at least 1980, and I assume previous to that as well.

What number is your car, if you don't mind saying?

 

[Brinkerhoff]

Jim , welcome to the forum ! If the numbers match the car and title and it satisfies you that it correctly represents what you have than why bother about the year unless it would be easy to change through your state without a huge hassle. Here in Michigan you can fill in a legal statement that will allow some facts to be changed on the title .
Kevin

 

[Bob Claffie]

I bought a VERY early 3000 two seat car in the spring of '59. The real thing, three liter engine, disc brakes BUT 100/6 emblems. At the time Mass was not a title state and I chose to register the car as a 1960 model. I expect that caused some interesting moments for the later owners. You would most likely never have a problem as what you have is what it is. Bob C

 

[Jim 58 BN6]

Thanks guys! I may, in fact, be making up something to worry about, but since the NM MVD is such a challenge, I want to get my act together before I go there. I will probably just go with it as-is unless someone comes up with a compelling reason not to. I would like to understand it, though.

Bob, I wasn't aware that there were states not requiring titles, and this may explain my situation. I could see a dealer, with both cars on the lot, selling the BN-6 as last year's model. Clausager's book says BN-6 production ended in March of '59 with car no. 4650. Mine is within 50 of that, so it's late production. I do hesitate to give out its statistics until all of the car's paperwork is done. Nothing personal, I just tend toward the paranoid!

Jim

 

[HealeyRick]

New Mexico has an "Affidavit of Correction Form | MVD10019" that your seller could fill out, make the corrections and have notarized for when you apply for a new title. It would probably help to have a BMIHT certificate and pictures of your chassis numbers to submit along with the affidavit. Can't tell if this will open up a can of worms, but unless the car has been stolen in the past, I tend to doubt it.

 

[Jim 58 BN6]

Thanks Rick. I am worried about the "can of worms", and my title is good. We have a physical VIN inspection for out-of-state cars, and what I have on the title does match what's on the car (except for the 0-O thing), so maybe I'll leave it alone. When I brought the Triumph from AZ, the MVD lady freaked out because the VIN didn't have the "correct format, and there aren't enough numbers!". Fortunately, there was one nice, knowledgeable lady, who explained to her that some old, foreign cars didn't yet follow the standard, and I wasn't trying to perpetrate a massive fraud. They do check the stolen car database as well.

 

[Tech396]

I recently went through this up here in Canada. The VIN laws here do not allow the letter "O" as part of the VIN. Mine too has a ZERO instead of the letter "O"

Thanks Rick. I am worried about the "can of worms", and my title is good. We have a physical VIN inspection for out-of-state cars, and what I have on the title does match what's on the car (except for the 0-O thing), so maybe I'll leave it alone. When I brought the Triumph from AZ, the MVD lady freaked out because the VIN didn't have the "correct format, and there aren't enough numbers!". Fortunately, there was one nice, knowledgeable lady, who explained to her that some old, foreign cars didn't yet follow the standard, and I wasn't trying to perpetrate a massive fraud. They do check the stolen car database as well.

 

[PHulst]

Clausager's book says BN-6 production ended in March of '59 with car no. 4650. Mine is within 50 of that, so it's late production.

Jim

My BN-4 is serial number 442_, car 773 _ _, so we aren't too far away. And, as noted above, it's registered as a 1959 and always has been.
You might consider getting it titled, then go back once it has all cleared and fix it to a 1959.

Patrick

 

[Jim 58 BN6]

Many thanks to everyone who replied. I think I'll just transfer the title as it is, and hope that the BMIHT certificate will satisfy a future buyer. The hard work is about to begin, and I'm sure I'll be back with a LOT of questions for the group. Thanks again, Jim