TR2/3/3A tr3 engine numbers

[chrissmith]

Hi all, I recently purchased a 59 tr3 with a freshly rebuilt motor, although rebuilt some time ago, The serial number is different that what I have seen as normal. TC2095E Can anyone help to identify it? Thank you very much.

 

[vivdownunder]

Maybe it's a TR4 engine that somehow got stamped back the front.

CT2095E would be from a 1961 TR4. TR4A engines started from CTC50001, so it wouldn't be one of those.

Other options are a Vanguard Sportsman that used a 2088cc version of the TR engine, although the car VIN numbers began with TD. Or perhaps a block from one of the TR engines sold for marine conversion, or even another marque such as Morgan, which purchased many TR2/3/3A/4A engines from 1954 to 1966.

Viv.

 

[NutmegCT]

Chris - could you post a picture of the engine?

Do you have all the maintenance and service records for the car?

Might help in determining the details about that engine.

Tom

 

[Andrew Mace]

There's also the possibility that it's a TR3B engine, and the number actually is (or would've been if stamped correctly) TC<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">F</span></span></span>2095E.

 

[chrissmith]

Thank you for the suggestions, I did not get any history with the car. I pried it and a bugeye away from a classic car hoarder and was lucky to get what I have. No F in the number sequence either. Oh well, the rebuild looks good anyway.

 

[Andrew Mace]

What are the commission and body numbers?

 

[Tr3aguy]

OK so help me out here if I may hijack part of the thread.....Suppose you got all the numbers and they look fairly close to what is current for your car. How do you know for sure and how can you decode what each number means?

 

[TR3driver]

There is a magic decoder ring at https://www.club.triumph.org.uk/prefix1.htm

But the only way to be sure your numbers are "correct" is to get the build certificate (and even then they are sometimes mistaken).
https://www.bccgc.com/BMIHT.htm is one source. I believe TRA also has the information available.

 

[chrissmith]

Body number is ts40606l. I don't expect it to be the original motor, just curious of why the different #s.

 

[DNK]

Engine and body #'s are not suppose to match unless the LBC planets were in alignment

 

[HerronScott]

Don,

You mean they are *not* suppose to match right?

JP,

The commission, body and engine numbers should be somewhat close (within 1000). I've got the BMIHT certificates for my cars and the current numbers match what was on the factory build infomation so here are some examples for comparison.

Commission Body Engine
1959 TR3 TS51339L EB49811 TS51386E
1966 TR4A CTC69123L 68668CT CT69238E
1966 TR4A CTC72159LO 71922CT CT72497E

Scott

 

[Andrew Mace]

Body number is ts40606l. I don't expect it to be the original motor, just curious of why the different #s.

What you've quoted here is the Commission Number, which is the number that should be on your title or registration (although many cars were registered by engine number back then). Taking Scott's car as an example:

1959 TR3

TS51339L -- Commission number
EB49811 -- Trimmed body number (there's another, usually 7-digit, number for the bare body shell)
TS51386E -- engine number

Note that the engine number is only a bit higher than the commission number; in fact, Scott's car has them about as close as I've seen for a TR3A. Often engine numbers could run a couple hundred or more higher than commission numbers. One reason for that is that the engines were also used in cars such as Morgans, Peerless/Warwick GTs and the Triumph 2000 Italia. The "EB" number, on the other hand, is usually a bit lower.

Whatever your engine turns out to be, it appears NOT to be the original engine, but that's not at all surprising after 50+ years!

 

[HerronScott]

Hmm, spacing doesn't seem to work too well in posts here. When I edit my post, it's all lined up properly in columns but it sure doesn't display that way.

Scott

 

[DNK]

Don,

You mean they are *not* suppose to match right?

That's what I said. :blush:

 

[NutmegCT]

Hmm, spacing doesn't seem to work too well in posts here. When I edit my post, it's all lined up properly in columns but it sure doesn't display that way.

Scott

Scott - columns are usually dependent on whether the post is made in proportional (e.g. Times New Roman) or non-proportional (e.g. Courier) typeface. Then you have to hope the reader is seeing the same typeface you are. Different typefaces snarl up columns very easily.

Here's a link to some info on using UBB code (which Basil uses on BCF) to make columns:

https://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=57.0

I don't know if Basil has columns "turned on", but give it a try.

Hope this helps.
Tom

 

[HerronScott]

Tom,

Thanks for the link for the UBB code, I'll have to check it out!

What I'm seeing in my post is not related to proportional/non-proportional fonts. In my view, extra spaces are being consolidated down to one in every case even though they are there when you edit the post (using IE8 here on Windows 7).

Scott

 

[NutmegCT]

Hi Scott. I *think* Basil has the software configured to remove "extra" spaces. It happens to me also.

Might want to post these BB code questions in Basil's Help Forum. I'll keep an eye open there for his comments. It'll be good to see which elements of BB code he's activated.

Thanks.
Tom

 

[NutmegCT]

Scott, I just figured out how to specify blank spaces in a post. Sent you a PM about it.

T.

 

[TR3driver]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Click to reveal.. <input type="button" class="form-button" value="Show me!" onclick="toggle_spoiler(this, 'Yikes, my eyes!', 'Show me!')" />]<div style="display: none;">Is there some reason you don't want to share, Tom?[/QUOTE]</div>

 

[NutmegCT]

Hi Randall -

You can get bbcode to show blank spaces by using the bbcode symbol for a blank space. It's one of those hidden characters which begins with an ampersand (shift 7).

Type in: ampersand n b s p semicolon (no spaces)

Give it a try. Worked for me. The next line is ten blank spaces between quotes:

""

Onward through the fog.
Tom