• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

VIN tag wanted

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
I have a roller than I want to build up, but it has no VIN plate. Anyone know of a tag, wrecked car, etc. out there that can be sold just for the VIN plate?
 

Gerard

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
Edd,

Not only is that an unwise public request, it's also illegal (duh) and an invitation to lots trouble. If the car has a right hand door tag (BAE#), spring for a Heritage Certificate and apply for a title that way. It'll be cheaper in the long run, and you'll have peace of mind that no one will come knocking at your door one day, even if you were to pull it off.

For more information:

https://gerardsgarage.com/Garage/bmihtWS.htm

CA DMV will issue you a new title with a BMIHT Certificate, a bill of sale, and a signed off inspection by a CHP, local Police or on site at DMV. You can get inspection documents at DMV or the other official law enforcement agencies. It's pretty straight forward.
 
OP
bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Gerard,

Illegal, **** I do that all the time :smile: Just kidding, but I know the legality is an issue. I just want to get this car on the road, and I didn't realized that with no VIN plate you could use the tag in the door. I'll have to look into that with DMV. Now what did I do with that bill of sale......
 
OP
bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Gerard,

Illegal, heck I do that all the time :smile: Just kidding, but I know the legality is an issue. I just want to get this car on the road, and I didn't realized that with no VIN plate you could use the tag in the door. I'll have to look into that with DMV. Now what did I do with that bill of sale......
 

AN5Sprite

Jedi Knight
Offline
There's also a body number on top of the right-side footwell. (often hidden by paint) I think I recall someone telling me that they were able to get a Heritage Cert using that number alone.
 
Country flag
Offline
At some point in my car's history it was re-titled using the engine number.:wink-new:
I have the heritage certificate and the engine number and VIN all match up and I have all the original tags.
Someday I may try to straighten it out ... but I will probably leave well enough alone.
 

smaceng

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
As Steve stated, a number is stamped in the engine compartment, right near where the big bunch of wires go through the firewall. This number was believed to have been stamped by Thompson Pressed Steel Works. My Heritage Trust document does not have this number listed and I believe that it was not recorded anywhere (according to Horler anyway). The traceable numbers are the Car/Chassis # (on the tag located on top of left frame rail), engine # (top of the block at the front), and the Body # (right side door jamb tag BAE/#####). Good luck Edd! Scott in CA
 
OP
bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
BAE 30681 Any idea when the car was built by this?
 

drooartz

Moderator
Staff member
Gold
Country flag
Offline
The body number is generally pretty close to the VIN, but they were not necessarily sequential. Body number on my Sprite is BAE21386 (roughly 200 lower than the VIN), built 24-August-1959. Off hand I'd guess yours is late 1959/early 1960 build date, but that's just a guess without my books to hand. Only way to know for sure is to get the Heritage Certificate as mentioned above.
 
OP
bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
I did shoot them an email just now, and I have a buddy looking at the number stamped on the body/engine bay to see if that may help. Keeping fingers crossed.
I'm thinking with this roller to do a Mazda rotary turbo install, but I've only seen naturally aspirated rotary's in Sprites. Has anyone else seen the turbo motor from a 1995 or there about installed?
 

Gerard

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
The body number is generally pretty close to the VIN, but they were not necessarily sequential. Body number on my Sprite is BAE21386 (roughly 200 lower than the VIN), built 24-August-1959. Off hand I'd guess yours is late 1959/early 1960 build date, but that's just a guess without my books to hand. Only way to know for sure is to get the Heritage Certificate as mentioned above.


BAE number generally ranges within 1000 digits of actual chassis number. Same with engine number. The body stamping number has no correlation.
 

SaxMan

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
It is interesting to note that "data plate restorations" are fairly commonplace in the aviation world, particularly among warbirds. A wrecked / crashed aircraft's identity will be given to what is basically a new-build version of the plane, but so long as they have the magic data plate, it automatically becomes a 70 year old plane.
 

CLEAH

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
I did shoot them an email just now,

If you mean you e-mailed the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust to get VIN information, I doubt they will respond with what you want. You need to purchase a Heritage Certificate and wait a month for it.
 

smaceng

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
I am unfamiliar with the aviation world, but I do know that switching VIN tags violates federal law for cars....can you get away with it....probably...as the government is shut down now.....but you could be caught. I would say to Edd that to proceed with caution.....and try your alternatives first....The CA DMV will recognize the Heritage Trust paperwork......If you have information from them, they will honor what it says.......I recently had an TR6 which was had registration paperwork indicating it was a '72......but it was really a '70.....the Heritage trust paperwork was all I needed to register it as a '70 car.....good luck....Scott in CA
 
OP
bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Thanks Scott, we will see what happens when the Brits wake up and respond to my email :smile:
 

sqbsprite

Jedi Trainee
Country flag
Offline
At some point in my car's history it was re-titled using the engine number.:wink-new:
I have the heritage certificate and the engine number and VIN all match up and I have all the original tags.
Someday I may try to straighten it out ... but I will probably leave well enough alone.

I have this same problem. It's even worse now that I have a 1275 in it that doesn't match the title. I tried to get it changed at the DMV and even though they looked at the car when it still had the original 948 in it, they would not change it. I guess I need to get the Heritage Cert. just to have one more document. I keep the original engine tag with the car.
 

Gerard

Luke Skywalker
Country flag
Offline
I have this same problem. It's even worse now that I have a 1275 in it that doesn't match the title. I tried to get it changed at the DMV and even though they looked at the car when it still had the original 948 in it, they would not change it. I guess I need to get the Heritage Cert. just to have one more document. I keep the original engine tag with the car.

Changing a cars VIN is a very different story than just getting a new title issued using a Heritage Certificate. You might be able to get it done, but it will likely very difficult to get changed, if at all.
 

RickB

Yoda
Offline
The Brits have a way of doing this when they purchase a new body shell they can transfer the rest of the car and license it legally.
New Spridget (and MGB and Mini) shells are available over there, Heritage body shells.

https://www.bmh-ltd.com/bodyshells2.htm
 
G

Guest

Guest
Guest
Offline
Edd,

Not only is that an unwise public request, it's also illegal (duh) and an invitation to lots trouble.


X2, that's exactly what went through my mind when I saw the thread title. I strongly suggest you have Bas change the thread title to something less problematic.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
R TR6 Triumph vin tag information Triumph 7
BJ8Healeys Location of VIN tag, 1964 Sprite HAN8L43421 (I know it's stamped on the frame. Looking for the tag.) Spridgets 8
Steve P. Need Bugeye vin tag & title Spridgets 15
R TR6 '71 TR6 Windscreen Vin Tag Rivets Triumph 1
B 61 Midget VIN Number Tag Spridgets 7
7 Midget missing VIN tag....what to do??? Spridgets 26
fmichaels engine vin tag Spridgets 5
G VIN Tag Question Austin Healey 1
Joel Lester TR2/3/3A Advice on how to get VIN number stamped into new plate Triumph 10
T VIN Number Austin Healey 2
BJ8Healeys Looking for BJ8 VIN HBJ8L40768 Austin Healey 0
M Year and Vin number Spridgets 5
B VIN confusion Spridgets 6
G TR4/4A Vin # for TR4A Triumph 3
S TR2/3/3A Vin TS for the car. Triumph 33
K MGA 1960 MGA Vin MG 3
crya Current go-to source for VIN/Chassis Repro Plates? Austin Healey 8
JPSmit Midget VIN question Spridgets 1
Bob Claffie Vin/SN Spridgets 4
H Help decoding Sprite’s VIN please Austin Healey 6
Patrick67BJ8 Early 3000 vs BJ8 vin Austin Healey 3
D Wanted How to locate my father's past Austin Healey1963 3000 Mark III using its Vin # Austin Healey Classifieds 5
69MGC MGC VIN Verification in California MG 4
B Austin Healey 100/6 vin plate and serial number question Austin Healey 3
B TR6 Title with correct VIN Triumph 8
Bantamfan midget vin Spridgets 4
S Austin Healey 3000 BT7 1960 VIN chassis STAMP location Austin Healey 9
Marvin Gruber BT7 vin plates Austin Healey 4
M TR2/3/3A 2nd commission [vin] number??? Help. Triumph 12
A Vin number question Austin Healey 14
F VIN Problem / Whats difference between BN6 and BN7, bare car. Austin Healey 21
pbraun Door pillar number used as VIN on title. What to do? Spridgets 11
pbraun Help with vin decoding Spridgets 18
D VIN Plate stamping Spridgets 13
bugedd VIN Question Spridgets 19
F TR2/3/3A vin # Triumph 6
B BN7 with BT7 VIN on eBay Austin Healey 11
madhouse 1958 100-6 VIN check [BT7 vs BN4] Austin Healey 7
M 1960 AH 3000, VIN help ? Austin Healey 4
M VIN Number Curiousity - 1960 MKI Austin Healey 1
Jim_Gruber VIN where else to look for #'s on a BE Spridgets 6
C What should the VIN plate look like for a BN1? Austin Healey 1
Jim_Gruber VIN number alternate locations - Somewhere by front suspension????? Spridgets 20
Rut Vin number Spridgets 3
R BN7/BN8 VIN search Austin Healey 9
R Healey VIN numbers Austin Healey 2
CJD E in VIN Triumph 10
PAUL161 MGB MGB vin numbers verses years. MG 6
J New stamping for the vin plate Triumph 10
rovernut TR4/4A TR4A IRS VIN differences Triumph 9

Similar threads

Top