I can't answer the question about common rust areas on the TR3 chassis, as I
was fortunate enough to have obtained a very solid frame.
As far as the identification number, there is a reference to this question in
Bill Piggott's book "Original Triumph TR2/3/3A". He states. "There is no
chassis number as such: many chassis carry a small plate on the front chassis
cross member stamped 'Z28', but this number has no known significance. Some
chassis have seen with 'Z26' or 'Z27', but 'Z28' is more common."
My particular car which is commision # TS58399 is stamped with 'ZA2' and the
donor car that I have with commission # TS59671 is stamped ''ZA3", not only
that but the donor has the late style body tooling that supposedly started
after commission # 60000! As you can see, our particular numbers are not
even referenced in Piggott's book. Obviosly, even triumph didn't take their
numbering system seriously.
My own pet theory on this subject, is that one of the assembly workers
recognized the possibility that the TR2/3 would someday be a classic. With
this in mind he indiscrimately assigned numbers that had no corrolation to
anything, just to confuse the future restorer and historian. I would not be
surprised to hear of a deathbed confession given by a laughing former TR
employee. If so, my hat is off to him!!
Gary Bouffard
TS 58399
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