In a message dated 3/1/99 8:30:37 PM Eastern Standard Time,
amace@unix2.nysed.gov writes:
> The numbers likely will never "match" each other; the phrase refers to
> major components being the original ones installed during the manufacture
> of the car.
Andy & Cole,
At the risk of being a S.A., I would say that matching numbers are only
important to those who consider matching numbers to be important. That is,
people who consider cars to be "collectibles" care about such things. These
are, in general, the people that buy them and put them on display just to show
off their collection, much the same stamp or coin collectors. Possession of
the items is sufficient. Just as a coin collector would never actually spend
one of his coins, a "matching number" collector will rarely actually drive one
of his cars. (that makes good sense for a coin collector, less so for a car
collector in my mind) To those of us who consider cars to be "cars," and to be
driven, matching numbers are not all that important.
I haven't noticed a lot of "matching number" frenzy among Triumph owners.
Given the choice, it's nice to have matching numbers, as it implies a certain
amount of "purity" to the car, as if it has been un-molested since production.
It's sorta like peeing your pants in a dark suit - it gives you a warm
feeling, but no one else will likely notice.
Most of us Triumph owners are just thrilled to have a car that runs,
regardless of where the parts came from. I don't know, which is the purest, a
car that has been rescued from a field where it has rusted away for twenty
years, every component on it replaced or rebuilt except the engine block, the
differential case, and the transmission housing - all matching numbers - or a
well preserved, like new example which blew a transmission and now has a
replacement and the numbers don't match anymore?
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored (with "matching numbers")
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://members.aol.com/danmas/ (numbers don't match!)
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition - slated for a V8 soon
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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