PeterSchop@aol.com wrote:
> Last week I purchased what I was told is a 1964 TR4A....
The details you noted: no VIN, body 24422CT ('63), engine CT58007E, SUs not
Strombergs, handbrake and seats are TR4, wood dash....
Scary, in some states you'll have a tough time without the proper commission
plate to match the title. And it's a strange story indeed.
With Andy and John, I'd lean towards a TR4, though I'm no TR4A expert. The SUs,
engine, and seats could always have been changed. Late TR4's could have a wood
dash too. But a TR4 handbrake seems like an unlikely retrofit. But if it happens
to be IRS, you've got a car with a serious identity crisis.
You didn't mention other trim: does it have the chrome turn signal trim on the
front wings? Does it have a "TR4" or "TR4A" on the boot lid? Does the hood fold
down or detach?
> My question is, is there any other place on the car that I can find the VIN?
> If not, would I be correct in assuming that my VIN would be STC 63 24422 L ?
Probably not. I thought all TR4s and TR4As had commission numbers, not VINs. (?)
Here's a little VIN history condensed from the link below. I don't think this is
entirely relevant for Triumph production, though. The first VIN system -- 1949
to
July 1964 -- is merely a production serial number. It is necessary to know what
model the vehicle is. No other information can be derived from the serial
number.
The second VIN system -- August 1964 to July 1980 -- was initiated including
vehicle model and year, along with the serial number. The first two digits
indicate the model, the third digit indicates the year, and the fourth through
tenth digits indicate the serial number, with some variations. The third VIN
system -- 1981 to current models -- uses a 17-digit VIN system. With this
system,
it is now possible to determine not only the year, model and serial number, but
also the country of manufacture, body style, engine type, restraint system, and
manufacturing plant. This all from:
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/General/vin.htm
VIN decoder:
http://www.stuart.iit.edu/students/2112/vindecoder.htm
--
Steven Newell
Denver, CO
'62 TR4
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