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MG TD TF 1500 - 1954 TF 1500

Hello All,

I've just bought an MG TF which has had a bit of a chequered history to which I'm trying to add some detail.
It was bought new by a US serviceman in UK and exported by him to the States when he was demobbed. In the late 60s it had an early MGB engine and running gear installed. After 30 years laid up it was rebuilt and eventually imported back into UK in 2005.

I'm trying to find the chassis number but have drawn a blank so far. It doesn't appear on either dumb iron as these have been repaired/replaced. It does not appear on the 'factory' TF identifier plate. This is actually not a factory plate but I suspect an aftermarket generic plate for MGs.

The only number I have to go on is XPEG 882, which is stamped on the identifier plate. I take this to be the original engine number and understand that in the USA engine number was used as an identifier in preference to chassis number.

Is there any system where engine numbers are cross referenced to chassis numbers?

Thanks in anticipation.

Rob.
R M Lee

Rob, Contact Barrie Jones of the MGT register in the UK and pose the question to him, since the car was originally registered in the UK he possibly might be able to help. Sorry I don't have his email address. PJ
PJ Jennings

Tom Lange can tell you the chassis number based the engine number. http://mgtrepair.net/

Tim
TD26711
Tim Burchfield

Tim, thanks very much for that link. I've pinged Tom a query.

Rgds,

Rob.
R M Lee

Rob, you can contact Barrie Jones via this link -

http://www.mgcc.co.uk/t-register/contacts/email-barrie-jones/

David
David Wardell

Rob, here you go.

HDB 46/7044

Built 17-Sep-1954

Light Grey North American LHD export.

Put TF7044 into

http://www.tregister.org/search_prodm.php

and you'll get the result.

David

David Wardell

How about that, Mine TF8353 was built 17 December 54. So yours is three months older than mine. Just thought it was unique both being built on the 17th. Grin. PJ
PJ Jennings

Hey David -

Given only the engine number, how did you find the chassis number?

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

Rob, do you still have the body number plate attached to the tool box lid? It should probably be between 17000 and 18000 for that chassis number.

Matthew.
M Magilton

Thanks folks for your input.
David: that link worked and threw up some interesting info in the notes. Not quite what I'd been led to believe by the PO.
Matt: I have a plate on the toolbox lid but it doesn't have the body number on it. Quite what the 20N1 means I don't know. Pic attached.
The only other plate is on the front of the toolbox and only has the original engine number on it. I can't see how to upload multiple photos sorry. Its a poor photo anyway.

Rob.

R M Lee

Rob, I’d contact Barrie Jones as per my previous post to see what he knows.
The plate in your photo is not original to the car but may be associated with the MGB engine implant.

David
David Wardell

R M that plate appears to be for an MGB.

Tim
TD26711
Tim Burchfield

The "CAR NUMBER" plate just visible in the right bottom of your photo is also from an MGB. Here is a site with the MGB ID plates and decals. https://mossmotors.com/mgb/body-trim-fittings/plates-decals-badges/id-plates-decals

Tim
Tim Burchfield

Yup, MGB tag and wrongly placed on top of the tool box lid. Looks like someone put all B tags on the car and trashed the correct ones, how strange, makes you wonder about some people, thank goodness it's rare on the T series. PJ
PJ Jennings

I have attached an image of my TF body plate. You may see some holes in the tool box lid that match this.

Matthew.

M Magilton

Also, if you have a plate on the top of the radiator like this one, let me know exactly what is stamped on it as it could give a 'ballpark' date for your car (assuming its the original radiator).

Matthew.

M Magilton

Matthew: thanks for those photos. I have a similar body plate attached to the front of the toolbox but with the original engine number in place of the body number and the car type box blank. The radiator does have the brass plate. The numbers are very faint but I think they are as follows: ARG051 404 00563

I think we've established from the info David has given that the build date was 17 Sept 1954

It certainly looks as though when the conversion to the B engine was done in the 1960s the original plates were removed and replaced with B stuff.

This car is definitely an afront to purists and although I'm not one I think it may, for other reasons as well, be going to auction in the spring :-)

Thanks again for everbody's contribution to this thread.

Rob.
R M Lee

Matthew, where do the stamped numbers on the wood runner under the door fall into place? Are they just to identify the framework or the complete body? PJ
PJ Jennings

I'm going with body tub

L E D LaVerne

I have played with a uber of T's and this is the first time I have discovered the timber numbers

L E D LaVerne

See http://www.ttalk.info/Tech/BodyPlate.htm Bud
Bud Krueger

Rob, your radiator was built April 1954 (the 563rd one that month). That would be way too early for a TF 1500 (but of course there are numerous "what if's").

The build date connects to the XPEG number but the XPEG number has a tenuous connection to the car imho.

It would be nice if the serviceman's family had a photo showing the UK registration plates before he exported the car to the US.

PJ, I think the number on the woodwork is for the complete body as per Bud's link. Its rare to find surviving wood numbers since that flat surface can trap water. Mine had vanished.

Matthew.
M Magilton

Since MG went to the trouble of making a brass plate with the body number I'm sure the number is for the whole tub. The first number on the second line of the body number plates is a sequence number no doubt added by MG as the body was mated to the frame. The sequence numbers do not follow exactly the body numbers. I believe the body plate was installed by MG for quality control and warranty purposes.

Tim
TD26711
Tim Burchfield

British Leyland wasn't formed till 1968.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Leyland
R G Everitt

There seems to be some confusion on body plates. This thread is for a TF. I posted an image of a TF body plate above.

Matthew.
M Magilton

This thread was discussed between 10/12/2017 and 13/12/2017

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