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MG TD TF 1500 - Alphanumeric Stamps for ID Plates

Does anyone know the size and font, or has an absolute source, for the correct punch stamps for the body number and ID plates?

It looks like 3mm is the size, but I could be convinced its 4mm.
Chris Couper

Chris,

Do you think it was metric back then? between 3 and 4mm lies an eighth of an inch, perhaps that?

Jim
J E Carroll

1/8 is probably what it is. There are a few 1/8" listed but I would not doubt they are 3mm rebranded. Imperial measures are slowly dieing away.

The font seems pretty straight forward. No serifs
Chris Couper

This might do it and its cheap

http://www.seattlefindings.com/Number-Letter-Alphabet-Punch-Set--36PC-18-_p_2265.html#
Chris Couper

Harbor Freight has these in stores for $9.99 so I think I will check it out

http://www.harborfreight.com/36-piece-1-8-eighth-inch-steel-letter-number-stamping-set-800.html

For $9.99 it will probably be good for one ID plate but that's all I need.
Chris Couper

Thats the same set I bought to stamp mine Chris. The font isn't the same but it's close enough for me.

L E D LaVerne

The original.

L E D LaVerne

LED: What did you use for the / character? I don't think that's in the set is it?

It looks like the original is a bit crisper? And the 3's are definitely different as is the 1.

And why did you not refinish your old one? A little nickel plating with no buffing, spray on some black lacquer and put it upside down on a glass plate with rubbing compound to polish off the high points and it would look great.

I could not restore mine because my father drilled a hole for an air horn right through the middle of it :-(
Chris Couper

Chris I used the i in the kit. To be honest I didn't notice any nickle plating on the plate. Just looked like aluminium to me. It's still hanging on the wall so maybe someday I'll have a go at trying restore the original but you will notice some nicks in it that I don't think will clean up to well.
L E D LaVerne

Chris, when I helped with the TF in the 80s,we went to a local trophy shop. They pretty well matched the size and font of the original. George
George Butz

I just found this company with the correct type of '3'.

http://stop-painting.com/hdsteelstamps.html

You can get different grades.

LED I think you may be right about the TF plate not being nickel brass like the TD's were. I just can't remember at this point.

George: I will swing by the local trophy shop. Then they can do it for me :-)
Chris Couper

I'm still trying to figure out if my Gaurantee was re-instated when I re-installed mine?
I lost it for a while when I had to take the plate to the BMV. Lucky for me nothing broke during that 3 days:-)
David Sheward

Had a trophy shop do the one for radiator plate and he matched it perfectly. (Old one was ripped.)
David Sheward

David: Did you read the fine print here:

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/Pictures/Documentation/nuffield_guarantee.jpg

I know you have a BMC product but I suspect the guarantee did not change much.
Chris Couper

I checked with my local awards shop. They only do engraving. So while they can do any font in any size, its going to be perfect. No skewed letters like you see with a stamp.
Chris Couper

Chris,
Crap ...definitely a "Hackney Carriage" so I'm SOL!
David Sheward

A pic from my car.

Matthew.

M Magilton

Matthew: Notice how the standard items market/color and engine type are one style and the numbers unique to your car are another.

Obviously they were stamped at a different time and perhaps at a different place.
Chris Couper

The first part is done with some sort of stencil engraver using a rotary head (anyone the name for these?).
The number stamping can not have happened until the engine was installed, as the engines are out of sequence.

Matthew.
M Magilton

TD's Did not have the luxury of a engraver. We had to suffer the 'offset by hand' for all of our numbers :-(

BTW I ended up buying the $100 heavy duty stamps with the correct '3'. I may be going into the stamping business to re-coop my investment :-)



Chris Couper

This thread was discussed between 07/09/2013 and 10/09/2013

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