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[Tony Wooten]

I have a 1960 (I think) TR3A that I have had since 1971, an ex-SCCA Production and Solo II racer.  I am thinking about selling it so found the title and then looked at the car and there is a definite number challenge here!  There are 2 numbers under the hood above the battery box on the passenger side: one with EB 53696 and another tag over that one with 1058857.  Both are embossed metal and not really visible when the battery box is in the tray, and naturally neither number is shown on the Illinois title!  I have had this car in storage for 24 or 25 years and never bothered to check it before that; anyone have any ideas as to what these numbers are?  Neither tag says Triumph...  Thanks for any and all!  Will try to get a picture in here...

[herald948]

Unfortunately, neither of those two numbers is particularly relevant to any paperwork (i.e., the Commission number or "VIN"). It is the commission number that you'd likely want to match whatever might be on the title, although there was a time when some states used engine numbers to register cars! Hopefully your car still has the commission number plate, over on the RH ("passenger" side for LH drive cars) part of the firewall, and it should read TS xxxxx L.

Oh, and to answer the other part of your question, one plate is for the "body in white" (bare body), and the other is for the completely painted and trimmed body ready to be united with a rolling chassis.

[Tony Wooten]

Thanks for the info, Andy, at least now I know what those numbers are!

If the original plate is supposed to be on the inside of the firewall in the engine compartment area, it is not there nor have I ever seen it!

[herald948]

Tony, here's a picture from a current (1/08) eBay auction:
<http://i1.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/c7/ca/ff6a_3.JPG>. Hopefully this at least helps you locate where the plate should have been! 

[Tony Wooten]

Thanks again, Andy!  Nope, nothing there on my car nor has there ever been anything that looks like that!

Is there any source that you know of to use the other two numbers to determine what the Commission Number was?  And maybe get a duplicate plate?  Thanks!

[herald948]

You might be able to get a Heritage certificate based on the body numbers. See <http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/archive/certificate_index.html>. Any chance the car still has its original engine? If so, providing that number as well might help in the search. Or you could simply get a blank commission number plate (which I believe most of the major parts suppliers sell) and use the number on the title; hopefully it is TS xxxxx L (or possibly TS xxxxx E if it was first registered in a state that liked to use engine numbers).

[6TTR3A]

The EB plate was attached by the body maker (Mulliners) and ran behind the ultimate commission number. (mine is 1475 numbers behind; TS 72099 minus EB 70624) The spread gets progressively wider in later months of production.  I intemperate this to mean that yours is a 1959.  If you can find someone that has an EB number close to yours, (and they know their Comm number) you can come pretty close. I didn't find the British Heritage people to be very accommodating when they were supplied with incomplete data.