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MG MGA - Car SN mystery solved?

Last November I posted thread about the SN on my "new" 59 roadster. I found a strange anomoly with the SN. It's HDA43/54510. This car is registered as a 1959 and badged as a 1600. There is no engine serial number (plate missing, rivets there, strange looking "saw" marks in the boss).
HDA would indicate MGA Roadster, Black. 54510 would indicate it's a 1500.
Car is currently white. Scraping down paint and checking bosses on various mounts indicate the car was originally Glacier (or Iris) Blue.
Firewall SN (body number) is B20336, which is consistent with a 1600. ( I had a 1960 car B29247). Lights, engine, brakes, etc, etc are consistant with a 1600.
Talking to PO of 26 years, he says that the way it's always been.

Well, I finally sanded down the cross member on the passenger's side and found a chassis SN....87882, definately a 1600. This is consistant with the body number and other features, which means the SN on the heater shelf is wrong and has been changed.
What to do? Guess I can now get a heritage certificate, but, will I ever be able to get the VIN put right? Is it worth the hassle from the DMV? How did this happen?

AAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!

GTF
G T Foster

Tough call.You'd have to see if you could find out what happened to 87882,ie stolen,sold for salvage etc.Then you'd have to wonder if someone else has that title or another car has taken on it's id.To compound the problem,what happened to 54510? Easy way might be to buy a 1600 parts car with paper work,then again maybe that was done once already,only they used a 1500.
gary starr

Gerry, is this distracting you from getting your coupe painted?
George :)

G Goeppner

Each state would handle this situation differently. Do research and find out what your state requires to correct such a mistake.
I bought my 58 roadster as a pile of parts in 1987. I did a bond title in 1989 on it after it was running. The seller was unable to locate a title and we agreed to take $250 off the cost of the car. We are currently going through the same procedure for an abandoned car. The cost to do that today is under $500.
Here in Colorado the seller is required by law to supply a good title. Here he would be liable for the cost to fix the problem. If the car was sold under a incorrect title as yours was and not "no title, parts only" he would be in violation of our laws. Your PO owes you a good title just as you will owe the next owner. Fix it now.
Here as in most states old records are purged if inactive for over ten years. There are probably no records on either of this car's identities that you don't already have.
I would expect that the correction of the title would be fairly simple. Do research first. Do not give specific information to any official until you know for sure how the game is played.
Your car seems to be 1960 GHNL 87882.
My 60 is GHNL80156 and the 60 I sold a few years ago was GHNL90954. Both were Iris Blue, a 1600 color. Glacier blue has a lot of green in it and was a 1500 color.



































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































years ago as I had no title. (When the seller could not locate a title we agreed to take $250 off the price) We are currently doing a bond title process on an abandoned car. The cost to do that today is under $500. To just correct a mistake might be simpler.
Most states purge old records. There are probably no records for either car beyond your papers.
Here in Colorado the seller is responsible to convey a true title. Your PO may be liable for the cost to make the title correct. Here he would be. Unless the car was sold specifically "as is" "no title parts only" the seller would be liable for the cost to make it right.
R J Brown

This thread was discussed on 12/03/2008

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