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MG TD TF 1500 - numbers

Anybody out there with knowledge about bodynumbers ?
Bas

What is your question... there is a lot of debate about body numbers.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Hi Gordon,

This is basicly the question I put in the PreWar section.

"Pre war MG's have useally a plate under the bonnet telling you the body type and body number.

The body type number is useally no problem and can be understood.

Its a different matter with body numbers. It is useally a number which can look like this 455/5710.

The next car on the production line may have a number which looks like this 390/5711.

One is lead to believe that 5711 is the count of total bodies made but that can not be the case as there were never that much MG VA's made. It is not the 711th body as later on in production there is body number 847/6100.

Anybody with knowledge or a simple explanation about pre war body numbers ?"

Bas

The body number question on the TD..(two part) was the reason i started the data base... It was mentioned in great detail that the number was a "batch" number and represented colour/export/etc. Although i don't have hundreds to compare, it didn't take long to notice that the second number went to 99,000 and then started over. It was also mentioned that the 2nd number was seen chalked to the inside of a tub.
I'm assuming that the 2nd number is the body manufacturer's number (thought this was "Carbodies of Coventry", but it was the "Morris Body Works (?)).
As they made all sorts of bodies, again, i assume that the 2nd number was their total production?
The first body number goes up towards 30,000 (the last one i have is 28982 with a 2nd number of 7276 on chassis number 28973) and would be MG's body number (again, i'm assuming and am no expert).
You can check various years numbers at:

http://www.niagarabritishcarclub.org/mgtnumbers/numbers.html
Just choose TD's and "sort by chassis number"
gordon lawson - TD 27667

A couple of other comments... The TD seems to be the only T with a double number...earlier T's had only one, and TF's have the prefix which does give the production information then a slash and then the actual number.
Notice TC's have a weird set of numbers: 1946 TC 1026 XPAG1674 B280 874 A1761 RHD BLACK and have added letters (don't know what the A/B stand for...)
I also always have to laugh when i type in "22381" as a body type... considering TD's have the basic body style, it could have been #1, then Tickford, Arnolt, etc could have been "T" and "A" (hmmmm...you know what i mean).
Consider 30,000 body plaques, and 4 un-needed numbers...that's 120,000 hits with a hammer on a punch... There is a case for carpal tunnel syndrome. Poor guy.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

As this numbering was still going on in the fifties there must be somebody left who knows what the system was ?
Bas

I sent 12 letters to various retirement homes in and around Abington about two months ago asking if any "old" workers were living there and had no luck.
If anyone knows of someone who worked on the line in the 50's (if they were 20 years old at the time, they might still be around), visit them for an interview quickly.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Bas,
You have mail.
Nick, 52TD/63midget.
D.G.J. Herwegh

Interesting! A very high anorak level but interesting non the less.

In Lawrence's "Let there be Y's" a paragraph is dedicated to these mysterious body numbers and their apparantly random meaning. He fails to understand/explain why, in the Y saloons case, the first number before the "/" goes up steadily but trails behind when compared with the chassis numbers: Y0358 has body nr. 158/206, Y7277 has 5863/5866. The 877 YTs that where part of the chassisnumber sequence don't explain it.

He does mention however that with the YT there seem to be "groups" of the first number that start with "19", "45" and "53", that may point to a batch or production line? Have a look at this list to see what I mean: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgccy/pdf/ytlist.pdf

Maybe someone with better understanding of mathematics or Egyptian hyroglyphs can make something of it in combination with the production dates?
Willem van der Veer

Bas and Gordon
Are we talking about body numbers or chassis numbers? With regards to the TF the chassis number follows the prefix on the build plate affixed to the firewall. The body number is found on a brass plate rivited beneath the tool box lid mine being body type TF no. 9669
jeff payne

We are talking about body numbers (as you say, on a plaque under the toolbox lid, or on the firewall, or under the dash depending on model).
The chassis numbers all make sense... start at the beginning (251 or 501) and go to the end of production.
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Hi Willem,

"a high anorak level"

Agree to that BUT also a practical thing. I started all this because of missing body number plates on SVW cars. The body number plates are fitted in a very vulnerable place and often missing.

As the parts book only mentions body numbers instead of chassis numbers for body parts you can not establish what is correct for a certain car.

I am sure we crack the code at some stage. Thanks for your very informative Y Type link.
Bas

This thread was discussed between 24/08/2005 and 25/08/2005

MG TD TF 1500 index

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