My Heritage Certificate came through today and a few surprises when is a 1967 not a 1967?

[stargazergs]

My heritage certificate arrived today and I got a few surprises when I read it, I turns out my car is not a 1967 but a 1965 TR4a and was originally Wedgewood Blue not the Signal Red it is now. She also went out the factory with midnight blue leather interior trim, black hood (top), non-overdrive (at least thats the same) and 60 spoke wire wheels so over the last 49 years its changed a little.

 

With all my import paperwork stating it's a 1967 and the American pink slip stating it's a 1967 will the DVLA issue a 1967 reg number or a 1965? or will the date difference cause problems with registering my car? or will the Heritage certificate sort all that out?

 

My plans for the car haven't changed, I'm still going to paint it Carmine Red when it's ready for paint.

 

Gavin

[RogerH]

Hi Gavin,

have a hunt around the car. Often when a car has a repaint (even a complete covering) there are areas left over showing the original colour.

Inside the doors, over the rear wheel arches etc. There will be a clue somewhere.

 

Roger

[Alec Pringle]

Or of course it may be a ringer . . . . plenty of those about, one way and another.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[dykins]

Honestly Alec, you always go straight for the jugular.

 

Roger was no doubt leading up to the same conclusion, but was trying to soften the blow a little

 

I'm sure that there is a perfectly reasonable (and honest) explanation

[stargazergs]

Cheers for the optimism Alec, I think the car has been repainted as the red paint is very thin and soft as is the white undercoat. I assume the original paint would have had a decent thickness to it? When I painted my last resto's I used cellulose and it was quite hard feeling when scraped so I'll investigate a bit further Roger, the car seems to have been reasonably local to the original delivery in Portland Oregon and the pink slip was addressed for Seattle Washington State (3hr drive apart) for all of its life in the US so that bit seems to chime. The wheel nuts are on by 3/4 of their depth which may indicate there was at one time splined adaptors fitted?

 

Anyone had any issues with registering a car with differing dates on the paperwork, would like to hear how you got on.

 

Gavin

[Alec Pringle]

Hi Gavin,

 

whenever anyone mentions cars of American provenance, my mind goes straight to Tricky Dicky . . . . as in, would you buy a used car from this man ?

 

That apart, if someone rung the changes way back when in Microsoftland, it's ancient history by now, and pretty much irrelevant.

 

I'd reckon at least 20% of remaining TRs are ringers to a greater or lesser degree, 70% bitsas ditto, and 10% at most bear a majority extant content of what left Canley, Speke or Solihull.

 

In other words, don't worry too much about the numbers - they don't necessarily mean a whole lot. And I'm sure DVLA are familiar enough with the inaccuracies of USA paperwork. 1967 probably means it was sold in 1966 as a 1967 model . . . . , despite being 1965 original manufacture.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

[stargazergs]

Hi Alec,

 

I must admit my very first thought was ringer! when I read the certificate and I suppose the only time I will find out is when I go to register it and an imported TR is already registered with them with the same number, HAY HO! Like you said after all these years there isn't much use worrying about it now, as long as the DVLA accepts it and it is on the NOVA system so its almost there.

 

Gavin

[MikeF]

Year of registration and year of manufacturing aren't always the same and, but up to 2 years does seem along time to be hanging around. I think the majority of legislation relates to first registration as that is the car equivalent of being placed on the market, which is the usual determinant

 

Mike.

[graeme]

Gavin,

 

It is probably as Alec says, a '65 car sold in '66 as a '67 model. This is fairly typical over here and sometimes very frustrating. My 2009 Mazda has a build date of 2008.

 

If you check some of the Lucas parts, they have a date on them which is usually very close to the build date. So check the relays, wiper motor and even the Smiths PCV has a date on it.

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Or of course it may be a ringer . . . . plenty of those about, one way and another.

 

Cheers

 

Alec

From the USA....many an unscrupulous dealer built cars to export back to Europe.

Friend of mine bought an original very low mileage one owner from new flat floor E Type......with a 4.2 engine

 

I rest my case

[stargazergs]

Gavin,

 

It is probably as Alec says, a '65 car sold in '66 as a '67 model. This is fairly typical over here and sometimes very frustrating. My 2009 Mazda has a build date of 2008.

 

If you check some of the Lucas parts, they have a date on them which is usually very close to the build date. So check the relays, wiper motor and even the Smiths PCV has a date on it.

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

Hi Greame

 

Thanks for the tip I'll take a close look at the lucas bits and see if there are any dates, It's very possible it's as you said as it was manufactured August 1965 also given the time taken to ship and a late sale in 66 as a 67?

 

Gavin

Edited August 31, 2014 by stargazergs

[stuart]

If it still has its original windscreen in it then the dots in the Triplex insignia will give you a date as well. Is the chassis plate still held on with original type rivets or did it come separate? If you look up under the rear deck you may well find some original colour there or underneath the wheel arches/floors or inside the doors as a lot of colour changes dont go that far. Does the engine/gearbox/back axle numbers come up fairly close to the chassis number?

Its was at one time not unknown for importers to bring a few cars in together and the paperwork was often a bit of a mix and match.

DVLA will register it as per your heritage certificate and give you an age related plate based on that without too much problem I would have thought or at least they always used to.

Stuart.

[stargazergs]

If it still has its original windscreen in it then the dots in the Triplex insignia will give you a date as well. Is the chassis plate still held on with original type rivets or did it come separate? If you look up under the rear deck you may well find some original colour there or underneath the wheel arches/floors or inside the doors as a lot of colour changes dont go that far. Does the engine/gearbox/back axle numbers come up fairly close to the chassis number?

Its was at one time not unknown for importers to bring a few cars in together and the paperwork was often a bit of a mix and match.

DVLA will register it as per your heritage certificate and give you an age related plate based on that without too much problem I would have thought or at least they always used to.

Stuart.

Thanks for that Stuart, I'll dig out my Sherlock spy glass and investigate closer, as always a voice of reason in the mists of confusion lol

[stargazergs]

Gavin,

 

It is probably as Alec says, a '65 car sold in '66 as a '67 model. This is fairly typical over here and sometimes very frustrating. My 2009 Mazda has a build date of 2008.

 

If you check some of the Lucas parts, they have a date on them which is usually very close to the build date. So check the relays, wiper motor and even the Smiths PCV has a date on it.

 

Cheers

 

Graeme

Hi Greame

 

I've not found any blue paint yet but the wiper motor is dated 65 as is one of the relays that I unscrewed so thing are loooking a bit better, unfortunatly the windscreen that Stuart suggested was not original and had no markings and the wheel bolts being short and the posibility that the dates were adrift like yourself and Alec suggested and its looking like a few pointers in the right direction.

 

Gavin

[Ian Vincent]

It's also possible that it was sold to an American serviceman in Europe and he used it for two years before taking it back to US with him.

 

Rgds Ian

[MarkBrash]

Mine is the same, I have a US registration certificate stating first registration in 1967 but a heritage certificate stating manufactured in 1965, all the other facts on the certificate match the car.

 

I wondered if mine had spent time in Europe not getting sold and then shipped off to the US

[stargazergs]

Mine is the same, I have a US registration certificate stating first registration in 1967 but a heritage certificate stating manufactured in 1965, all the other facts on the certificate match the car.

 

I wondered if mine had spent time in Europe not getting sold and then shipped off to the US

Nice to see I'm not the only one, mine has had a change of engine and an exchange gearbox at some time but it all appears to be stock 4a though. I was worried for a bit but no more, Ive got a great little car in need of some TLC and the bones of the car are ok so its a good base to start from and so far it doesn't look like its been restored before but has had a colour change to signal red at some stage in its life, She went across to America end of 1965 and spent her whole life as far as I can tell within 150 miles of the garage that sold her.

 

Gavin

Edited September 12, 2014 by stargazergs

[Kiwifrog]

My 3A was Manufactured in July 1960

 

Dispatched by ST to the US dealer (Standard Triumph USA destination New York) on 28 July 1961 abord the ship Bristol City and first registered in New York in 1962.

 

I believe it was quite common for forign cars imported to the US to have been first registered quite a while after they were made in the 60's.

 

My Car was last on the road in NY in 1974 so only spent 12 years as a driver so I believe the 68000 miles on the clock is also correct

 

 

cheers

Alan

Edited September 17, 2014 by Kiwifrog

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

My 3A was Manufactured in July 1960

 

Dispatched by ST to the US dealer (Standard Triumph USA destination New York) on 28 July 1961 abord the ship Bristol City and first registered in New York in 1962.

 

I believe it was quite common for forign cars imported to the US to have been first registered quite a while after they were made in the 60's.

 

My Car was last on the road in NY in 1974 so only spent 12 years as a driver so I believe the 68000 miles on the clock is also correct

 

 

cheers

Alan

And I thought there were a pair of them....

[stargazergs]

Hi Alan,

 

The more Iook into it and the more members like yourself comment I'm seeing quite a trend for this, its as if the movement/sales and registration of our cars for the most part seem to have a time differential once they cross the pond and like yours my car stayed in the same area it was exported to and was stored for many years. from the paperwork I have it looks like the last time it was on the road was 1980, from 1965 it was exported to a Triumph dealer in Portland Oregon and in 2006 was sold out of Seattle to Drakes British Motors in Kelowna BC. The Drake's had planed to restore it for themselves but never got around to it and had dry stored it till I bought it in January this year. For 49 years she is in not to bad a shape but it's going to take a few years to get her back on the road, I've almost got her ready for her first start and I've got to replace all the missing water pipes and heater bits first and then I'll see if she rolls and if nobody is looking maybe a short run to the road end and back?

 

 

Gavin