TR3 VIN number issues

[Mccannro]

I have a 1956 TR3 VIN No. TS10048L.  I am on the Westcoast of the US and having trouble with the Department of Motor Vehicles.   The title I have has the VIN as TS10048E which is an error but I can not convince the bureaucracy that the "E" is an error.  Any of you fine folks know where I can get documentation to support this.

[stuart]

13 hours ago, Mccannro said:

I have a 1956 TR3 VIN No. TS10048L.  I am on the Westcoast of the US and having trouble with the Department of Motor Vehicles.   The title I have has the VIN as TS10048E which is an error but I can not convince the bureaucracy that the "E" is an error.  Any of you fine folks know where I can get documentation to support this.

Apply for one of these, that should satisfy the DMV. https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/archive/heritage-certificates

Stuart.

[Hamish]

Or do it the other way and get a plate that matches the paperwork 

just tell them it cleaned up and it’s clearer now and shows it’s E

[Don H.]

On 11/2/2023 at 4:51 PM, Mccannro said:

I have a 1956 TR3 VIN No. TS10048L.  I am on the Westcoast of the US and having trouble with the Department of Motor Vehicles.   The title I have has the VIN as TS10048E which is an error but I can not convince the bureaucracy that the "E" is an error.  Any of you fine folks know where I can get documentation to support this.

Many states have an option for a vehicle inspection/commission number confirmation by the DMV or Highway Patrol for licensing.  That and showing several of the tons of published references to "L" being a commission number designation for left-hand steer, and "E" being a reference to an engine number would probably convince a person with some brains and authority (and there will be some of those people).  Does your state have that option, @Mccannro?

The possibly for your engine to match your commission number and both being TS10048 is virtually nil, but just to be sure I'd confirm exactly what IS your engine number.  There have been cases where TRs were registered to engine number rather than commission number.

Most VINs are modern 17-digit alphanumeric sequences conforming to FMVSS 115, Part 565 (in the USA).  We tend not to call them VINs, chassis numbers, or serial numbers on our sidescreen TRs, but rather commission numbers, following the terminology used by Standard Triumph.

[2long]

As Don mentions, it was fairly common for some titles to reference the engine number.  Mine does, and my Heritage certificate shows the engine member which matches the titled number (with the E suffix).  Our State allows this to be rectified using the following form, which must be verified by our local police.

Dan