TR4 True Barnfind, black paint, black interior, black Surrey, sold by Carrs Autos Croydon Sept/Oct 1964.

[TRier]

Hi all, I know this is in a way in the wrong section but people here may own or have owned a TR4 in the past of have the knowledge I seek so I have to ask .I recently bought and pulled a TR4 out of a barn where it has lain for almost 40 years. I have the commission number and plate and from that the Heritage Cert which gave me the info in the title above. Commission number is CT/37220-O, black on black car with a black surrey and wires. What I dont have is any other documentation for the car and the vendor I bought the car from doesnt know either what the reg number was, I havent been in touch with the DVLA yet but I'm told they cant match the commission (VIN) to a reg, like I say thats what I'm told rather than what I know although the correspondence I have been shown does seem to support that position. The car has been in the shed for almost 40 years, no MOTs, no tax, you get the picture.

I'm going to keep trying from the Commission Number end of the string but I'd like to put it out there and see if anyone remembers or maybe has a photo or has seen a photo of a 1964 black on black TR4 with a Surrey, originally sold in Croydon so that maybe I can pull the string from the opposite direction and see if anything comes out of that or coincides with another bit of info that emerges. I know its a long shot but I'd like to save this car and with its original registration if at all possible so no harm in asking, who knows, someone who owned that commission number 40 years + ago might pop up. The car is partially dismantled but in remarkably solid condition, definitley restorable and the colour combo sounds like it would be fantastic on that car. Any assistance much appreciated. 

[Keith Wigglesworth]

Hi TRier

i would ask the tr4 registrar to check his records in case the car was ever owned by a tr register member. 
Keith

[TRier]

1 hour ago, Keith Wigglesworth said:

Hi TRier

i would ask the tr4 registrar to check his records in case the car was ever owned by a tr register member. 
Keith

Hi Keith, yeah I’ve done that and he’ll respond and help for sure as the always do, I’m just trying to prime the pump myself and you never know. Thanks  for responding. 

 

Niall

[TwinCamJohn]

Does the Heritage cert give the dealer delivery ? If not, what dealers would there have been in Croydon at that time? I expect you have already looked at that. From where did the vendor get the car?

[stuart]

No number plate with the car? That may possibly point to the original reg having been transferred to another car.

Stuart.

[TRier]

15 hours ago, TwinCamJohn said:

Does the Heritage cert give the dealer delivery ? If not, what dealers would there have been in Croydon at that time? I expect you have already looked at that. From where did the vendor get the car?

Hi John, it was Carrs Autos in Croydon, I've googled them and not surprisingly they dont exsit any longer so probably not much going to come out of that line of enquiry.  The chap who sold it to me is an elderly expat who has lived overseas for 40 years now, like many expats I guess he always planned to come back to UK at some point but has now decided that at his age its not going to happen and is selling up the house he used to live in and where the cars were stored. Back in the day this chap was certainly a car guy and had several interesting cars, this TR4 he bought dismantled, as in all the body panels off, from his neighbour at the time and drove it into his shed, a few months later he went out to the far east on a contract, planning to return and take up his life in a few months. Whilst he visited the UK occasionally after that he never returned in any real sense so the paperwork and history on that car is patchy to non existent. The neighbour is long since gone and they lost touch sp no recourse that way, in any case you'd be asking an elderly gentleman "do you remember that car you sold in bits 40 years ago", probably not much would come out of that even if there was a contact route. 

I wouldn't like to give the impression that the vendor was in any way an air head, I bought two cars from him and the second one has MOTs back to 1977 and perfect records, the 4 just fell between the cracks in the floor boards a little at a somewhat chaotic time. A very nice and wholly competent man in fact. It was a very interesting and fun barnfind/rescue

[stuart]

4 minutes ago, TRier said:

Hi John, it was Carrs Autos in Croydon, I've googled them and not surprisingly they dont exsit any longer so probably not much going to come out of that line of enquiry.  The chap who sold it to me is an elderly expat who has lived overseas for 40 years now, like many expats I guess he always planned to come back to UK at some point but has now decided that at his age its not going to happen and is selling up the house he used to live in and where the cars were stored. Back in the day this chap was certainly a car guy and had several interesting cars, this TR4 he bought dismantled, as in all the body panels off, from his neighbour at the time and drove it into his shed, a few months later he went out to the far east on a contract, planning to return and take up his life in a few months. Whilst he visited the UK occasionally after that he never returned in any real sense so the paperwork and history on that car is patchy to non existent. The neighbour is long since gone and they lost touch sp no recourse that way, in any case you'd be asking an elderly gentleman "do you remember that car you sold in bits 40 years ago", probably not much would come out of that even if there was a contact route. 

I wouldn't like to give the impression that the vendor was in any way an air head, I bought two cars from him and the second one has MOTs back to 1977 and perfect records, the 4 just fell between the cracks in the floor boards a little at a somewhat chaotic time. A very nice and wholly competent man in fact. It was a very interesting and fun barnfind/rescue

Hope you bought the Etype as well.

Stuart.

[TRier]

41 minutes ago, stuart said:

No number plate with the car? That may possibly point to the original reg having been transferred to another car.

Stuart.

Hi Stuart, thats very possible, anything is possible really after this long. The vendor had been in touch with the DVLA by e mail and as they apparently couldnt identify the reg from the VIN they said he could apply for a new number and get an age appropriate number, that looked like a good route for him but it transpired that he could do that provided the car was "complete" and could be inspected. That was a deal breaker for him as he wasnt in a position to do that. I could do it albeit with some non technical difficulties but difficulties nonetheless, which would make just finding the original reg and applying for replacement paperwork much more attractive. I dont want to bore everyone with the details but I'm in Ireland and will want to import the car, since Brexit the only way to economically do that is to do it with an unrestored bag of bones. So bit of a catch 22, if I make it complete and MOTable then I can get a reg but can't bring it home without punitive taxes, if I cant make it complete and possibly MOTable then I cant get a registration and cant bring it home either. Check if not checkmate!

Edited May 10 by TRier
typo

[stuart]

1 minute ago, TRier said:

Hi Stuart, thats very possible, anything is possible really after this long. The vendor had been in touch with the DVLA by e mail and as they apparently couldnt identify the reg from the VIN they said he could apply for a new number and get an age appropriate number, that looked like a good route for him but it transpired that he could do that provided the car was "complete" and could be inspected. That was a deal breaker for him as he wasnt in a position to do that. I could do it non technical difficulties but difficulties nonetheless, which would make just finding the original reg and applying for replacement paperwork much more attractive. I dont want to bore everyone with the details but I'm in Ireland and will want to import the car, since Brexit the only way to economically do that is to do it with an unrestored bag of bones. So bit of a catch 22, if I make it complete and MOTable then I can get a reg but can't bring it home without punitive taxes, if I cant make it complete and possibly MOTable then I cant get a registration and cant bring it home either. Check if not checkmate!

Talk to Niall Power as Im sure he has brought in projects.

Stuart.

[TRier]

7 minutes ago, stuart said:

Hope you bought the Etype as well.

Stuart.

Hi Stuart, it was an interesting one, I bought the pair on the basis of remove them and then return the shed and conservatory and garden to to as found condition.  They were in a shed at the bottom of a garden with no clear route out to the front, the shed had been rebuilt in the 40 years and rebuilt literally around the cars and equally there had been a lean too covered patio installed between the back garden and the route out! Had to be done over the bank holiday weekend so single handed, it'll be a great story over a few pints one day

 

Niall

[stuart]

Just now, TRier said:

Hi Stuart, it was an interesting one, I bought the pair on the basis of remove them and then return the shed and conservatory and garden to to as found condition.  They were in a shed at the bottom of a garden with no clear route out to the front, the shed had been rebuilt in the 40 years and rebuilt literally around the cars and equally there had been a lean too covered patio installed between the back garden and the route out! Had to be done over the bank holiday weekend so single handed, it'll be a great story over a few pints one day

 

Niall

Well done for getting them both. Maybe see you at Malvern to chat then?

Stuart.

[TRier]

6 minutes ago, stuart said:

Talk to Niall Power as Im sure he has brought in projects.

Stuart.

Hi Stuart, I talk to that silly bugger everyday but people find it strange.......

Niall Power- TRier

[TRier]

6 minutes ago, stuart said:

Well done for getting them both. Maybe see you at Malvern to chat then?

Stuart.

Super, I'll come and find you, I'll get your number from Niall Callery or Dan Riordan.

[stuart]

14 minutes ago, TRier said:

Hi Stuart, I talk to that silly bugger everyday but people find it strange.......

Niall Power- TRier

Sorry got confused

Stuart.

[SuzanneH]

If you have the address of the owner when he lived here in the U.K. and that of his next door neighbour from whom he purchased the car you could research their names from the electoral registers of the time they lived there ( at the same time) and perhaps trace the neighbours family. This just may produce family photographs of said car and number plate. It will be a lot of research and may come to nothing but then again may just come up trumps. HTH