TR-3A Body Shell Tag Needed

[angelfj]

Folks: I've apparently run into another road block in the ongoing 6-year restoration of TS58476LO, a 1960 model TR-3A. The lower body-shell ID tag is almost completely perished. These cars had two metal tags or plates on the bulkhead just above the battery. The upper metal tag, made of mild steel or brass , was applied by Mulliners when they produced the shell. Since these shells were delivered to Canley completely painted in the finish colour, the upper tag is generally found painted. Some enthusiasts remove the paint and buff them, but this is not the way the cars were sold. The lower metal plate, made of brass, was attached by the Canley plant when the car was assembled. It was not painted. It is this lower brass tag that I need. I ordered a build record from BMIHT and the correct numbers are 1061887 for the lower tag. The Mulliners tag is fine.

 

The difficulty with these tags is the way the characters are applied. They are embossed, not stamped or engraved. The letters and numbers actually stand proud of the surface of the tag. Embossed metal tags are still used here in the USA. They are found as ID tags for heavy machinery and sometimes used by foundries to identify castings. When used for castings, the characters are reverse embossed, so that the resulting characters stand proud of the casting. The metal tags on our Triumphs are embossed normally. I have searched for a few years for someone that can reproduce these tags. I have found shops that do embossing, but the numbers are either too small or the wrong font. These tags are 7/8-inch high by 3 1/2-inches wide, and the characters are approx. 3/8-inch high, centered on the tag. The tags are rounded at the ends and have two mounting holes.

 

So, if anyone knows of a source of the tags or someone who can reproduce them, I would be very grateful.

 

The attached photo was supplied by Mr. Harry Ward one of our mates on the US British Car Forum. These plates belong to his 1959 TR-3A.

Edited November 15, 2006 by angelfj

[Guest captain]

I too have been looking without success.

The only "reverse punch" sets on the market are too small and expensive.

I am planning on casting some moulds from the build plate using a hard material - either a resin base such as Araldite steel or a cement based material. With a mould of each side truly aligned it should be possible to press new numbers into a piece of brass plate using a vice.

The moulds only need last for one or two pressings. Brass sheet should be available from a model makers shop or similar.

I have a piece of scrap brass that will do and will trial on a spare bit first.

[angelfj]

I too have been looking without success.

The only "reverse punch" sets on the market are too small and expensive.

I am planning on casting some moulds from the build plate using a hard material - either a resin base such as Araldite steel or a cement based material. With a mould of each side truly aligned it should be possible to press new numbers into a piece of brass plate using a vice.

The moulds only need last for one or two pressings. Brass sheet should be available from a model makers shop or similar.

I have a piece of scrap brass that will do and will trial on a spare bit first.

 

 

 

Sounds like an ingeneous solution. Please let me know if this works.

 

 

 

Cheers

[TR 2100]

The lower metal plate, made of brass, was attached by the Canley plant when the car was assembled. It was not painted. It is this lower brass tag that I need. I ordered a build record from BMIHT and the correct numbers are 1061887 for the lower tag.

Most of the number tag looks as if it would be OK under the paint.

 

What about some very careful brazing to make good the corroded areas, then grinding back to the number profile?

 

You would need to spend a bit of time carefully grinding back, but I reckon the finished plate would probably look better if you started with a 95% OK original plate than if you tried to create one from scratch.

[BrianC]

Most of the number tag looks as if it would be OK under the paint.

Only problem is that I understood that this is just a photo of someone else's good plates.

[angelfj]

I want to re-post the original photo of my lower tag. I imagine I could solder this plate to another "backing" plate and carefully "restore" what remains, then remove any excess of the backing plate?

 

 

 

Cheers, Frank