Age Tasmin

[Cathelijne]

The papers of my Tasmin are from March 1983, but we have some doubts about the real age of the car.

Here is the list why:
- Black wiring
- Skai seat and dash
- Serie 1 dash
- Steward Warner clocks till 320 km/h!! (Pointer fixed when engine is down)
- topspeed 214 km/h
- Stainless steel double Langford exhaust
- Early closed wheels (not using at the moment, we have 2 sets of wheels)
- Chassisnr is DH5366F1, which makes it July 1982
- but also a plastic coating on the chassis (In perfect shape, no trace of rust)
- 160 hp engine
- electric window switches on the tunnel
- old type steering wheel (black leather)
- upright radiator in the engine bay
- A-frame suspension
- Old type armrest
- Space saver wheel
- Separate expension tank
- Long bonnet with big air vents (same as on the cover of the Wedgebible)

To simplify it a bit: The chassis nr is from July '82, the papers from March '83. Can anyone explain the lap? (papers at import?)

[gemini]

The papers of my Tasmin are from March 1983, but we have some doubts about the real age of the car.

Here is the list why:
- but also a plastic coating on the chassis (In perfect shape, no trace of rust) SO IS MINE
- electric window switches on the tunnel SO ARE MINE
- old type steering wheel (black leather) SO IS MINE
- upright radiator in the engine bay SO IS MINE
- Separate expension tank AS HAS MINE
quote]

mines a 1983

[danny hoffman]

An 83 A frame - doesn't sound right to me

I have a Feb '85 registered 350, but there is a signature under the nose (I presume of the guys who laid up the body) dated Nov '84

[Cathelijne]

danny hoffman said: An 83 A frame - doesn't sound right to me

I have a Feb '85 registered 350, but there is a signature under the nose (I presume of the guys who laid up the body) dated Nov '84

We found several signatures but no date

[mhardy]

Hi Cathelijne,

I think the difference is date of build and date of first registration in NL (datum deel 1).

[900T-R]

To simplify it a bit: The chassis nr is from July '82, the papers from March '83. Can anyone explain the lap? (papers at import?)

What I know about Wedges probably fits on the back of a postage stamp, but for a specialist car, the gap between date of build and registry seems quite normal. Not knowing the business practices of Nimag at the time, it looks like this particular car was not built to a customer order, but ordered by the importers for their own stock - maybe for their showroom, maybe for demonstration purposes too on 'green' (traders) plates.
Any paperwork with the car concerning its early history?

[Cathelijne]

mhardy said: Hi Cathelijne,

I think the difference is date of build and date of first registration in NL (datum deel 1).

Is it possible to get that date to '82? Takes shorter to get an oldtimer then

[Cathelijne]

900T-R said:

To simplify it a bit: The chassis nr is from July '82, the papers from March '83. Can anyone explain the lap? (papers at import?)

Any paperwork with the car concerning its early history?

I only know what the previous owner told me: He told us that it's used for a folder (photo's etc), but that's all....

[900T-R]

Well there's your explanation - your car has spent a few months in Heinenoord, doubling as a photo model, before a customer bought it, at which point it got its registration. At least, that seems the most probable...

As a sideline, I was more or less involved in a photoshoot for the Dutch importers with a Chimaera and a Morgan 4/4. I was working as an editor for Autogids, then (a publishing house of local car papers that get paid by dealers' ads) and there was an ad agency in-house (so the dealers could have their advertisements made at the same place) which did some work for Nimag back then. We took the cars along with a Merc S500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee (the 'stars' of our cover story for a business magazine we also published) to Calais on a windy Saturday, and I'll never forget driving the Chim out ouf a Belgian parking lot on the motorway with the roof stowed where it belongs and hearing that glorious exhaust note for the first time. The five or so 'flight hours' I got in that car during that day and the weeek following it are sadly my only Tiv experience to date.

Some day...

[sevans]

Regardless of when it was registered there is something a little odd if it has all black wiring and A frame suspension. Is the chassis paint grey by any chance. It seems that the earlier cars (mine included I'm happy to say) have better powder coating. Maybe the suspension has been upgraded to A frame as I doubt anyone would upgrade the wiring to all black wires!!!!

[Nacnud]

My SEAC is 1989 with all black wires.
I thought the factory just used whatever coloured wire they had in stock at the time

[TaSmania]

Sounds like you may have an explanation for the basic date differences but Like Danny, etc say, an '82/'83 A Frame car seems odd. It's a major carve up (Cut/Shut/Weld) to convert a chassis so could yours have had a replacement at some point? And as for the black wires Perhaps the factory used A Frame and Black wires on export models
GB

[Cathelijne]

TaSmania said: Sounds like you may have an explanation for the basic date differences but Like Danny, etc say, an '82/'83 A Frame car seems odd. It's a major carve up (Cut/Shut/Weld) to convert a chassis so could yours have had a replacement at some point? And as for the black wires Perhaps the factory used A Frame and Black wires on export models
GB

I don't know if the chassis is replaced. Don't know enough about the previous owners. When we bought it, it was rather neglected (Hadn't seen a garage in 1,5 year, no MOT test (NL: APK) or such thing)



>> Edited by Cathelijne on Wednesday 21st May 13:45

[ralph dodds]

Have to agree with previous comment that this sounds very much like a chassis change at some stage in its life. The black wiring loom was fitted to the early cars up to chassis 5903 according to the wiring diagram that the Factory sent me when I bought my series 1 (the white one on the cover of the bible) back in 90. Mine is, I think, a May 81 build, but an Aug 82 registration. The dish road wheels and SW gauges were replaced in Jan 82 and the hideous 70s style deep dish steering wheel was dropped in Jun 82. A frame chassis were not produced until late 85.

[bobble350]

Are you SURE you have an A frame chassis?

[Cathelijne]

bobble350 said: Are you SURE you have an A frame chassis?

Yes, I know it's strange, but it really has an A frame chassis.

[tasmin83]

Yes, I know, many have questioned whether you really
have an A-frame chassis. Just to clarify, we are
speaking of the rear suspension design because that
was not introduced until well after your car was built
so unless there was a chassis change somewhere before you purchased the car, it should have the trailing arm
rear suspension.

[wedg1e]

ralph dodds said: Have to agree with previous comment that this sounds very much like a chassis change at some stage in its life. The black wiring loom was fitted to the early cars up to chassis 5903 according to the wiring diagram that the Factory sent me when I bought my series 1 (the white one on the cover of the bible) back in 90. Mine is, I think, a May 81 build, but an Aug 82 registration. The dish road wheels and SW gauges were replaced in Jan 82 and the hideous 70s style deep dish steering wheel was dropped in Jun 82. A frame chassis were not produced until late 85.

What do you mean 'hideous' steering wheel? On my 1980 Tasmin it went rather well with the metal flake gold & green paint, flames up the wheelarches, fake leopard-skin seatcovers and 8-track cartridge player...: rolleyes:

Ian

[york33]

Do you mean this style?

www.dave-chaplin.co.uk/Photos/TVR/DSCF0006.JPG

If so, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, it's a lovely style

grrrr
Dave

[Cathelijne]

tasmin83 said: Yes, I know, many have questioned whether you really
have an A-frame chassis. Just to clarify, we are
speaking of the rear suspension design because that
was not introduced until well after your car was built
so unless there was a chassis change somewhere before you purchased the car, it should have the trailing arm
rear suspension.

Just imagine: To fit a new gearbox, they had to lift the whole engine. Otherwise they couldn't reach the place where the gearbox belongs. The tunnel didn't fit properly (bolts "missing"), so all the noise from the gearbox came throught it. The part where the radio is, had no bolts at all. Pulling was enough to remove it...