Chassis Plates

[Mr Tiger]

Being relatively new to TVRs I'm quite unfamiliar with the type of chassis plate fitted to the various models.

The early silver Vixen S2 that's soon to be auctioned has this type of plate, which I've not seen before.








My 2500 has this type fitted.



It would be great if someone would list all the different chassis plates used on the early TVRs and state the years and models they were used for.

Also, were some chassis numbers originally hand etched/scratched and others stamped?

I'd be grateful for any info.

Thanks,

Chris

[Adrian@]

The top chassis plate image that is shown has the wrong font on ....there is another item that make the M plate (these are on the M from mid '73) unique, but I don't think that I should publish it here. I would expect all of the M series to be stamped too.
The green plate finishes mid '73 ...someone with better knowledge of the era will pop up with the start point.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Thursday 9th October 12:29

[Mr Tiger]

Sorry, I shouldn't have used a generic plate off Google Images.

This is the actual one from the ad.



It is on an early Vixen S2 though, not an M series.

Chris

[Adrian@]

So this is on a Vixen S2, which was made when? I would not expect that to be on a car made before '73.

The script on the OE silver M plate is 'points stretched' from a standard font to make it visually a TVR 'trade mark' by John Bailie, from Image publicity, who hand cut all the stencils for the M series car of that era.
Adrian@

[Warwick67]

The chassis plate on that silver one says "silver" but the ad' says the car was originally yellow, so - presumably the chassis plate is not the original one.....

[Adrian@]

Warwick67 said:

The chassis plate on that silver one says "silver" but the ad' says the car was originally yellow, so - presumably the chassis plate is not the original one.....

IMHO, standard method of attaching these was pop rivets..I see no reason not to drill it off and replace it when the car gets painted.
Adrian@

[sydaitge]

If this concerns the Silver S2 presently going up for Auction in Paris (early Oct 2014) I can warrant that the later plate for LVX1235F was a replacement fitted by me. The plate was generously supplied by Adrian Venn (thanks Adrian, I haven't forgotten your kindness) and stamped with the colour and chassis number by me also. This was because of the old VIN plate on the car when it came to me had the chassis No shown as just LVX1235 and the change to computerised MOT records meant that the tester could not issue the certificate without it being correct. Just for the record the old VIN plate showed the colour as SILVER as well though I can confirm the original colour was Bahamas Yellow as the paint was still visible in places. It probably looked like something from operation Desert Storm when it was first resprayed!
Kind regards Pete Sims.

[Adrian@]

Hi Pete, I hope you are well, I will copy and paste this onto the thread running on this car (I hope that's OK)..it will help with the information on the car.
Adrian@

[LSRbbs]

Adrian@ said:

The top chassis plate image that is shown has the wrong font on ....there is another item that make the M plate (these are on the M from mid '73) unique, but I don't think that I should publish it here. I would expect all of the M series to be stamped too.
The green plate finishes mid '73 ...someone with better knowledge of the era will pop up with the start point.
Adrian@

Edited by Adrian@ on Thursday 9th October 12:29

FYI, my 73 M has the silver plate but is hand etched, not stamped (as is the VIN plate on dash). I don't have my notes in front of me but I want to say it's birthday was around April 73.

Neil.

[Adrian@]

I don't get to see many stateside cars, but do see European cars and they have additional plates down the door posts with local related bylaws. all the ones I have seen are hand etched. The fact that you have a VIN on the dash which I have never seen on UK cars would be I think related to local laws to the cars first import.
Adrian@

[Hansoplast]

My friend had LVX 2058/4 bought in GB.
Wanted to register it in Holland.

His chassis plate had no LVX inscription



The customs told him they had to lock the car behind doors because no identifications so " stolen ".
My friend had to go back to the police and custom 4 times.
In the end they engraved LVX2058/4 in the chassis.

My TVR does not have the green chassis plate however the number in the rop plate of the righthand front shock support.
That had been done in GB.

So what is the original way of indification?. Just a chassis plate with (hand) engraved numbers or in the chassis itself?

Hans

[LSRbbs]

Adrian@ said:

I don't get to see many stateside cars, but do see European cars and they have additional plates down the door posts with local related bylaws. all the ones I have seen are hand etched. The fact that you have a VIN on the dash which I have never seen on UK cars would be I think related to local laws to the cars first import.
Adrian@

Good catch on the VIN plate, that's a US requirement. What a hoot that was trying to explain to the tag office that a 6 digit VIN was legitimate on a 73 model year as all manufacturers had moved to a standardized 16 digit system.

I've got the same bylaws plate on the drivers door post w/ hand etched birthday (March, so it was earlier than I remembered) and VIN number as well as the tire inflation plate. There's the chassis plate in the engine bay along w/ lubrication chart on heater core.

Slightly off topic...how likely that the engine number listed on the chassis plate could be wrong? The engine in mine is date correct but the numbers don't match the plate? The engine mounts and several other indicators seem to support it hasn't been removed in a LONG time. But it has been removed because I know it's bored over. For a car that is so complete it seems odd that the motor gets replaced with another TR6 motor vs. the typical V8 install.

Neil.

[Slow M]

Neil,

I don't know if it's common, but I used a spare block, when I built up my six, leaving the original block in a corner of the garage. The replacement was decked, bored out, and line bored, for cam bearings.

Best,
B.

[Hansoplast]

Hansoplast said:

My friend had LVX 2058/4 bought in GB.
Wanted to register it in Holland.

His chassis plate had no LVX inscription



The customs told him they had to lock the car behind doors because no identifications so " stolen ".
My friend had to go back to the police and custom 4 times.
In the end they engraved LVX2058/4 in the chassis.

My TVR does not have the green chassis plate however the number in the rop plate of the righthand front shock support.
That had been done in GB.

So what is the original way of indification?. Just a chassis plate with (hand) engraved numbers or in the chassis itself?

Hans

Up to now I had no reaction on my question(s).
Can someone please tell me whether this green plate is also used for Vixen S3?
And whether the inscription is always by hand engraved or punched (neater).
What is the most common place where it is fixed?

Please let me know.

Hans

Hans

[GTRene]

this seems to be a Vixen S3 (have more pictures of it) and you can see the plate>

[Mr Tiger]

Hi Hans,

My S3 2500 has the green plate and it's hand etched/engraved.
It's on the bulkhead to the right of the heater box.

You can just about make it out in the pic.



I think this is correct for the Vixens but I'm certainly no expert.

Chris

[alphaone]

Hansoplast said:

Up to now I had no reaction on my question(s).
Can someone please tell me whether this green plate is also used for Vixen S3? - YES
And whether the inscription is always by hand engraved or punched (neater). - I HAVE SEEN BOTH, DONT KNOW WHICH IS CORRECT
What is the most common place where it is fixed? - BULK HEAD

Please let me know.

Hans

Hans

Edited by alphaone on Sunday 16th November 23:32

[tomtrout]

Hans

My early S2 was rather crudely stamped. I removed it when I was restoring the tub and replaced it with a neater engraved replacement which is much easier to read. Might pop this one back on!

[moluag]

Since my chassis plate is different to all the above, I have attached an image of it, for information purposes.

This is the original plate on my late 1971 Tuscan V6.

[octanetorque]

Hansoplast said:

My friend had LVX 2058/4 bought in GB.
Wanted to register it in Holland.

His chassis plate had no LVX inscription

looks familiar...