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MG MGA - Coupe details

Can anyone tell me where I can get information concerning my 1600 coupe please? The chassis and engine numbers have been lost/obliterated and all I have is the body number B8412. British Heritage some time ago said that the body number was not enough but perhaps a perusal of the information might provide a match? I have owned the car for some 30 years and would dearly like to know the missing info! If it was sold new here in Adelaide it would have been the only 1600 coupe sold, or was it delivered in the UK and imported into Oz?
Barry Bahnisch

Barry,
I don't know how your registration system works in South Australia, but can you get any records in Adelaide, based on your reg plate details?

Here in the UK, the DVLA (the licensing authority) can supply old registration details for a small fee - they usually contain vehicle number, and sometimes other serial numbers too. If you could find that, you might then have something to take to British Heritage.

If you've had it for 30 years, it's presumably not been re-registered in that time, which may make it easier to trace early history in Australia.

Good luck.

Richard.
Richard Ross

Barry,

I still have my South Australian Registration papers from 1965. These are for a mga twin cam. They show only the engine number, not the chassis or body numbers. A strange system to be sure!
Are you missing both plates, the one for the chassis number on the firewall just in front of the heater and the plate on the engine block?
Why don't your Registration papers show any numbers? Have you had it for 30 years unregistered? With no papers?

Mick
Mick Anderson

Barry,
What was the original body and interior colour of your coupe? Is it white with black interior?
Garry
Garry Kemm

Although rarely still evident, the chassis number was stamped on the top of the left side frame cross member, the square one just in front of the passenger's seat (between the two floor boards). It wasn't stamped very deeply and rust usually takes care of it. However, if you can find any of the number remaining, it might help norrow your search. Take a wire brush and gently try to remove the rust scale and see what, if any, of the number remains.

You might check with the NAMGAR Registrar to see if your car was ever documented/registered with them. They record all available information so if your car was registered prior to the engine and chassis numbers getting lost, they may, just using the body number, help you retrive the other numers as well. They did so with my 1600 coupe as I only had the body number also.

Good luck!
robert maupin

There USED TO BE a DYE that could be sprayed on metal TO SHOW UP INVISABLE CRACKS IN CYLINDER HEADS and MAYBE the "MAGNAFLUX CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD TESTERS" in shops that GRIND VALVE SEATS could bring out the "INVISABLE BODY NUMBERS". I seem to remember the FBI & U.S. CUSTOMS using these methods to detect GROUND OFF & RESTAMPED NUMBERS! Incidently, the U.S. CUSTOMS BOOK showing where all the "SECRET BODY NUMBERS" ARE, used to be FOR SALE to the General Public from the Government Printing Office! I once worked as an Electronics Technician at U.S. Customs Stations in Texas.
wattswh1

I believe that the dye is called "Dyecheck". It is still used by machinists and should be available at any machine shop supply, or you can probably go to a shop to get the frame sprayed.
mike parker

Barry,
If you check chassis as Robert suggests (driver's side for RHD cars)hopefully you will find the chassis number, which I suspect will be 79529. Only about 90 Coupes originally came to Australia.
Garry
Garry Kemm

This thread was discussed between 25/07/2005 and 29/07/2005

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