Identification VIN decoding

dom forte

Bronze forum user
Messages
11
Just joined the site, I have a sunbeam tiger Ive had since 1982, bought from the oringinal owner, who is dead and Im looking for info on decoding my data plates, can you direct me to a source or can you decode them on this site?
 

0neoffive

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
2,853
ALA Carte Numbers

Just joined the site, I have a sunbeam tiger Ive had since 1982, bought from the oringinal owner, who is dead and Im looking for info on decoding my data plates, can you direct me to a source or can you decode them on this site?

Welcome: There should be a Serial # and JAL # on the pass firewall cowl. There also should be a TAG # on the right side of the tranny main case (HEHE or HEH-CF with numbers). The hardest # will be the rear stamping under the pinion casting. Lots of carb cleaner and a hard toothbrush should clean it up enough for a read (or not). Post those and you'll get more info than you ever thought you needed . . . . . .:)
 

Warren

Gold forum user
Messages
3,872
Try these

http://www.rootes1.com/

http://www.stoa-tigerclub.com/advice/eval.html

It would help to fill out the details in your profile where you are, who you are, and what you'd like to do.

All a CAT sticker on the car means is someone was once a member.

There is no qualification to join other than the fee, pay the fee get a sticker. We have Algers, Alpines, and lovely conversions, Real Tigers highly customized, Real Tigers Really Stock, and Real Tigers mixed and matched yet period correct.



Welcome
 

Moondoggie

Gold forum user
Messages
569
Your car shows up in the BON but is lacking most of the information
so you should go here http://www.rootes1.com/ and register the car with Norm Miller also you might want to have it TAC'd but we will need to know where you live etc

Moondoggie
 

dom forte

Bronze forum user
Messages
11
Thanks for all and any help , have e mailed info as suggested.
Have worked on the car for orignal owner since 1967, and then purchased from his widow, I stored the car away since 1982 with 450 thousand miles, it was his dayly driver from new.
He claimed he purchased the car in Germany while he was stationed there in the army.
I just pulled out of storage after all these years and just wanted to get more data, like color, date built and confirm his story if it was shipped to Germany.
My sons put the pressure on me to pull it out and do something with the car.
 

michael-king

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
4,132
The original colour is on the VIN tag (the one with the B947 number)
As for the car being bought in germany.. there were a few tigers sold to servicemen in the EU and they were later brought back to the states. Some were EU spec cars and some were cars ordered to be used in EU and then exported. Often they carried a chassis prefix or LROFE as opposed to the LRXFE. EU spec cars were also badged as Alpine 260's and are quite rare, they also have an additional spec plate.
 

Moondoggie

Gold forum user
Messages
569
The color code 19 is Moonstone. Interesting since my Tiger was Moonstone
at one point in time then yellow and artic white but recently after a complete
strip and repaint it is BRG. There were several areas on the car that had the original Moonstone color....It is a butt ugly color similiar to concrete so most have been repainted another color...yellow might suggest how ugly it was..lol
We would like to see some pictures !!!! and is it still an ugly shade of gray/white ??
450,000 miles might be some kind of record !!!

Moondoggie
 

dom forte

Bronze forum user
Messages
11
Your right about the color he must not of liked it because the car is a dark blue, but the underside of the hood, trunk and below the interior carpet it appears to be some shade of white, however the car was painted in the 1960s before I started working on it, the paint is in very bad shape.
A few years ago some british sports guys looked at it and said they were surprised that it has a factory clock and backup lights, is this not the norm.
 

Moondoggie

Gold forum user
Messages
569
Duke is too kind !!! They are expensive options today....The back up lights
can be as much as $500 today. The reason is they are difficult to locate
properly due to the close proximity of the fuel tank cross over tube. I'm sure a bunch of cross over pipes bit the dust to a hole saw so dealers didn't like to sell them. Here is a shot of my car in process with the back up lights properly installed...Clocks didn't work very long and became places for oil temperature gauges and the like....

Moondoggie
 

michael-king

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
4,132
The Sparto back-up lights as featured in the above pic are quite rare 9as a side note there were 2 types used, ones as seen that mount to the outside on the 1/4 sills where the bases have a complex compund curve to account for the location and another set of bases that mounted them inboard where the base onyl had to account for the curve in 1 profile.

The rectangular WIPAC reverse lights used on the SV Alpines and the MKIA/MKII Tigers are rather more common.. and often retro fitted to the cars.

the WIPAC can be seen mounted below the bumper on the green alpine second from the left
 

Moondoggie

Gold forum user
Messages
569
The Sparto back-up lights as featured in the above pic are quite rare
Michael....Those are NOS parts !!! Interesting design since they rotate to compensate for the compound curves of the rear panel. Here is a shot
at the Concours this August in Carmel.
 

michael-king

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
4,132
I have a couple of sets of these (NOS) and 1 S/H set, the bases pitt quite badly on the bases and the lenses can get melted if the globes stay on (i was thinking it is worth putting in LED globes to prevent hat happening)

there was a NOS set on ebay maybe 3 months back, think they passed in did not make the $500 reserve, but may have sold after.

Rick Lara makes stainless copies of the bases which are a good option, i have heard good things about them.
 

Mooncat17

Bronze forum user
Messages
12
Hey, that's grey/white with a touch of blue, unless you lucked out and got the subliminal level seafoam green.:)
 
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dom forte

Bronze forum user
Messages
11
Welcome to the site--post a few pics of your car when you get the chance.

My sons and I are going to pull it out this weekend and try and clean it up and will try and get some pictures.
Norman got me the build date , so far it was built on Dec, 6 , 1964, whats strange is that is a Sunday .
I notice that you list a 1966 GT 350, do you still have it, I own a 1965 GT conv, 1967 GT 500, 1968 GT 500KR , and 1969 MACH 1.
Ive been a member of SAAC since the begining, Mustang club since 1969,have a large collection of literature, ford shop tips, stock holders reports,cobra brouchures , etc, if you are ever looking for any particular info on anything let me know.
Thats what bothered me with this Tiger is finding history other then what the past owner said in conversation.
Thanks to all on here for the info thus far.
 
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