Body Number

[BigHW]

I have a few questions regarding the Stag Body Number which I hope you can answer.
1) The BMIHT (British Motor Industry Heritage Trust) certificate shows a Body Number for our January 1975 Mk 2 Stag as being T346xx / 347xx LD.
For January 1975 one would expect to see a number T34xxx but why have they shown two body numbers? Could it be that the second body number is for the Hard Top which was a factory fitted option?
2) It looks like there were two Body Number plates riveted on the left hand side of the bonnet left hand hinge but sadly they were badly corroded and someone accidently defaced them when we were preparing the body for painting. Does anyone have a photo showing the correct location of this body number plate and does anyone also have two body number plates?
3) where can I source blank Body Number plates as Rimmers / SOC / LDparts don't list them?
4) Is there a picture / diagram showing where all the vehicle information labels should be fixed / stuck inside the engine bay and body?
Our restoration which started November 2019 is nearly complete, the car is looking really good and I want to get the final details right the first time.
Thank you very much

[davidf]

The following is my understanding based on comments from various sources, and a bit of deduction.
2 body numbers are attached adjacent to the left bonnet hinge.
The one without the 'T' is the 'bare shell' number attached before the shell is painted - hence this plate is always painted body colour.
The one with the 'T; prefix (unpainted plate) is the trimmed body number, so all the wiring and fittings have been added. This is consistent with the Parts Manual, because changes to items such as door locks and wiring looms are recorded at 'T' numbers.
Finally, the Commission number on the plate on the left B post (and stamped elsewhere on the shell for some overseas markets) refers to the complete vehicle.

The Heritage certificates do not always show both body numbers even if they are known.
My first certificate listed both body numbers, but made a big error in the engine number. I queried this, and they confirmed they had made an error, so sent a new certificate with the correct engine number. The second certificate only listed one of the body numbers.

[BigHW]

David, thanks for your reply. As our actual plates have been defaced such that I cannot read them, do I assume that the lower number is likely to be the "bare shell" number without the T and the higher number will have the T prefix trimmed body number?

[dasadrew]

I used MGB Engine Number Tags:

https://mgbhive.co.uk/product/crcp343-mgb-engine-number-plate-blank/

Position and colour well documented in James Taylor's Stag book. Pics of mine here - go to post No. 591:

https://www.socforum.com/forum/forum/stag-owners-club/restorations-major-overhauls-conversions-modified-stags/8258-the-white-blue-bavarian-stag/page15

[DJT]

[davidf]

David, thanks for your reply. As our actual plates have been defaced such that I cannot read them, do I assume that the lower number is likely to be the "bare shell" number without the T and the higher number will have the T prefix trimmed body number?

No, you have already stated which has the T prefix. Mine is the same as yours, in that the bare shell number (no T) is a higher number than the trimmed body number. Mine numbers are around 6000, and the painted bare shell number is about 80 higher than the trimmed unpainted T number. I don't know how common that was; we are only looking at 2 samples out of 25000.

[SteveD]

The body numbers on my Sept 1972 Stag are 738*LD painted and T735*LD unpainted. These are the same as they are on the Heritage Certificate.

They bear no relationship to the Commission Number.

I suggest you get a Heritage Certificate, you may be lucky and they are detailed.

Steve

[BigHW]

Gentlemen, thank you very much. Tags on order and I now understand the numbers and where to fix them. Have a good evening

[davidf]

DJT - I think that book is wrong - it says the T number is of no use whatsoever when ordering spares; also that the LD suffix is also on Federal cars.

As you can see from the attached page of the Parts Catalogue, changes to body fittings were recorded at T numbers, not Commission numbers, and the LE suffix was used for federal cars.
If you had gone into a Leyland Parts department back in the day for door lock parts, they would not have asked for your car's Commission number, they would have asked for the Body number.
IMG_1475[1].JPG

[DJT]

Interesting, David. Looking at your parts book example, my Stag’s body number is after T21833LD, yet it has all Mk1 door lock parts. Mine is only a handful of numbers from the end of the LD20001 build series - Comm LD254**, Body T238**/234**LD. These match up to the Heritage Cert.

[davidf]

Interesting, David. Looking at your parts book example, my Stag’s body number is after T21833LD, yet it has all Mk1 door lock parts. Mine is only a handful of numbers from the end of the LD20001 build series - Comm LD254**, Body T238**/234**LD. These match up to the Heritage Cert.

But it is there in black and white in the official Leyland book - it MUST be true !!!!

In a sense, that justifies the comment "the T number is of no use whatsoever when ordering spares". However, as we have heard on many occasions, that also applies to the Commission number as well !!