Triumph Repair: Commision numbers.., austin healey sprite, mg midgets

Question
Howard,
1979 Spitfire. What is the relationship between the commission number on the left door panel and the number on the window tag? Should they both be the same? My title has the number of the door jam.

Answer
Hi Steve,

Starting in the Oct of 79 production date (Starting of the 80 model) the commission number were replaced with VIN numbers starting with "TFVDW2AT******" for federal cars with standard gearbox, "TFVDW6AT******" for Federal cars with overdrive, "TFZDW2AT******" for California cars with standard gearbox and "TFZDW6AT*******" for Calif. cars with Overdrive.
This info comes from Moss Motors who are usually correct on numbers.

So if your production date was Oct 79 or later you should be using the VIN number not a Commission number.

If your car has both it was possibly a BLM mistake as they were not the brightest light on the street. Earlier I received several MG Midgets with Austin Healey Sprite emblems on them and some Sprites with MG emblems on them. And a few other stupid mistakes BLM made when they took command.

Add to that problem and you will find that some dealers sold cars and titled them the year they sold them not the year they were suppose to be. To add more to the puzzle, if your car had a windshield replaced from a salvage yard, you could have a late model windshield with someones VIN number.

If your production date is prior to Oct 79 and your title shows the Commission number on the door jam, you might be wise to remove the VIN number from the windshield because if you are stopped by any police they may check your registration against the VIN number in the windshield and that could cause you a lot of trouble. However, if your production date is Oct 79 or later, you should get your DMV to change your title and registration to the VIN number and the car to an 80 model.

Howard