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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - MGV8 identification plate

Early this year when I was collecting MG sites, someone advertised ID plates for V8 MGs upon which you stamp your chassis no and engine number.

Apparently these plates were supposed to look authentic.

It would be a nice touch, especially if the rivet hole spacings were the same as original.

Any ideas or suggestions?
Ian G Buckley

Are you sure you saw it..........or were you just dreaming.........it happens as you get older!!
Kim Porter

He is not far behind me!!

Anyway back to the question???

I emailed the person offering these plates but didn't get a response.
Ian G Buckley

The factory V8 didn't have a plate stamped with both numbers, the chassis number (and commission number) plates were much the same as for the 4-cylinder cars and blanks for these are commonly available. The V8 engine number is only stamped into the rear upper LH edge of the engine casting, unlike the 4-cylinder which has a plate rivetted to the block. These were reverse-stamped, as were some of the chassis number plates.
Paul Hunt

The reason that the factory V8 engine number migrated to the rear left of the block was that the original position on the Rover application (left side, between second & third manifold pipes), fouled the exhaust manifold in the MG application. The factory solution was to hacksaw the original number off and restamp on a convenient flatspot upper left rear. If you look closely, you will see the rough cut marks where the original number was removed, with perhaps a trace of the original number. A good way to identify factory blocks, although this mod can obviously be done by anybody!!

Dave
Dave Wellings

Dave

My block has had the original engine number mostly removed. When I bought the engine it had factory cast manifolds which, as you say, will not fit without this modification.

My engine number is now stamped at the back left as were P6 Rovers and factory MG V8s.

cheers

Ian
Ian G Buckley

This thread was discussed between 23/10/2002 and 25/10/2002

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