MGA Deluxe Survey – 2016

Longstanding NAMGAR members will remember the pioneer work dating from the very start of NAMGAR, by Len Renkenberger, who collected data on the MGA Deluxe. He had hoped to find a pattern in the chassis numbers but he said that the task became too difficult when everything had to be done by hand.

NAMGAR Registrar, Bill Gallihugh, took the work a stage further with his outstanding work on MGA chassis numbers and body numbers. His work covered all MGAs although his assumptions for Deluxes were hampered by too little data. The need for more information is just as relevant today as it was then.

In 1999, I sent out forty survey forms to known Deluxe owners; only eleven found their way back. Collecting data can be discouraging at times. Then out of the blue you receive a letter from an enthusiastic owner with a car that you knew nothing about, and all the effort is worthwhile. It is always exciting to hear that a car still exists. Since 1999, Internet and email have drastically changed communication in our MGA world. During the last 15 years many Deluxes have changed owners; it is time for a new survey of NAMGAR members’ Deluxes! In the March/April issue of MGA! , we read that 109 Deluxes are registered with NAMGAR.

It would be very much appreciated if all owners of Deluxe MGAs would answer the following questions about their cars. eMail replies would be preferred.

A. The chassis number as on the ID plate in front of the heater.

B. The body number as found by the right hand side hood hinge.

C. The present engine number and, if know, the original engine number.

D. Does your car have removable louvered panels in the engine compartment?

E. Does your car’s chassis have the extra five holes through the cross member underneath the front of the engine to allow access to the five front holes in the sump?

F. The next question is altogether more difficult. If you have carpet strips glued in place just in front of the seats, you will not be able to answer. It is commonly known that the chassis number (as in Question A) was also stamped into the chassis cross member just in front of the right hand side seat. We now know that the chassis was also stamped on the left hand side with what we call a ”frame number.” In this photograph, both are clearly visible. The red lines highlighting floorboard screw holes give a good indication as to where to look to find these numbers. It is rare that both are as visible as in the picture. Usually they are obscured with rust or paint and the carpets! These numbers are approximately situated under your knees when you sit in the car.

Lastly, please send me some pictures of your car. It does not need to be freshly polished to do this; even if it is rusting away in the back yard, I would like some photographs.

I very much appreciate you taking the time to do this survey, thank you! If you can answer any of these questions, please contact Jim Brown (NAMGAR’s MGA Deluxe Registrar).

Many of you may have obtained or changed your email address since our last contact. It would be very helpful if you would just confirm your current address and that you still have your car.

This survey is carried out in cooperation with John Barrett, the Deluxe Coordinator of the MG Car Club in England where a similar survey will soon be circulate. Article introduction photo from the NAMGAR Membership Gallery by Mark Gannon.