Hi all, 19 months ago,I purchased a 65 thunder bird. As a replacement for the Meridian bonny I had stolen, after twenty years cherished ownership.
I was so upset at the time that after a friend ?had put me in touch with a guy, with a thunder bird for sale. The familiarity of seeing the unit engine, forced my rationality out of the window. I ended up buying it.
When I checked the bikes particulars against the V5 log book. I noticed that a cast code number of F8381 had been used as the frame number. I questioned the vendor about the anomaly. I was told He thought that was the frame number. I didn't doubt him after all a friend? had put me in touch with this upstanding individual.
Recently I have took the machine out of storage. in an effort to find the bikes frame number. I have removed the stove enamel from the area of the frame where the number should be. On the left hand side of the down tube, below the headstock. There isn't one. there is no sign of tampering either as I can see a sand cast texture in the metal.
I have made recent inquiries and discovered that the frame is probably a replacement. Apparently, I have learned. Replacement frames when purchased new from Triumph. came with a blank ID. The ID of the damaged frame would then be applied? with metal stamps. Evidently this hasn't happened in my case.
I have contacted the vendor in an attempt to gain some clarification over the bikes history. But I am being met with a wall of silence. It is a pity, because I don't know whether I would be breaking the law to get the engine number stamped on the frame. But then again technically A cast code sufficing as a frame number on a legal DVLA document. Is also breaking the law. I am at a loss as to how best proceed. All suggestions welcome.

Reptile

Hi Reptile, you are correct in your assumptions. The frmae number on the '65 ^T should be on the cast section of the head stock between where the down tube enters it and the top near the headstock bearing, it should start 6T DU****** as the ehgine No.
The factory did a 'repair service' where bent or damaged frames could be exchanged BUT........... This was only available to Triumph dealers AND the original number was stamped into the replacement frame BEFORE it left the service dept. The damaged frame had it's number removed and it then went into the system for repair etc.
Now, it is possible you have no number on your frame, as you correctly identified F8381 is a casting number.
Are you a member of TOMCC?(www.tomcc.org) If so, contact the machine Registrar and he will be able to advise you on which way to proceed.
Roy.

You have to watch so called friends, they are the ones that can get to you because of trust. He may have been unaware of the problem. I had a good friend rat me out to the coppers when I was young. I guess there is no way to check with to track down your original bike. I had a '75 Harley stolen from me in '77 and I was sick. I prayed the guy would get killed or maimed on it. The only way I could get over it was buy a brand new one. Oh well, life has a way of kicking you through the goal posts sometimes.

I've seen several N.O.S Triumph frames on ebay from dealer's old stock with no numbers stamped on them so it's possible that this is what happened with yours. Good Luck, Mike