Is my 1600M red or blue and anyone have any history?

[Keninoz]

Hi, my names Ken and I bought a 1600M from Manchester with no history a few years back. I have finally got around to starting it's restoration which I will document in a separate thread.

I have searched but can find no definitive information on colours.
You can see in the photos attached that the car is red (as on V5 doc) but the engine bay is blue.
The paint/colour code is 29838M.
Mt question is what is the original colour?

I would also appreciate if anyone out there has any information on it's history.

Thanks
Ken

[Keninoz]

[Keninoz]

[Keninoz]

[DavidY]

I think you are going to have to give a few more clues!!! At present we don't know year, chassis no or any previous/current registrations.

I owned a red 1600M back in the early/mid nineties, that had been changed from blue to red, it could be the same car, it might not!, By all means send me a email through PH if you don't want to divulge chassis no/reg no on an open forum.

My car was on an Northern Ireland Private Plate and I was the 17th owner in as many years, I sold it to someone in Essex around 1994/5

[Keninoz]

Thanks David. I was in a rush earlier.
It’s a 76 reg PRW 614R.

[DavidY]

My car was registered in Nov 75, so not the same car, sorry can't help

[Astacus]

The build sheets for some of the cars are available. The originals used to be held by David Gerald Sports Cars, now called Classic World Racing. They certainly had the pre M data, I don't know about the Ms, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. That would give you the colour as it came out of the category.

It does seem to have been blue, as you say. The build sheets also give the first owner, or at least mine did.

[plasticpig72]

Hi Ken,
i have a silver 3000S and when i look under the paint it is blue also. I understand my car was delivered silver when new. Maybe TVR used to have some bodies already painted then sprayed if the customer wanted a different colour.
Alan

[Keninoz]

Thanks for the info everyone. I have emailed David Gerald to see if they have any further info.

I'll post a link when I start the resto thread. But don't get too excited, it's a long term project.

[DAKOTAstorm]

If you have no luck at David Gerald’s, try surface and design in Blackpool, they also hold a lot of records and we’re able to tell me my colour from the code on a 79 M.

[TCTVR]

My understanding is DG passed the records back to (the new) TVR when they took back into TVR the M series spares supply and bought out all of DGs spares stock. A few years back TVR provided me with a copy of the original build sheet for my M.

TC

[Keninoz]

You are spot on TC. DGS explained exactly that so I'll try TVR.

Thanks again.

[Keninoz]

Paul Thompson, Heritage Director at TVR has kindly provided me with information confirming that the car was originally specified as TOYOTA CELICA BLUE, so I will be repainting it in that colour.

I actually prefer blue so that's great as far as I'm concerned.

[DAKOTAstorm]

Well done on finding the correct colour, often see people chasing it for a while. The more surprising thing however, is that you managed to get in touch and a response from the new TVR!