'69 BGT - Interesting Engine Number

I've started making notes in readiness for pulling apart the '69 (donor) GT, and noticed something odd. The engine number plate reads, "BHM1111U 92021" as shown in the pic. What's up with that? :S

It's an exchange, reconditioned "Gold Seal" engine - the 1111 part means high compression.

Ah. Interesting, since I've decided to keep the engine - rebuilding it in all that copious spare time i have. It runs now, but it feels tired. Sounds like it's a good candidate.

The remaining gold paint is a dead give away.
RS

Yeah, after Craig's reply I did some more searching and found more info. I guess this is an 18V engine. No idea when it was installed, but it looks and runs like it's been around the block a hundred thousand times. I didn't go so far as to check out which head it has (2923?) but this engine has the potential to be a nice project. At least I'll know it ran when parked. ;)

I just bought a 1970 MGB roadster with a similar block #. Mine's BHM1111U 92025, It also has the gold paint on it, looks like I have the younger sister if the numbers were sequential! Are the reconditioned exchanges anything to be wary of? Or was Leyland pretty meticulous when they rebuilt them?

The Gold Seal engines have a reputation of having been rebuilt to a very high standard. RAY

Hey there, just wanted to agree with Ray - my Grandfather-in-law used to work for Goldseal which I found out by talking to my father-in-law, himself an engine specialist who has just helped me rebuild my own GT's Goldseal unit.

Basically if an engine failed quality checks during production then it was shipped off to Goldseal where it was dismantled and rebuilt almost to blue-printed standards. Goldseal engines were therefore desirable and saught-after and at least as good as OEM power-units.

My car's engine was still in reasinably good condition albeit worn due to mileage and poor maintenance, it appeared to be on its original pistons and crank / camshaft - sadly the replaced cylinderhead was cracked though.

I guess you may have already found it, but this page gives you more info on Goldseal engine numbers and how to decode them.

My engine is now re-built and rather than return it to the MG maroon colour, my partner insisted that I painted it back gold, to celebrate the family link and keep the car 'original':