New USA Traveller Owner - Questions

[rogersanger]

I have just purchased a nicely restored LHD 1964 MM Traveller here in US with Chassis # MHW5DL1071229 engine number # 9MUH430690 British reg GAC-91C. By doing the DVLA search I see that it was registered 01-11-1965 with 1098cc engine and had seven previous owners before not being registered anymore after 19-10-1992. Export marker is N. The year of manufacture was blank. It was registered as white but is now gray in front and white in top and back. The story I got from the person here in the US (Washington State) is that it was imported to US and was in New York in about 1996 then down to Florida where he bought it in 2010. This owner has placed disc brakes on front, placed new seals, new exhaust system, etc. I surmise by the engine number that it does not have the original engine but rather a 980cc replacement. As I collect and restore pre 1900 British side by side shotguns (I come to UK once a year to shoot and I love the UK), I figured I needed a woody shooting brake, thus the Traveller. I live in Idaho, so it will get a lot of "stares". I will try Heritage Trust to get more info on its manufacture. It does not have seat belts so I will do that.

Some questions:
1. Does the registration of 1-11-1965 mean Jan 11 1965 or 1 of Nov 1965? How does this read in UK?
2. Would DVLA be able to tell me more about the seven owners in UK?
3. Why would a LHD drive auto stay so long in UK? Do you think it was made for export but didnt?
4. It has all white front turn/parking lights. I see some in pictures that are white and some that are two colors (white bottom and amber top) What is the difference in why some are all white and others two colors? Country laws?
5. Is there a paint code somewhere on the body, or will this come from Heritage report only?
6. Anywhere I can get the origin of this engine? What car was the donor, when was this engine made?

Great website. I enjoy it immensely. Thank you all......

Roger Sanger
Sun Valley, Idaho USA[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[brucek]

Super looking car - welcome to the Forum, Roger - great to see another Owner from the Good ol' US of A

Answers to your questions:

1. 1st November 1965 - in the UK it's the 'wrong' way round to the way you guys do it over there. 9/11 to us, for example is the 9th November not 11th September.

2. Yes they can give details of all previous owners

3. Not sure - others may be able to help. Never seen an MHW chassis number and think it may well be MAW which would indicate Morris (M) A series engine (A) Traveller (W) series 5 (5) De luxe (D) - have a close look at the number again to see if it really is an H or just a poor A. Guess they may well have had it converted with the specific intention of exporting it but never got round to it? Have a look to see if there is evidence of its original RHD status - location of mater cylinder in RH then LH chassis leg etc.Interesting that the original aperture on the right hand side for the heater inlet tube has been removed - another bit of evidence of the LHD conversion having been carried out in its past perhaps?

4. The front indicators changed - with the last engine upgrade in 1964. as a '65 yours should have the split larger lens rather than the single opaque white lens. This was originally only a sidelight (although some now fit an orange bulb and use these as front indicators to retain the original pre 64 look whilst using halgoen headlights with internal sidelights.

5. Original Paint colour will be on the heritage certificate but if you can find a section of bodywork that has not been resprayed you will see if it is still in the original colour. Ray Newell's book Original Morris Minor (example here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-Morr ... 1e679e39bd ) will list all original colours for model year. There is no paint code identification on the chassis plate or bodywork. From the internal view - it looks very much like Rose Taupe which is consistent with the interior trim.

6. 9MUH is the prefix of a 950 unit - original fitting until 1964 so it is possible that both it and the gearbox may be wrong. Although the 1098 gearbox does fit to the 950, it should either have the 1098 engine or a smooth case - as opposed to a ribbed case - 950 box.

Good luck with your ownership and, if you are in the UK in mid June - do come to Oxford for the centenary rally (100 years of Morris Motors) which the Minor Owners Club are hosting.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Brueck is quite correct with the answers.

For further clarification on the sidelights, yes your car would have had the dual indicator and sidelight assembly. Earlier cars with trafficators had sidelights only, but those are quite different being surrounded by a heavy chrome bezel. Yours appear to have had a lens fitted possibly of an export type where front indicators must show white. In any case it would be no big job to swap to the UK lens assuming the actual lamp fitting contains indicators and sidelamps.

Have you been in touch with POMMreg on here? Doubtless he'll be able to give you more information on your car.

[LouiseM]

Welcome to the messageboard

The chassis number and dashboard date the traveller as being built prior to October 1964. After this date a black speedo & glove box door were introduced (from traveller chassis number: 1082537). With regards to the indicators, on American export travellers the sidelights were clear, with twin red lenses fitted at the rear as standard.

The heritage certificate will confirm whether it was built as an export model but the liklihood is that it a UK model which was converted to LHD when exported and the sidelights were changed to comply with US traffic regulations. The wipers are also RHD pattern rather than LHD. I agree with Bruce that from the engine bay & interior paint it looks asthough it was originally rose taupe.

[brucek]

The large opaque front indicator lens is, I think, an option available from Moss. I know that they are quite hard to find over here and were never fitted to the car as standard. Have to say, I quite like them. Here's a picture of Mike Dean's highly modified Traveller wearing very similar lenses. As JJ says, if you want to revert back to the original type, there are loads over here [frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

It is definitely an early car - hard to understand why it would not be registered until late 65. And if it was run in the UK it's unlikely it was originally LHD. Are you sure it originally had a 1098 engine? A Trav of this era would have a 948 engine - as indeed yours has. Would be interesting to find the stamped in chassis number on the bulkhead - someone here yesterday found it under the wiring harness - near the voltage control box - and compare that with the documents and the chassis plate fixed on the bulkhead.

[brucek]

It has the bronze 90mph speedo which would lean towards the engine - originally - being a 1098. The 948's speedo only went to 80mph and had a different set of indicator lights too. On the 948, the ignition was red, full beam was a darker red and oil pressure was green. The bronze 90mph speedo followed the pattern of later cars - ignition red, oil orange and high beam blue. Of course, it's very easy to swap a speedo.

Good idea to check the chassis number on the bulkhead to see if it agrees with the log book. The Heritage certificate info will confirm the build date too.

I will correct the answer I gave to the original post (question 4). Whilst the front indicator lights did change in '64, along with the introduction of the passenger lidded glovebox and the open driver side (RHD) glove box (as Louise mentions), the 1098 engine upgrade was introduced in September '62 so the car should have been fitted with a 1098 engine originally.

[rogersanger]

You all have been so wonderful. Thank you. I get the car this week as the shipper has problems with snow and ice. I will check everywhere to confirm the numbers. I will proceed with Heritage and DLVA. I have attached some more photos of the areas of interest. The tires are Madador. Are these European I believe and are they good tires? Roger[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Never heard of 'Madador' tyres but as long as there is plenty of tread left on all of them and no sidewall cracks or bulges then they should be fine.

I am not a fan of budget Chinese tyres.

[bmcecosse]

Looks grand in the pictures.... so 1098 from 62 ?? Well - I guess that's right because the BMC 1100s came out then ! So yours has been changed at some point then if now 948. Found Matador tyres - but unfortunately they don't make the correct size for Morris Minors.......

[mike.perry]

[frame][/frame]

I saw this Traveller in Palm Springs
BMIHT will not be able to tell you anything about previous owners, only the build history and despatch