Confused Identity Convertible?

[gtt1951]

Hello Folks, just been to view eBay item 201854452100 and found far too many anomalies for a Split-Screen Series II, 1953 car.
(1) no cheesegrater front grill, although does have the Gold Dash (heavily modified)
(2) front lights are the 1963 onwards ones, as are the rear lights
(3) Bulkhead plate shows that car is a convertible (FCJ11 ...) but wrong colour code - all trim and door cards, hidden metal parts etc are all Green, but car should have been dark grey
(4) wrong door pulls (later narrow ones fitted)
(5) no trafficators and no sign of a filled in opening
(6) later '56 to '63 inner wing mounted wiper motor
(7) later dished black-rimmed steering wheel and gold-painted column mounted direction indicator stalk.
(8) does have early enameled bonnet "handle"
(9) does have correct boot lid rear badge
(10) bonnet side badges are the incorrect "MINOR 1000" ones
(11) seats are one-piece and do not fold
(12) it is an LBM model
(13) passenger door is fitted with a lock (should have been without?)
(14) engine, gearbox and gearbox tunnel seem to be the 1098 pair
(15) cross-member correctly does not have jacking points (jack points are in the correct places)

Anyone care to comment on these points (and that is why I didn't post in the "Cars For Sale" section)?

I don't think that I will be bidding.

George.

[myoldjalopy]

Unfortunately, if you are looking for unmolested cars, it is increasingly difficult as, after 47 yeras or more, these vehicles have had countless weekends for previous owners to have meddled/modified/bodged/'improved' the car. Seekers of 'original spec' cars often need to undo what has been done in the past

[philthehill]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Morris-Minor- ... SwhQhYyYpa

To me there is nothing that cannot be overcome to restore to original specification.

Currently plenty of interest (28 bids) and at this moment still at a reasonable price for a convertible even in its present condition.

I totally agree with the view of myoldjalopy as regards old Minors unmolested or not.

[POMMReg]

Deffo AFTER 1958, wiper motor bkt gives it away!

LRBM stopped c6/58(ish?/

[ManyMinors]

It is surely more likely that somebody has fitted the later wiper mount to an earlier car than fitted the entire dashboard and windscreen surround from an early car to a later one? The wiper motor mounting appears to be attached with screws anyway?

A great many old splitscreen cars were much-modified to keep them going in the 1970s and this is probably just one of them.
Does the chassis number stamped into the bulkhead match that of the alloy plate?

The registration number is a later "age related" one of course which generally suggests that the original was sold in the past. Again very common.

[IaininTenbury]

Yes, but you can see where the late wiper motor bracket has been attached, either with screws or lumpy plug welds. Not original spotwelds.
I'd agree that its a proper '53 convertible underneath all the later stuff that's been heaped on it over the years.
I'd quite enjoy having that car and chance to put it all right, then I remember that I already have a much modified 53 convertible and have happily spent a lot of time over the last 10 years or so taking off many of the later parts that its been 'upgraded' with, and making it look more correct....

[gtt1951]

Wiper motor bracket has, indeed, been attached with plug welds - probably done as the later wiper motor would have been easier to obtain (and then work on) - my 1963 Traveller had this type of wiper with clap-hand drive but a one-piece screen.
The "upgrades" are understandable for some of the things, but why was the cheesegrater grill removed?
This could have been done to match up a new front with later front wings, but I don't see how the sides could have been replaced by ones with no Semaphore Arm cut-outs - no signs of welded inserts.
Also doesn't explain why the door pulls would have been changed as these wouldn't have married up with the door-frame holes that the original pulls would have screwed into.
Why change the bonnet side flashes?
The "Morris" logo on the instrument cluster is actually a spring-loaded push button (larger than the steering-wheel centre "M" horn push).
It didn't look too bad underneath, but the welding repairs were patch panels, across the sill undersides, and not replacement sections.
Price has risen a bit since last night.
George.

[TDV102]

For me the issue is that many of these 'improved cars' have obviously been built with whatever was available to get an MoT to flog the plate. Improvement is fine in my book if the right things are improved. Selling an 'improved' car as original is too common these days. That said, doing one of these hot-rod spec is fine. Indeed they offer a good starting point that doesn't ruin an original car.

[firedrake1942]

I have seen plenty of cars of this vintage where the trafficators have been filled in with almost no trace. That said many people just un wired them. I had modern back and front indicators on my 1957 4 door until recently as I used it as my only car and the original back and front lights were almost invisible even with separate indicator bulbs. It is also a possibility, given the red primer in the NS flitch panel that this car had front end damage at some time and all that was available was a modern type grill assembly as a replacement. It looks like it has been given what was needed to keep it on the road as long as possible and brought 'up to date' as and when the minor range changed i.e. the wiper motor location. It does however appear to have the original high back wings which are like hen's teeth. Interior and colour are clearly later.

[liammonty]

(10) bonnet side badges are the incorrect "MINOR 1000" ones

Must have been changed from the one in the photo then! The one I can see is the correct one. To be honest, I'm not surprised that so much has been changed - 60 years is a long time for repairs to be made...

[myoldjalopy]

Well, if you look carefully, the driver's side has the early Morris Minor bonnet badge and the passenger side the later Minor 1000 badge!

[gtt1951]

Well, if you look carefully, the driver's side has the early Morris Minor bonnet badge and the passenger side the later Minor 1000 badge!

I didn't notice the difference in the driver's side when I was there - was watched like a hawk by 3 "sellers" whilst I was trying to inspect the car - it has now sold.