Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi there. I have just used this website http://www.auto-part.com/auto/shop/vin.asp to check out my car. It says that for 1965, my cars number should be between 1092770 and 1131828. However it is 1089***. Does this mean it was build quite a bit before it was registered or what? I can PM a picture of the chassis plate if needed?
Steve

Those are the chassis numbers given in the P.OLYSLAGER manual. It also says 'APPROXIMATE AND FOR GUIDANCE ONLY'
so I wouldn't worry about it.

And yes - cars often stood in showrooms for quite a while before being sold. These days - they stand in fields/runways perhaps for over a year ....... so the discs are rusted to the point they are not safe to use!

Ah thanks very much. Does that mean it was registered a few months after it was built then?

It may have been bought late 64, but not registered until the brand shiny new 'C' plates were issued in Jan 65.

stephenpolhill wrote:Hi there. I have just used this website http://www.auto-part.com/auto/shop/vin.asp to check out my car. It says that for 1965, my cars number should be between 1092770 and 1131828. However it is 1089***. Does this mean it was build quite a bit before it was registered or what? I can PM a picture of the chassis plate if needed?
Steve

Can't be right. My Traveller starts with 1121*** and it was registered in 1968. I doubt it was in a showroom for three years.

EDIT: Oops, no it doesn't, it starts with 1211***

A Heritage Certificate will give the build and dispatch dates of your car and other info.

bpr81a - just looked on my v5 & it says that it was registered 21st of January 1965 so that probably confirms what you suggested
mike.perry - I've looked at the Heritage Motor Centre website and it looks quite expensive. If I went to the museum itself is it cheaper?
Thanks
Steve

Yes, it's free!

Here are the details, posted here previously by Regaliaqueen:

Here is a useful tip to save you the cost of a Heritage Cert. Book yourself into the "Reading Room" at Gaydon and write down all the details you want for your car for free

Contact number is 01926 645076

Oooh fantastic. Thanks! May have a trip there in a couple of weeks.

LouiseM wrote: Here are the details, posted here previously by Regaliaqueen:

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... on#p309247

stephenpolhill wrote:Oooh fantastic. Thanks! May have a trip there in a couple of weeks.

Any chance of doing a search for my Traveller if I pm'd you it's chassis number?!

Yeah sure! I would think I shall go in a week or two.
Just PM your chassis number and colour etc.

You're a gentleman, sir! PM sent!

BAFFLED !

I've just got a reply from DVLA to my V888 request and am over the moon with a service which, for only £5 , has given the full ownership history of my car. Its a 1967 convertible and the VIN Number fits this as it begins with MAT5D, followed by the seven digit production number and an M. However, the original document shows it as a saloon.
Looking at the bodywork, it doesn't seem to be a replica. Is this a case of DVLA misfiling?

Depends what they were told when it was first registered! Maybe the garage didn't think it was important to distinguish.

it's not uncommon for the good ole DVLA to make mistakes however, it may be worth getting an expert in convertibles to look over it for you just in case.......

Thanks for these replies, they sort of confirm what I thought but the idea of the supplier garage not being too fussed about accuracy hadn't struck me. I had the car checked over by an engineer when I bought it as a valuation was needed for insurance purposes. They dispelled any doubts I might have had about it not being an original convertible so I guess it will remain a quirk of the records.
Thanks again.

Unless the engineer was well versed in the differences between original convertibles and copies then his word doesn't carry much weight I'm afraid.
It's a bit of a specialist subject.

You could always obtain a Heritage Certificate which will show the original specification of your car when it left the factory. If you do a Google search for BMIHT Heritage Certificate it will take you to the website where you can purchase a certificate for £39. Alternatively you could visit the archive at Gaydon and look through the records yourself for free. If you do a search here you'll find more details. Unfortunately I'm having some techy problems at the moment which mean I can't copy a link but hopefully someone will post a link to an appropriate thread!