Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all.
I am resurrecting a 1953 Series MM saloon thats been stored in a garden for the last 30 odd years.Its fared surpringly well but the biggest problem is it was robbed of nearly all the important bits. I am rebuilding it to near Series 2 spec (although with a later engine as i want it to go! ) as i have most of those bits anyway. I have the original numberplates but the chassis plate screwed to the bulkhead is partly illegible with being out in the weather for years. (The bonnet was off)
Ive managed to scrub it up a bit and can read some of the digits but some elude me. I need to apply for a V5 and need to know the correct numbers.
I wonder if someone with a car built at the same time dould advise me what their chassis number is so i can deduce what the missing numbers on mine are.

I have worked out from Paul Skilleters book and other sources that its build date must be in February 1953 sometime before the 19th as that was when the final sidevalve car was built and that was a part of a batch of CKD overseas ones with chassis numbers 179700- 179799 so mine was presumeably built prior to this.

Mine is one of the last MM's and is virtually a series 2.

Its Birch Grey with maroon upholstery and if Birch Grey cars were all done in one batch then that may be a help to tracking it down.

The numbers on the chassis plate so far are:

F=Morris Minor
B=2 door saloon etc.
B- Colour grey
1= RHD home market car
Unidentified number denoting type of paint used.1,2 or 3
1
7
8 or 9
very probably 3
unknown
probably 6

If anyone can help by telling me what theyve got i can possibly piece it together.

I had hoped the Gaydon Heritage Centre would help but i didn't find them terribly helpful and in any case they've stopped replying to my emails!!

I think you can go in to Gaydon and search the records yourself.

If you look on the bulkhead, just below were the wiring loom goes through into the dashboard and to the right of the bonnet pull the chassis number is stamped into the body. This should hopefully give you the rest of the numbers.

Gaydon will be helpful to a point but after but they really only want you to buy one of there certificates![frame][/frame]

The last Series MM 2 door was 179839.
Do you have the original registration? If so then you might be able to search the local authority archives to find the chassis number. Gaydon cannot research reg. nos as they were issued after the car left the factory.
So far all we have is FBB 1-/1783-6 or 1793-6. It could therefore be 178306, 178316, xxxxxx, 178396, 179306, 179316, xxxxxx, 179396. You have will have to eliminate as many of those numbers as possible, some might be convertibles, non are 4 doors, reject any that are not FBB.
Non of those numbers are on my register

Hi all.

Thanks for the replies. I have already tried to research the car's registration in the loca; authorities it may have been in as it does have the reg plates. Its KTR--- and was registered in Southhampton in 1953. Southampton City Archives found nothing ecpet details of its transfer to Cornwall from Somerset. Somerset archives had no record and here in Cornwall all old records were destroyed so again no record.

I have a photocopy of an index card detailing the transfer to Cornwall in the 60's but sadly this does not show the chassis number.
Its possible that in its life it may have been to other counties but as it came to Cornwall about 13 years after its build date, i would think unlikely. Its been off the road since about 1975.
I can't really go to Gaydon as i live in Cornwall and its a long drive.

And thanks David but there is no number stamped into the bulkhead there as is normal. Other people have said its sometimes stamped in other places such as the floor by the front seats but so far, i have not found it.

Anyone else got a Birch Grey 2 door about the same build date?

Thanks

Andy

is the plate stamped from the inside? could it come off and apply a coat of off colour paint on the inside, then wet and dried leave the stamping displayed? A bit heath robinson, but?

It was only the very late cars that had the number stamped onto the floor and often the floor will have been replaced in that area!

Have a read at this post an see if its any help

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=36007

Is it on DVLA's computer system?

If so, get someone to run a trade HPI check (will cost about £10) on the registration mark, and it will tell you what the chassis number should be.

I did this the other way round when I bought a plate raped landrover that was still physically wearing it's original numberplates (and the seller didn't know it's allocated number - the original having been transfered off in the early 90s, and it not having moved since) - we ran a HIP check on the chassis number, and that brought back it's current registration so I could apply for a logbook.

Hi all,

Thanks very much for the suggestions.

The car is not on the DVLA computer as its been off the road for 40 odd years so no good on the HPI check.

Thanks david for your suggestion and link; i have a feeling that mine had the number in the floor then as there is no sign of it at all under the bonnet. The floor has been heavily patched.

I like the idea of applying some paint to the chassis plate on the wrong side so may gice that a go. I did polish it with steel wool but its not very clear. Think i'll have to have a nother go.

Thanks very much; any more comments welcome!

Andy