Engine colours

[Boxofbits]

Hi all

Does anyone know when, or which car number, BL changed engine colour from green to black, particularly on the LCV if it is different.

I have a '66 Cooper S which is Mid Bronze, but I believe the minor green might have been a lighter green. My March 1971 van has a black engine colour and I wanted to make sure this is correct.

Any info would be appreciated.

Kevin

[don58van]

Russ Harvey or POMreg are the two who are most likely to know the definitive answer to this.

It is a much discussed topic in the Minor LCV world.

The last I heard, the view was that late Austin LCVs had black engines--the rest were green.

Don

[irmscher]

Mainly the engines of the Austin variant were black I think

[POMMReg]

Would you please pm the chassis/cab & engine number details from your van....

99% say all Austin LCVs had black engines, I'm the 1%,!

[IaininTenbury]

Surely common sense would say that the green to black change was date related not marque related. I can't believe two different coloured engines were produced concurrently for whichever badge went on the vehicle. No reason why the earlier Austins wouldnt have had green engines. A date and or chassis no. of the change would be very useful... Could it be related with the move of production to Adderley Park?

[POMMReg]

"F" added to civvy LCVs at (c) 290001 I believe - suffix most likely referred to the "FFK" truck range(?) - black engine intro on the steering lock LCVs, same time as the "flat-back" B posts....(b)244001/(e)70001.

[les]

Oh no, what shall I do? Repaint my black engine or fit a steering lock.

[POMMReg]

Oh no, what shall I do? Repaint my black engine or fit a steering lock.

Yours should have a grn engine,an "F" vin suffix, but NO steering lock, go by the spare wheel cradle lol!

HEAVENS...I'm beginning to sound like one of these know-it-all,plumb nosed,snobby "experts".... better shut up from now on!!

[Boxofbits]

Well mine has no steering lock, chassis no: 303373F and original 10V engine, which is BLACK. I agree that they wouldn't have painted Austin or Morris engines in different colours. However I worked in BMC /Leyland dealership in the early '70's and seem to recall most A series were black at around the late '70 - 71 point, including Austin/Morris 1300's Minis etc. Was it something to do with the switch from BL to Leyland, or was there a lag between production plants switching over, this one being built at Adderley Park I assume in Feb '71?

[POMMReg]

Are there chromed nuts on the top of the steering column, or snap off ones? Half way down the column, is there a hole on the right? Early Neiman's had a chrome plug between wiper/light switch,from (b)247001 with no hole.

Is the chassis nos 303373 or 303737? Engine number is from a late Traveller - if Southern Electricity prob a blue BL vin plate gvw 1.14(?).

Vin plates switched to "Austin-Morris" (B'ham) printed vin prefixes,including "dashes" - rather than stamped - (M-AV5) about 1/71.

Confused?!

[graham1957]

i pulled the original engine out of my feb 1971 morris van and under all the crud it was green, the van was bought new by a polish man for his shop, hope this helps Mackie the collie!!! when i was a puppy i spotted it up someone,s drive whilst cocking my leg on there gate post, anyway i bought it from Mr poloski

[liammonty]

For what it's worth, and I know it does have a few inaccuracies in it, Ray Newell's 'Original Morris Minor' states that ALL Austin vans had black engines. Morris versions had green engines, apart from the odd light blue one on Series 2 LCVs, as with Series 2 cars. So, if your van is an Austin, it seems the engine would have been black, but if it's a Morris, likely it would have originally have been green.

[Boxofbits]

Are there chromed nuts on the top of the steering column, or snap off ones? Half way down the column, is there a hole on the right? Early Neiman's had a chrome plug between wiper/light switch,from (b)247001 with no hole.

Is the chassis nos 303373 or 303737? Engine number is from a late Traveller - if Southern Electricity prob a blue BL vin plate gvw 1.14(?).

Vin plates switched to "Austin-Morris" (B'ham) printed vin prefixes,including "dashes" - rather than stamped - (M-AV5) about 1/71.

Confused?!

Sorry yes the chassis number is 303737F. With regard to the steering column there are two chromed, domed nuts, that look quite rusty on the top column clamp so assume they have been there some time. But you are right in that the outer column, about 2" down from the top clamp has a hole in it, (was covered with insulation tape) and the inner column has an oblong slot machined in it, with what looks like a serrated edged insert about 1/4" in from each side of the slot presumably to allow for the latch on the ign switch? It has a standard centre mounted ignition switch but on closer inspection this looks a bit of a DIY retro fitment. But if this is the case I assume the loom has been altered also (can't see clearly as too dark at mo)?

The VIN is indeed a blue BL plate and gvw is 1.14. Was this van to a certain specification for Southern Electricity, including non steering lock, which to be honest I would doubt, and an uprated HC engine? And finally, YES I am confused !

Regards. Kevin

[POMMReg]

For what it's worth, and I know it does have a few inaccuracies in it, Ray Newell's 'Original Morris Minor' states that ALL Austin vans had black engines. Morris versions had green engines, apart from the odd light blue one on Series 2 LCVs, as with Series 2 cars. So, if your van is an Austin, it seems the engine would have been black, but if it's a Morris, likely it would have originally have been green.

Last correspondence with MMOC, accepted Austin LCVs up to late '69 had green engines - plus the 3 pre-Neiman 66 Austin LCVs I've encountered with 100% original engines(still have an engine) - have been GREEN!

To be fair to Ray, the info in his books comes either from records (some howlers) and LCV "Experts".

[liammonty]

Thanks for the clarification Chris. I knew it contains the odd error, hence my caveat at the beginning.