Page 1 of 1

V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 12:57 pm
by Nourish
The Chassis Number on my 1955 V5 starts with FCB11 which would I believe make it a Morris Minor, Convertible, Light Blue, RHD in synthetic paint.
But the Alloy plate on the bulkhead states FBD11 along with the same 6 digit number.
This makes it a Morris Minor 2 door saloon in Dark Blue, RHD and synthetic paint - how do I know which is right.
Whilst I'm on here - what do the other two stamped tags on the opposite side of the bulkhead infer? - an Alloy 2 1/2" one with BM followed by a 6 digit number stamped on it and a longer steel tag with Z. along with a 5 digit number and also another 6 digit number.
Cheers

Re: V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 9:57 pm
by simmitc
Contact the British Motor Museum at Gaydon and ask for a Heritage Certificate, quoting the numerical part of your chassis number. They will search the original production registers and give you loads of information, including the correct prefix.

Re: V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 1:03 pm
by jaekl
The BM and Z numbers are the bare body numbers. They will identify the body style and the vintage.

Re: V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 5:41 pm
by Nourish
Is there a list that I could reference?

Re: V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 8:54 am
by POMMReg
jaekl wrote: Sun May 09, 2021 1:03 pm The BM and Z numbers are the bare body numbers. They will identify the body style and the vintage.
BM is MM/S11 2dr

Tourers only went up to 5 digits - off the top of my head about 73000 - as 2drs produced en mass from 1948, 6 digits reached very early.

"Genuine" Tourer's sought after, was it purchased as a Tourer or a 2dr conversion?

Check the punched in chassis number, tbh, always good policy to make note of the body code/numbers.

Re: V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 9:48 am
by Nourish
It is a 2dr Saloon with a roof and has 6 numerical digits after the BM
Cheers
Just out of interest - if BM is for a 2dr saloon what are the letters indicating a Convertible or even a Traveller?

Re: V5 Chassis Number

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 11:34 am
by POMMReg
Roughly, at last count, 170odd bodyshell "Z" codes & 15 separate Nuffield "BM" body prefix codes; 2 noted below.

Tourer = SMM/S11/S111 1948-62 used BMT*
Traveller = only S11 1953-mid 56 used BMD

*BME (S111 2dr) sustituted W.S.E. during late '50s.