Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all, new to the Morris Minor forum and ownership. Just about to buy a 1966 convertible for my daughter, it’s had loads of Charles Ware work, chassis, full Newton interior, servo disc brakes, f&r seatbelts, alternator, electronic dizzy but needs bodywork and paint re spray. It’s a genuine convertible with the MAT chassis number. It has the aluminium chassis plate but I’ve been told that there should be a number stamped into the bulkhead to the left of the battery, as you face it but I cannot find any trace of it, is this correct or should have the plate, only. Many thanks in advance and who would you recommend for paint and bodywork?

The body number is stamped on the right hand side of the bulkhead as you face it. It isn’t very obvious

I have looked and I do not have a suitable photo so I will go and take one now.......

By 1966 I believe the position of the stamped chassis number had moved to the front floor as pictured below.

Here you are (somewhat ashamed of my rust bucket.....). My car is a 1969 genuine convertible. I presume this is the number you refer to as being on the bulkhead in addition the the chassis number plate. The "T" in that number denotes tourer.

Thank you for your replies. The car has got a new floor but I didn't lift the carpet, it’s got all new carpet and underlay/insulation/sound deadening. I wonder if Charles Ware kept the metal of the original number to refit, ? I found the other long thin plate but the numbers didn’t seem correspond to the chassis number but I will recheck. Many thanks.

MichaelSimpkin wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:48 am Thank you for your replies. The car has got a new floor but I didn't lift the carpet, it’s got all new carpet and underlay/insulation/sound deadening. I wonder if Charles Ware kept the metal of the original number to refit, ? I found the other long thin plate but the numbers didn’t seem correspond to the chassis number but I will recheck. Many thanks.

No the other long plate is the body number not the chassis number. That number is listed on a Heritage Certificate if the car has one.

svenedin wrote: ↑Sat Apr 15, 2023 10:40 pm Here you are (somewhat ashamed of my rust bucket.....). My car is a 1969 genuine convertible. I presume this is the number you refer to as being on the bulkhead in addition the the chassis number plate. The "T" in that number denotes tourer.

If T is for tourer What would R stand for before number?

The Car/Body number was moved from the engine bulkhead to the driver's (RH) floor pan when the Elephant Trunk heater was put through the bulkhead in 1963 ish.
So of course many later cars have lost the stamped number when the floor has been replaced.

As regards the other numbers on the top thin long plates, see some of the detail given here:
viewtopic.php?p=627891#p627891

That answers the 'What's a R for question...'

Bill_qaz wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:53 pm [quote=svenedin I presume this is the number you refer to as being on the bulkhead in addition the the chassis number plate. The "T" in that number denotes tourer.

If T is for tourer What would R stand for before number?
[/quote]

Bill, Are you getting confused between the Chassis number and the Body number? "T" denotes Tourer in the chassis number prefix. I have never seen an "R" in the chassis number.

geoberni wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:58 pm The Car/Body number was moved from the engine bulkhead to the driver's (RH) floor pan when the Elephant Trunk heater was put through the bulkhead in 1963 ish.

The change took place later than that. I have a 1965 car with the later dashboard/black speedo and flick switches which has the chassis number stamped into the bulkhead, not the floor .

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:53 pm

Bill_qaz wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:53 pm [quote=svenedin I presume this is the number you refer to as being on the bulkhead in addition the the chassis number plate. The "T" in that number denotes tourer.

If T is for tourer What would R stand for before number?

Bill, Are you getting confused between the Chassis number and the Body number? "T" denotes Tourer in the chassis number prefix. I have never seen an "R" in the chassis number.
[/quote]

The plate on left bulkhead ( right as viewed in your picture) shows a number beginning with a T. That's not your chassis number is it? My plate in same position has R****** not my chassis number.
hence my question but just seen in the answer in the link to topic R = 4door

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:58 pm

geoberni wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:58 pm The Car/Body number was moved from the engine bulkhead to the driver's (RH) floor pan when the Elephant Trunk heater was put through the bulkhead in 1963 ish.

The change took place later than that. I have a 1965 car with the later dashboard/black speedo and flick switches which has the chassis number stamped into the bulkhead, not the floor .

Interesting, beyond my personal experience as Basil is a SII.
I was just quoting what I had read in Ray Newell's 'Original Morris Minor'.
He says, 'Making a hole in the bulkhead for the new ducting forced a change in the position of the chassis number stamped into the body. On post 1963, etc etc'
Clearly it must've taken them a couple of years to decide on it.

geoberni wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:58 pm The Car/Body number was moved from the engine bulkhead to the driver's (RH) floor pan when the Elephant Trunk heater was put through the bulkhead in 1963 ish.
So of course many later cars have lost the stamped number when the floor has been replaced.

As regards the other numbers on the top thin long plates, see some of the detail given here:
viewtopic.php?p=627891#p627891

That answers the 'What's a R for question...'

Thank you Geoberni

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:58 pm

geoberni wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:58 pm The Car/Body number was moved from the engine bulkhead to the driver's (RH) floor pan when the Elephant Trunk heater was put through the bulkhead in 1963 ish.

The change took place later than that. I have a 1965 car with the later dashboard/black speedo and flick switches which has the chassis number stamped into the bulkhead, not the floor .

Does the body prefix begin Z3488x or Z3605x?

geoberni wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 5:58 pm The Car/Body number was moved from the engine bulkhead to the driver's (RH) floor pan when the Elephant Trunk heater was put through the bulkhead in 1963 ish.
So of course many later cars have lost the stamped number when the floor has been replaced.

As regards the other numbers on the top thin long plates, see some of the detail given here:
viewtopic.php?p=627891#p627891

That answers the 'What's a R for question...'

5yr old info, few more amendments to add....