Morris Minor Tourer chassis identification etc.

[chrisdebois]

Hi, I was hoping someone could help with this Tourer I bought last year, and have since pretty much finished restoring.

chassis no. M/AT3 914105
engine no. 9M-U-H 631914

On the logbook it says it was manufactured in 1963 but first registered in December 1964.

I have had the car painted Old English White and it has a red interior. It has the older Smiths heater, trafficators and a 948cc engine which seem too early for a 1963/64 car?

Any help or information on how the car came out of the factory would be much appreciated.

Chris.[frame][/frame]

[ManyMinors]

The numbers you give and the fact the car has trafficators would suggest a 1961 car.
If you contact the Heritage Museum at Gaydon they will be able to give you a copy of the production record with luck.

[Nickol]

Whata wonderful Restauration!
any Chance of some pics of the engine area?

[POMMReg]

Would you re-check engine number (9/62), not a match for the car.

Have you located the stamped (into bodyshell) chassis nos? Virtually impossible to correctly re-stamp Vin plates to the correct spec, should be okay IF this is 100%.

[chrisdebois]

Thank you. Where exactly will I find the numbers that are stamped into the bodyshell - I'll have a look when I get home?

[chrisdebois]

Ps. Yes, the engine number on the logbook is different. I'll get that number for you too. *And inform the DVLA)

[chrisdebois]

I've checked the chassis number stamped into the bulkhead panel and the numbers do match with the plate and the logbook details. The engine number on the logbook reads-

engine number 9HUH544960. The first H should maybe read 'M' ?

[POMMReg]

9MAUH 54**** sounds about right.

Didn't think 9MH engine production exceed 630*** - learn something new every day - although, what would happen to left-over 948cc engines upon the introduction of the 1098cc? (would they be supplied as BMC replacements).

Is the regn of the Tourer AHY-B, cannot see suffix...? This would support 1963/4 v5c date....but it's a '61 car!

Update...

According to my records, 9MAUH in early 63****s fitted to (Cowley DoB) export LCVs.

[ManyMinors]

Maybe the car was first registered abroad. It was quite common for cars to be purchased new by servicemen posted abroad (there was a tax saving) and they brought the cars back to the UK with them a few years later. At that time, you were given a "new" registration rather than one which reflected the car's age. I had a 1973 car which was given a new 1979 registration when I registered it here.

[busguy]

I suspect AHY 495B could have been a replacement number for a cherished transfer in Bristol, or an import, as the AHY***B series was not listed as being originally issued in 1964. That could explain why a 1961 car is carrying a '1964' number, but not why the V5 document doesn't carry correct year of manufacture or date of original registration.
It carries a MAT chassis plate so should be a genuine factory made convertible. Only a check of the factory records will tell you if that car chassis number was built as a convertible. It has been known for what appear to be MAT chassis plated convertibles to turn out to be really good converted 2 door saloons. There's a good discussion from 'bluegrass' going on currently regarding Convertible Vin plates, etc, and how to recognise the genuine convertible from a really good conversion. Worth a read.

[ManyMinors]

You can contact the DVLA and for a small fee they will provide a history search of all the information they have. This might throw some light on the re-registration. Probably worth following up if you're interested in the car's history.

[POMMReg]

Few Cowley built (post LRBM) Minor's in Oz carry Tourer chassis numbers, but are 2drs!

[chrisdebois]

Thank you for all the replies. I'll maybe get a Heritage Certificate and contact the DVLA to try to uncover more of its history.