Chassis number location 1966 convertible

[MichaelSimpkin]

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?

[svenedin]

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.......

[ManyMinors]

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

chassis no white car.JPG (250.79 KiB) Viewed 1841 times

[svenedin]

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.

IMG_8791.jpeg (2.07 MiB) Viewed 1841 times

IMG_8792.jpeg (2 MiB) Viewed 1841 times

[MichaelSimpkin]

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.

[svenedin]

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.

[Bill_qaz]

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?

[geoberni]

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...'

[ManyMinors]

[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.

[ManyMinors]

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 .

[Bill_qaz]

[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

[geoberni]

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.

[Bill_qaz]

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

[POMMReg]

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?

[POMMReg]

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....