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HELLO THERE...MEET MAURICE THE MORRIS
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tom 53van
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Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Posts: 13
Location: sydney

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 11:25 am    Post subject: HELLO THERE...MEET MAURICE THE MORRIS Reply with quote

Helo everybody, my name is Tom and I would like to introduce you to my van. After keeping an eye out here and there for a van for the last year, last november I finally got one of my own. It is a bit of a mash up but have learnt that it is a 1953 and somewhere down the line someone has done the lowlight conversion. So far many have voiced thier dislike for lowlights and told me to change the guards back. Truth be told the lowlight has really grown on me and I think I will leave it as is.


Here is me the proud owner on the day the van came home.

The poor fela was/is in need of a fair old chunk of work done and progress has been good so far. It does have full Datsun 120Y running gear already and most of it is in pretty good order so not much needs to be done there.Mostly its bodywork and steering and suspension issues which need to be tackled. I am rather inexperienced when it comes to cars but luckily for me my father is helping me with pretty much everything and I would be doomed without his help.

My plans are to get him up to scratch so i can get him engineered then blue slipped then on the road as a daily driver and promtional vehicle for my BMX bike shop here in Sydney. The plan is to cover the windows with era correct style signage, and to keep it looking original enough.



Dont worry I have already gotten rid of the massive holden bumper and am going to fit original styled tail lights and indicators for the rear.
I will be posting bits and pieces of progress as it comes along. I look forward to sharing more with you. Cheers


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oliver-morrisminor
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Joined: 14 Nov 2005
Posts: 998
Location: Brisbane, Redlands.

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wwlcome Tom,
i know a guy up here in Brisbane who has your vans
twin brother. It was his first car and he has held onto it
for a number of years, and I think it is datsun powered as well
it has been a few years since I have seen it though.

Good luck and keep posting those photo's.
Oli


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libbor
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Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 1341
Location: Ghoulbon

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, what a nice pickup Tom Very Happy

Welcome to the forum. If you have been watching us for a while you will know that we are a friendly bunch and always eager to help.

I agree with you leaving the lowlight conversion where it is. For me I like to have a car that is unique to look at as mine is. Click on the link below to see what I did with the front of my car

http://www.morrisdownunder.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4636

Its good to see you are onto the safety issues being steering and suspension.
What type of brakes does it have?

Looking forward to watching you get the van to where you want it to be.

Here is a picture of Kel's van





Keep the pics coming.

Libbor


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Kustombruce
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Joined: 09 Sep 2003
Posts: 603
Location: Canberra, where they put creative spirit in the water

PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tom, not a 53
They didn't make LCV's till 54
what are the details on the body plate?
It will help us date it for you.

Bruce


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tom 53van
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Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Posts: 13
Location: sydney

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers for the welcome folks,I cant wait to get this little fella on the road.
As for numbers: TYPE-OFD 53
Car NO: 15031
Long sice removed engines number: 02 11679

Then on the NMP plate down the front it has two numbers

Z.13821-2
R4258

I know some of you have the secret Issigonis code riddle all figured out and can possibly give the van a real identity.

WOW Libbor your car is increddible, a large tip of the hat to you mate for an amazing job.


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frosty
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Joined: 23 Dec 2003
Posts: 3829
Location: 4559 near a big pineapple, Qld

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

tom 53van wrote:
Cheers for the welcome folks,I cant wait to get this little fella on the road.
As for numbers: TYPE-OFD 53
Car NO: 15031
Long sice removed engines number: 02 11679

Then on the NMP plate down the front it has two numbers

Z.13821-2
R4258

I know some of you have the secret Issigonis code riddle all figured out and can possibly give the van a real identity.



Hello Tom , Welcome - here's the details on your Van:

OFD5315031

[O] LCV
[F] Pickup
[D] Dark Blue
[5] RHD CKD
[3] Cellulose
Vehicle Number: 15031
Production records show that this vehicle was built in the period up until January 1954.


cheers
frosty


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libbor
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Joined: 01 Feb 2009
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Location: Ghoulbon

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 12:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Look like is might have been one of the first ones made


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jimmy_d
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Joined: 29 Aug 2009
Posts: 322
Location: Melbourne eastern suburbs

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So,a silly question if I misunderstood the code but doesnt that mean that this car should have been a utility not a van and if LCV were'nt built till '54 yet the body tags date it prior to Jan 54 then it is a 53 or earlier and previous owners have been playing with body tags as well as body parts?Not picking on anything,just a question for my interest!

PS-love the car and disregard my post as Libbor got an answer in (to some of the question) before I hit submit!!


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libbor
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PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 1:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi pete

That happens to me all the time. It happened to me yesterday. How did you go with those b pillars? All done ?

Cheers

Darren


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jimmy_d
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Posts: 322
Location: Melbourne eastern suburbs

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 3:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Darren,yea,all's good,have cut to length,fittyed and semi welded until I can confirm with door alignment,thanks heaps for the help.

Check out below,just copy and paste into your browser,think it will work!
http://profile.imageshack.us/user/christinetheute/


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libbor
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PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

tom 53van wrote:

WOW Libbor your car is increddible, a large tip of the hat to you mate for an amazing job.


Thanks mate, it turned out much better than I expected. Just goes to show what can be achieved if you take it nice and slowly and lots and lots of patience

Cheers

Libbor


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Kustombruce
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Joined: 09 Sep 2003
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Location: Canberra, where they put creative spirit in the water

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like yours is a late 1954.
so not to early, about the 20th oldest LCV known to exist in Australia.

What colour is on the ID tag?

Bruce


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libbor
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PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 8:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Out of interest Kustombruce, where does your's rank?


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Kustombruce
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Location: Canberra, where they put creative spirit in the water

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a list of 170 LCVs.
Russ owns the oldest in Australia, Chassis 1005, so most likely the 500th one made in the world and one of the last remaining in the world with the fixed quarter glass.
Mine is a 1960 model so nothing special except it started life as an NRMA van

Bruce


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John Ballard
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Joined: 11 Feb 2004
Posts: 2646
Location: Dubbo NSW

PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We have one here in Dubbo under Resto 1953 according to Russ Harvey
Yet to look at it but I will post chassis NO. etc when I do
Yellow Ute Red Ute Blue Ute


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libbor
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PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I could be wrong but I thought Pam Haynes owned the oldest. Maybe she owns the oldest ute but not the oldest lcv.


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Kustombruce
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Location: Canberra, where they put creative spirit in the water

PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2011 7:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

we need all the details off the ID tag to have an idea of age.
Russ Harvey have the most compressive list of LCV's in the world, most of the details are what I provided him about 5 years ago and what he has collected from his web site.

It would be great to find some more old ones out there.

LCV's stand for "light commercial vehicle" so includes all Minors on chassis.

Bruce


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John Ballard
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PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2011 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This guy has been in Contact with Russ, but I will see him soon and get some photos I know it has a cheesecutter grill Yellow Ute Red Ute Blue Ute


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tom 53van
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Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Posts: 13
Location: sydney

PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 7:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Kustombruce wrote:
Looks like yours is a late 1954.
so not to early, about the 20th oldest LCV known to exist in Australia.

What colour is on the ID tag?

Bruce


Hey Bruce it has BLUE on the ID tag. This is all very interesting,thanks to every one for the info, its amazing how much you can learn about your own car, I love it.
The motor is currently out and engine bay repairs are going well, I should have some pics up later today. Cheers all.


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libbor
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PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 7:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woah Tom

You are definitely not mucking around.

What repairs are you doing under the bonnet?

Libbor


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tom 53van
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Joined: 18 Apr 2011
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Location: sydney

PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Somewhere down the line the car must have taken a decent hit up the front anf previous owners have done questionable repair work. So a bit of evening up is needed. Also where the shockie arm pokes through the inner guard had all been cracked and twisted up. So somebody has made a bit of a mess.


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DON58VAN
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Location: Sydney/Bowral

PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all

I don't think we have the answer yet to the identity of Tom's van.

If you believe the build plate screwed to the firewall, it is a ute. But it sure looks like a van to me. Very Happy Yes, the load area bodywork might have been replaced.

And I thought that NMP plates were only attached to UK-built vehicles (note that they are spot-welded on, so they not as easily changed as the build plate on the firewall). Yet the build-plate is a Nuffield Australia one.

So I think that the Nuffield Australia plate could from another vehicle and the info on it may not be relevant.

Tom and his father Peter are friends of mine. On their behalf, I have asked Russ Harvey to find out what he can from the numbers on the NMP plate. He has asked for the chassis number, but we can't find one on the bodywork. I believe that UK-built cars often had the chassis number on the passenger-side floor (this would have to be the best place for it to go missing through rusting and consequent repairs Shocked). We can't see there on Tom's van.

Cheers
Don


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libbor
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PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Tom

I have a shock absorber for you

Pm me your address and I will send it to you

Cheers

Darren


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Kustombruce
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PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I thought the body number on UK vehicles were attached right at the top of the fire wall on the passenger side.

The ID tag would be correct or from an almost identical aged LCV.

Does it have a stamped body number on the fire wall?

Bruce


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DON58VAN
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PostPosted: Thu May 05, 2011 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Bruce

As you say, on UK models, there is a very small plate with two numbers high on the passenger-side firewall. This is screwed on, so is easily removed. The numbers on this plate are identical to the ones on the NMP plate. The first number always starts with Z and is embossed from the back of both the firewall and NMP plates. The other number is stamped from the front.

On Tom's van, we can't find a car number on the passenger side of the firewall. The driver's side firewall is modified to mount a master cylinder and booster, so if there was a number was stamped there, it has gone now.

Thanks for your input.

Cheers
Don


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