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DVLA - V765
For 1959 Minis only
Modification of early cars sent to Scandinavia
From time to time we email people who have registered their cars for invites to shows etc.
Unfortunately we receive a lot of "bounced" emails.
Would you be sure to send us an update if you change your email address via the contact form please?
This is the only way we can communicate with you.
No MOT for our 1959 Minis

As from the 18th November 2012 it will not be necessary to MOT pre 1960 cars.

For full details please read this letter recently sent to us by the DVLA.

Variations Shell

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Variations – Shell

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59 front gutter, no corner drain hole. 1960 front gutter showing factory cut front drain hole, some earlier cars might have a cold chiseled hole here by hand.
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Very early cars should have hand drilled drain holes in the rear gutter corners.  Some have no holes at all. Around October 59 an oval hole appears in the rear gutter and continues in to 1960.
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1959 side gutter with no drip rail. 1960 drip rail, these were added in May 1960.
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In a service memo, pop riveted drip rails could be retro fitted, these look different to the factory type above as you can see. Pop riveted drip rail on a 59 shell.
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Up to mid October 1959 large floor pan depression.  This style floor has the toe board on top of the floor pan and separate welded starter button housing. Mid-October 1959 until October 1960 style floor depression.
image004 October 1960> 3rd generation foot well depression is smaller again than the 59-60 style.
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Up to Mid October 1959 starter button housing is a separate pressing spot welded in place.  This goes with the large floor pan depressions. Mid October 1959 onwards floor starter housing incorporated into the floor pressing.
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Up to October 1959 large floor pan pressing car showing the floor pan underneath the toe board. Mid October 1959 onwards small floor pan depression cars have the floor pan pressing on top of the toe board.
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Up to Morris chassis 2011 (and a similar Austin chassis number) a longer bonnet prop was used with a lower vertical style holder on the inner wing when the bonnet was open. After chassis 2011 this more common style of inner-wing locator was used for the shorter bonnet prop.
image019 Bonnet prop memo.
image046 image021
All 1959 and 60 cars have these fixed welded on front seat mounts on the cross member.  They go with tubular seat frames. Later 61> style of seat mounting on the cross member.
image024 Body colour inner wheel arch guards (deflector plates) were factory fitted to all 59 cars from Morris chassis number 6481– Austin also introduced later, but no number change available but thought to be a similar number.  Before this they were retro fitted via a service memorandum.
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The two service memos for the fitting of the splash guards.
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All 1959 cars have flat sills as part of a one piece floor pressing with separate inner sill. The inner sill on 59 cars showing the two inner drains to let water into the car.
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Later separate outer sill, no 59 should have this style sill. Later inner sill with no interior drain slots.
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All 1959 cars have flat front & rear panels so the windscreens are not recessed. Recessed front screen showing the seat for the rubber.  Post October 1960.
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All 1959 slam panels have these square lumps on from both 101 cars until mid December 1959 when they were replaced with the normal flat panel.  Any car without them has had a new slam panel regardless of what the owner tells you. A press photograph of Morris body number 103 showing the square lumps.
image064 image065
All 1959 Mini’s had a full front skirt panel without the brake cooling cut out. 64> style of front panel with brake cooling cut out.
image066 These cant rails bumps are present on all 59’s up to late September 1959.  However having seen a heavily sand blasted body shell with these mostly destroyed, be sure to make other checks to the car before using these lumps as a sole dating reference
image067 image068
These bolts protruding from the floor are found on most early cars.  They are for mounting the shell on the conveyor jig, using eight floor mounted 5/16 bolts.  This is the earlier large footwell pressing found on pre mid October cars. The body jig mounts from inside the rear floor.
image069 Showing the jig mounts attached to the bolts under the car on the assembly line.
image070 An original front wing showing square head light bowl mounting holes.  These are round on later and reproduction wings.
image071 A view inside the rear N/S valance showing that no closing plate was attached on all 59 cars and a stiffener was fitted.
image072 A service memo showing how the screen demister vents were modified using a steel tool to bend them into a more efficient position.
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