mk1 1959/61 floorpan differances

[kevs 1961 mk1]

as some of you will know I recently bought a mk1 1961 morris mini minor it badly needs a new complete floorpanel just wondered what the differences are between a 1959 floorpanel and the 61 cheers for any info

[Dearg1275]

CORRECTION, CORRECTION! It depends when in 1960 THAT’S 1960 your car was built. Everything started to change to the later Mk1 floor in the October. There were cross over vehicles that had some early features and some late. If yours is pre October it should have three straight flutes to a full width foot well, separate inner sills. All the flutes should run to the back of the floor as there were no lifting brackets under the floor. The outer sill and floor were one continuous panel.

377ECEC6-6D0A-4F0F-B161-204CDE3EB08E.jpeg

B3946715-5D67-4808-8E1F-F7A916A1D58C.jpeg

This the pre October 1960 floor in an October car.

D

[kevs 1961 mk1]

thanks for the info mate il have a better look at it , as it was first registered in march 61

[AustinSe7en]

This is my '61 Se7en if it helps?

[kevs 1961 mk1]

This is my '61 Se7en if it helps?

thanks for that il have a look and compare it with mine interesting they had no vents, mine is a march 61 if that makes a differance

[AustinSe7en]

According to my Heritage certificate mine was built 18th April 1961

[kevs 1961 mk1]

According to my Heritage certificate mine was built 18th April 1961

mine was registered on march 3rd 1961 so should have same floor as yours as theres no vents underneath on the sills, but its been welded over I suspect, il need to have a proper look once ive stripped it

[ricardo]

Mine is end of June 1961 and also has straight flutes floors.

[AustinSe7en]

As you see mine now in the picture, it is 100% original - never had any panels replaced or welded - yet!
I’m sure the early cars had no vents on the sills, and they are pumped full of foam.

[kevs 1961 mk1]

As you see mine now in the picture, it is 100% original - never had any panels replaced or welded - yet!
I’m sure the early cars had no vents on the sills, and they are pumped full of foam.

pumped full of foam ? originally done at the factory or after mate?

[bwaminispeed]

The foam was later, in an attempt to stop the water coming in, not sure whether it was ever factory installed, or, a dealer fix for the leaky floor complaints, until they fixed the floor leaks......

Somewhere, I think I've seen a dealer service bulletin that showed the procedure for installing the foam at the dealerships.........but, I may be dreaming that........

[AustinSe7en]

I believe that’s what they did from the factory originally for some reason?
Perhaps someone on here can enlighten us?
I know my father recalls in the early days that the bulkhead/floor seam was overlapped & welded the wrong way around
which made them leak. This one is the right way around!

[kevs 1961 mk1]

mine on the rear o/s near the subframe mount has foam in it il get a pic when its stripped

[bwaminispeed]

One thing I know fer certain that I have seen, was a service bulletin about removing the foam before any damage repair work was done on the sills.....

I think it involved cutting the sills off, and, physically removing the foam by mechanical means (chisels, scrapers etc) before proceeding with any welding in the area, concern about toxic fumes etc.......

[Dearg1275]

There were no external flutes until after October 60. The sill and floor was a single pressing. The inner-sills were four separate panels, two behind the crossmember and two in front. They had reliefs where they joined the floor to allow drainage from the sills into the floor well. Crazy I know but that’s how they were.

The foam was factory installed and was a dealership fudge for vehicles prior to the factory fix. The factory added a closing plate in the cross member to stop the whole of the car filling with the muck when they pumped it in. It got every where. I found it way up the A pillars beside the front screen. A nightmare to get rid of but if you don’t before welding you better have a fire extinguisher to hand.

The front seam with the bulkhead was reversed to what is normal now on the very early cars in ‘59 but got corrected in the November I believe. Even so there was no upturn on the floor front or back until the third floor revision post October 1960.

If you take a look at my post “1960 Morris Resurrection” you will find photos of the floor structure as I took it apart.

D

[Dearg1275]

According to my Heritage certificate mine was built 18th April 1961

This is extremely interesting. Custom has it that the floor change to the last Mk1 style happened in October 1960. Clearly if yours is built April 61 then there is some thing to be accounted for. It may be that Cowley and Longbridge did not swap to the later floor at the same time. Do you know if yours was Cowley or Longbridge built (not all Austin’s were built at Longbridge)

Here is a link to the 59 register with shell variation details and dates.

http://1959miniregister.com/variations-shell/

Interesting...

D

[mab01uk]

The foam was later, in an attempt to stop the water coming in, not sure whether it was ever factory installed, or, a dealer fix for the leaky floor complaints, until they fixed the floor leaks......

Somewhere, I think I've seen a dealer service bulletin that showed the procedure for installing the foam at the dealerships.........but, I may be dreaming that........

Early 1959/60 Mini's had plain flat outer sills as part of the floor with no drain holes......the inner sills were seperate panels lapped inside under the carpet, however any water getting in the sills ended up under the carpets.....so the BMC factory then foam filled the sills. Some of the least rusty Mini's with long lasting sills were the early foam filled cars. However when they did eventually need welding the foam was a nightmare to get rid of before welding could commence!

Weather-Proofing Morris Mini-Minor:-
http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.u ... -M-639.pdf

This is an Extract from my Austin Se7en version of the manual, a scan of which was on the Mk1 Performance site but seems to have disappeared.....or i can't find!

[ricardo]

Custom has it that the floor change to the last Mk1 style happened in October 1960. Clearly if yours is built April 61 then there is some thing to be accounted for.

I believe the change in the front floors was during July 61. My Austin, Longbridge car, built 27 June 61, still has the straight flute type.

[Costafortune]

Iirc, the shells with the flat areas around the screen rubbers were made from thicker, not thinner steel but the early shells were lighter because there were less panels involved in building it. Mine didn't have the inner sills going back into the rear pockets for example. Foam filling was reckoned to add 8% to the shell stiffness.

Mine was certainly totally rot free, even in 1985 when I bought it, not bad for a well used 26 year old Mini.

[bwaminispeed]

Thanks Mabo, that is the service bulletin I remember seeing, way back when, easily 35-40 years ago........

Nice to know I'm not totally losing my mind.......