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Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 7:06 pm
by whitebuffalo
I have a friend who is wanting to buy a Mini that looks to be an early car, but the VIN plate looks a little off , perhaps a guru here can help?
The plate is as follows : 64 MA2S3L 31126
I know it is a Morris 2 door, but can't figure out the 3L or the 64 part of this VIN. Any one have an idea?
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:04 pm
by guru_1071
the '3' would be mk3 elf or hornet
the 'l' would be left hand drive
sounds like a bit of home stamping has been going on?
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2011 8:19 pm
by whitebuffalo
I knew something was funny with it! The car is definitely a early MKI since there are no visible recesses for the windscreens and most other parts of the car are usual to early MKI cars. Thanks for the information!
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:24 am
by Simon776
Isn't M/A2S3 a Morris Minor chassis number prefix?
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 12:35 am
by whitebuffalo
Yes it is. It's the other parts of the plate that are funky like the "64" at the beginning and the '3L' at the end. I will post a pic once I get it loaded up.
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 9:52 am
by bpirie1000
think this link might assist yourself with de-coding.
cheers.
http://www.minimania.com/web/DisplayID/ ... ticleV.cfm
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 10:42 am
by mk1
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2011 3:58 pm
by whitebuffalo
Thanks, that worked a treat, however, with that the VIN would show the car to "be" a 2 door Morris MkIII Elf or Hornet.
Here is what the car looks like as well as the VIN plate:
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:21 am
by ricardo
The numbers don't seem to be original.
Also isn't it an incorrect type of plate for the car? Looks like the plate was made at best in 1965, not an early plate.
Would point to home stamping too.
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:29 pm
by whitebuffalo
Yes, that is what I thought, but wanted some "professional" input. The sequential numbers are not even and of different sizes so that made me wonder what game was being played.
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 10:31 pm
by whitebuffalo
Ok, not sure if this would help to get the real VIN of the car , but the commission number is BMK 24129. The body number is FE51086. Any idea of what era the car is from? Would Heritage be able to get me the correct VIN with these numbers?
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:12 am
by Simon776
The BMK number is the Body Number, the FE Number is the FE Number which is from Q2 1960. Heritage should be able to get you a chassis number from the BMK number.
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:39 am
by YMJ
What strikes me is not that the plate is obviously a homemade job (note the amateur job of the stamping, letters/numbers out of line, etc) but the fact that anyone would want to do this in 1965?
In those days, most garages would
post you an MOT certificate for a dozen eggs and the Vehicle Licensing Authority would send you a nice new logbook if you could spell and asked nicely
Re: Help needed to decode a VIN
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2011 10:31 am
by nick@dunsdale
nice tight shut lines on the bonnet of that mini
hate when the bonnet sticks out past the wings grr