Looking for info on our 1953 Morris Bus

Hi, first post and straight in with a request for info on our recently acquired bus. This handsome fellow is a 1953 Morris with the 4L straight six Austin (Sheerline?) engine. The body is by Motor Body Builders, which was a subsidiary of the Scarborough Bus Service. The old rego stickers show the number KWN813 which is Kwinana regional number. We believe he was at one time a school bus somewhere in WA







At some point he was converted to a motorhome. All of the original interior was removed and most of the windows either removed or plated over.



We have since gutted the interior and made a start on reinstating the windows as we like the original exterior look.





We would love to find out any info about our bus, or pictures of the same model in general so we can see how various bits are supposed to look. Cheers!

That's the best 'Clarence the Clocker Hat' above the windscreen.
Nice toy it will be interesting to watch the progress.

Seems to be built on a 5 ton chassis,which is good,8 stud wheels and a strong diff and axles.....the 4 speed box is a great gearbox,not synchro ,but hardly notice it changes so good.

It also looks similar to the one I posted erlier this year that I found at the Dorrigo caravan park.

Very nice. Your next question is likely to about window rubbers and fittings. Some caravan outfitters might be worth a look but their stuff is a bit light. UES International have a great range to fit out commercial vehicles and they have a web site.

Over time I have been in contact with UES o buy plastic handles thta match what was used on our caravan and as it happens are almost the same as used on the inside of the doors on Lorry. I had trouble with getting the white handles for the van and it took a while but bog standard black are a sock item at all times and they were also on the shelf at Bunn ings so saved me postage. It is amazing what this mob sell and I was eyeing off some of the anchoring "D" rings for the floor on Lorry.

Yes, looks as though it is built on the five tonner chassis. Probably a model NVS which had the same sheet metal as LC5 and other Morrises and Austins of the period. The factory doors came down below the floor and the headlights are built into the mudguards, not out from the grille on stalks that earlier models had.

Mechanical bits will be common to 5 tonner Morris and Austin from about 1952 to the 1970's. In the 1970's they were likly to be badged BMC or Leyland. plenty of 4 litre motors around.

My 3 tonner NVS with a body similar to the bus, cruises at 70, or 75k when pushed but the 5 tonner is probably a bit slower.

Thank you all for your responses, some great info and I spent ages looking at that UES site as it's got heaps of stuff for both the bus and my camper trailer.

The type according to the plate is 5FPA but I can't seem to see any info online about that code. I'm guessing that indicates it's a 5 ton, forward control?

Cheers,

The body builders used a driveable chassis,and supplied all the rest.....although Ive seen import windows....only fancy ones tho,the common slide windows are local......Good reasons for this ....very high import tariffs on all vehicles,so as much as possible was made local......Not to mention shipping cost,although Austin trucks were locally assembled .

I am not familiar with a vehicle type 5FPA but as there were hundreds of model numbers, with the same vehicle having up to four different designations during the time it was in production, it is difficult to know them all.

Any further information you can supply will help. Does it have an overdrive box at the back of the gearbox, or a two speed diff? Both of these are unlikely on a bus but you never can tell.