Can it be done?

Allvaux · 28-09-2008, 10:36

New project arrived yesterday. Been stood for six years but prior to that it had the entire underside professionally welded and still looks strong. Took advice from some experts and removed plugs to see if engine was free. No starting handle so turned top pulley and put a nail (didn't have screwdriver to hand) down plug holes to see if any movement and luckily there is. Chucked some Redex down the plug holes, cleaned plugs and next is to change oil and filter, find a starting handle and turn engine over with plugs out until oil light goes out then a little more too. Then fresh petrol, maybe clean/adjust points and fingers crossed. Found radiator was leaking (which previous owner had mentioned) and also what I thought was the water pump but is likely just a small section of hose. Brand new rad about £80 inc. postage and virtually every other part still available so shouldn't be too hard or expensive to get the bits I need. Random other jobs needed are sorting out lack of brakes, probably fill (for now) door bottoms and inner boot lid, sort out why nearside indicators not working then a good clean and polish. Got my lad helping me and we're going to go through it bit-by-bit and try and get it back on the road...

More pictures when I take some if anyone's interested.

**RobJenko** · 28-09-2008, 10:42

nice little "father - son" project chap. looks good and knowing you, you got it for a bargin price. more pic's please.

Galahad · 28-09-2008, 10:50

Tax exempt, go for lots of money down here (look up Charles Ware Morris Minor Centre in Brislington Bristol) http://www.morrisminor.org.uk/index.....htm~mainFrame

All done up mucker, its worth decent cash.

Allvaux · 28-09-2008, 10:59

Cheers lads. More pictures later (all being well) after football. Galahad, CW have new panels made in Sri Lanka but I'm told fit and quality isn't always brilliant. There was a MM specialist not too far from here and I've heard they're closing down and selling stuff off cheap so might take a drive up there soon.
Gave £175 for it by the way which I'm happy enough with. It was parked on the road for a couple of weeks outside the owner's house about 1/4 mile away whilst he had his garage door mended, and being cheeky I did the old 'note on a windscreen' thing. Owner got back to me a couple of days later and we struck a deal. Cracking bloke as it went, very easy and pleasant to deal with and I reckon we're both very happy with the outcome. I'll be chuffed to bits if we get it running and my lad is chomping at the bit to help me with it. Just found out if master cylinder is knackered it could be a difficult and expensive job to sort but will cross that bridge when we come to it. If we get it running I'll check brake fluid level then remove all wheels in turn and check shoes and cylinders. Luckily so far everything seems really easy to work on/round and long may that continue!

mike261263 · 28-09-2008, 11:09

I went for a job restoring these many years ago..........didn`t get it, place is closed now.

Galahad · 28-09-2008, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Allvaux

Cheers lads. More pictures later (all being well) after football. Galahad, CW have new panels made in Sri Lanka but I'm told fit and quality isn't always brilliant. There was a MM specialist not too far from here and I've heard they're closing down and selling stuff off cheap so might take a drive up there soon.
Gave £175 for it by the way which I'm happy enough with. It was parked on the road for a couple of weeks outside the owner's house about 1/4 mile away whilst he had his garage door mended, and being cheeky I did the old 'note on a windscreen' thing. Owner got back to me a couple of days later and we struck a deal. Cracking bloke as it went, very easy and pleasant to deal with and I reckon we're both very happy with the outcome. I'll be chuffed to bits if we get it running and my lad is chomping at the bit to help me with it. Just found out if master cylinder is knackered it could be a difficult and expensive job to sort but will cross that bridge when we come to it. If we get it running I'll check brake fluid level then remove all wheels in turn and check shoes and cylinders. Luckily so far everything seems really easy to work on/round and long may that continue!

They've got loads of original panels as well mucker, I know because there open air storage yard is still in Bath where they used to be based.

tommychimp · 28-09-2008, 12:16

Ace little car there, If i had the space i'd do a classic project along side the track slag.

Allvaux · 28-09-2008, 16:08

Cheers. More pictures pre-clean up...

Next up drain the oil and bin filter before giving the outside a wash and then trying to find the master cylinder (under driver's carpet apparantly) and seeing if there is actually any brake fluid in it.

Grim Reaper · 28-09-2008, 16:12

now all you gotta do is find a written off omega 3.0 and somehow with witchcraft make all the running gear fit into the minor, then you have a large tacho gauge and a roll cage and wear a half helmet with goggles when you go for a drive

**Add_Gee** · 28-09-2008, 16:24

Cool moggie, whats the plans for it? Just make it road legal and drive it... or go for a proper resto?

Keep the progress pics coming

Dell Balallan · 28-09-2008, 17:19

Cool car mate, I've just finished a full resto on a 4 door one of these, and it looks like it was in alot worse state than yours!!
They are fun to work on and easy to work on!
Keep us updated on your progress I will be watching intently!

Dell Balallan · 28-09-2008, 17:26

Just out of interest can the engine not be started without the starting handle?

**Lugy** · 28-09-2008, 17:54

The more I see these, the more I like them.

I'm amazed by how well they last too. Which other early 70's car's are so clean?

PS Be a man and fit an MG 1800 engine and make it into a historic competition style car

phunky monkey · 28-09-2008, 18:21

also metro turbo engines go well in minor's!!!lol

Agent Kellerman · 28-09-2008, 18:40

Looks solid for such an old car.

Stephen SRi · 28-09-2008, 18:50

very nice mate
garage down road from me had one white one
was car sales mans think he sold it for 4g or something
good llucj with it mate

Allvaux · 29-09-2008, 08:40

Had another play with it last night, my lad fixed the rear exhaust bracket and we drained the oil out. Just need to get an oil filter now and then we'll have a bash at getting it running once we've removed plugs again, turned engine over a few times and checked points etc.
Gave it a quick clean (it was minging) and T-cutted one panel which came up very well indeed. My lad started on the seats and the difference is amazing-years of grime came off with a good scrub!

Galahad · 29-09-2008, 09:26

£175 is such a good price, with 12 months ticket on that, you'll see a very decent profit on that.

Allvaux · 29-09-2008, 13:11

It'd be nice mate but we're hoping to see this through to the bitter end and actually keep it/use it. If we can get it on the road and still have it sort of planned to let my lad have it as his first car when he's seventeen (just under two years from now). I'm not sure he'll be too happy when his mates are whazzing past in Combat kitted Corsas but there you go

Del, it would start with cranking handle but a couple of people (elsewhere) suggested turning it by hand as it's stood for ahwile. They said it would help lubricate the engine prior to starting/before over loading it as it were.
Forgot to mention we found some bad rot on the n/s/r chassis rail near the springhanger. So far that's the worse we have found and hoping that will be it but have to remain realistic I suppose and expect to find some more.
Hoping to do everything we possibly can oursleves and find a decent, trustworthy and realistically priced welder locally for stuff like the chassis.
Won't have a clue with the points and my neighbour has offered to sort them, but we want to do it ourselves so will ask him to guide us through and supervise us.

Dave Dempsey · 29-09-2008, 16:57

Retro coolness.

mikegray · 29-09-2008, 19:51

Excellent

Good luck mate, will be watching progress. I would be tempted with a v8

Had one in at work begining of the year. It was

so surprised they had the work done.

Yours looks a cracker.

MSG · 29-09-2008, 20:56

beautiful motor there mate!! amazing technology back then!!!!

OHC · 29-09-2008, 21:07

i always wanted an old car like that to put a stupidly big engine in with a supercharger visible above the bonnet, shame il never be able to afford it lol nice car there anyway

Allvaux · 30-09-2008, 06:12

Slight draw back: got home yesterday and we put new oil in, took plugs back out and cranked engine over using a battery with not much poke in it in case we over did it. Engine span freely and chucked the Redex back out of the plug holes so we thought we were nearly there. Pegged it to Halfrauds for a new battery, cobbled it on and put the plugs back in. Tried to start if but wouldn't go

Took a couple of the plugs out to check for a spark but nowt doing so now suspect coil, plug leads or points. Oh, plugs are that old one disintegrated inside the plug cap! We did try a known good plug in one of the leads to see if it had been the old plugs playing up but still no spark. Going to have another go later and see if we can get it to fire up, wish us luck!

stevenet15 · 30-09-2008, 16:15

cool project, i've been watching another minor project thread its a 200sx turbo / morris minor, he is a top bloke and might be able to help u sorce parts for yours, check the thread: http://www.sxoc.co.uk/vbb/showthread.php?t=219069

some pics of it: