|
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 19:19:49 GMT
|
It seems I unintentionally have acquired a new Retro project. To cut a long story short, my son and his girlfriend are buying a house which has been empty for some time. The last occupants were what I'd call hoarders and the house was packed with stuff when we viewed it. There is a garage with a car port in front of it which was also jammed full of stuff. Apparently the garage hasn't been opened for about 30 years. We've finally cleared enough to actually get the garage doors partially open to see inside.....   Yet more junk but there is definitely a car under that lot, now I was getting excited! After a bit more excavation.....  From what I can see it's a 1968/9 Austin Morris 1100 in battleship grey  Memories are flooding back as my Dad had one when I was about 10 in the mid 1970's (a Sandglow coloured one - OLL755L) Work continues to extract it from the garage but as I don't currently have a Retro project, this looks like it could be the new one! |
| |
Currently driving a '68 Karmann Ghia as my daily. Don't ask about previous cars - there have been way too many and I stopped counting at 160!
|
|
|
|
fogey
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,624
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 20:43:46 GMT
|
|
Had a few of these over the years - 1966 Morris, 1966 Riley version (Kestrel)- twin carbs and rusted out subframe - I lived in fear of taking off and leaving the rear wheels behind . . . . .
They are fun, but pretty curse word to drive - god knows how they sold so well back in the day.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 21:16:35 GMT
|
|
Mine had 21000 miles in 1998
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 21:25:33 GMT
|
|
I bought one in the late 80s from a bloke who worked in a yard next door for £20......
I owned it less than 24 hours absolutely hated it !!
But a rare car now good luck with it
|
| |
Fraud owners club member
2003 W211 Mercedes E class
1989 Sierra sapphire
1998 ex bt fiesta van
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 22:45:14 GMT
|
|
I've had three ADO16s, three classic Minis, and an Allegro all as dailies. With serial BMC owning grandparents on both sides I may be biased but I love the way these things drive. Like a classic Mini the ADO16 can be driven balls out pretty much all the time with a fairly good chance of getting away with it.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 23:07:16 GMT
|
I had a red 2Dr 1300, which I drove to school . A hand me down from a generous aunt. Learned a lot about fixing electrical problems ( usually on the side of the road, in the pouring rain ), and about lift off oversteer...  I dreamt of turning it into a mild custom ( which was out of my reach, financially), so I embraced its Britishness by putting a bowler hat and a black umbrella on the parcel shelf. Which is probably the reason I never got a parking ticket with it... It was a good car, but it used more fuel than I could afford, so I had to let it go. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 18, 2020 23:09:41 GMT
|
|
Keep it nailed mate. No liftoff induced oversteer.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yep. That is what that car taught me... |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think that they are great little cars - much like quite a bit of the BL car range somewhat underrated and maligned by others - there were several of these in our family fleet over the years and I would not say no to another - lets just hope that it was not stuffed into that garage decades ago because the rear subframe mountings had been eaten by the tin worm or that the inner wing reinforcing flutes (commonly known as 'Trumpets' back in the day) are again failed with rot - has both jobs are a pain to undertake
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think that they are great little cars - much like quite a bit of the BL car range somewhat underrated and maligned by others - there were several of these in our family fleet over the years and I would not say no to another - lets just hope that it was not stuffed into that garage decades ago because the rear subframe mountings had been eaten by the tin worm or that the inner wing reinforcing flutes (commonly known as 'Trumpets' back in the day) are again failed with rot - has both jobs are a pain to undertake Apparently it was driven into the garage with nothing wrong with it. The last owner had a knee op. and needed an automatic so the Austin got left and forgotten. More pics when I've moved enough junk to drag it out of the garage. |
| |
Currently driving a '68 Karmann Ghia as my daily. Don't ask about previous cars - there have been way too many and I stopped counting at 160!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 19, 2020 11:24:25 GMT
|
|
Lovely discovery, but then I'm biased as my first car was my grandad's old Snowberry white Morris 1100 - XYB 470 H if memory serves.
Learned loads of things from my dad about keeping old cars running by working on it.
It had the strip speedo so you could guesstimate how fast you were going since it would bounce between 50 and 70 to give you an "in the neighbourhood of 60mph" reading!
|
| |
|
|
village
Part of things
Always carries a toolbox. Because Volkswagen.......
Posts: 567
|
|
Feb 19, 2020 17:53:20 GMT
|
|
bookmarked!
|
| |
"The White Van is strong with this one...."
Chris "Chesney" Allen 1976-2005 RIP
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 19, 2020 19:13:26 GMT
|
|
Nice find! Its got my favourite grill on it, which is a good start. Is it a 1100 or a 1300? 2 or 4 door? What colour is it inside? Grey is a good start. What are your plans?
I almost bought a mint stupidly low mileage estate in white, but it wasn't to be. For a long time ive had ideas of what id do to one, it was like a cross between a Mini and a Maxi, and knowing what Minis are like and what Maxis can be like when they're sorted, I can imagine what these are like when they're sorted. I know just how id want one to look.
Need more pics!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 19, 2020 19:42:45 GMT
|
|
What a great find and will be following along! It will interesting to see how it has faired during its hibernation. Garage looks watertight so that is a good start!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 19, 2020 23:07:48 GMT
|
knowing what Minis are like and what Maxis can be like when they're sorted, I can imagine what these are like when they're sorted. Back in the '80s an old geezer (probably around the age I am now) I knew had a 1300 four door that he'd done up. It just looked like grandpa's old 1300 at first glance but under the bonnet was a different story. It had a 1275 that was done up to Cooper S spec plus a bit. That thing gave more than few V8s a fright. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 20, 2020 12:00:45 GMT
|
never had an austin nor my dad or an uncle  p.s love the social history in the garage, like those cans of de-icer that had a serrated ice scraper built into the cap! |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2020 10:30:06 GMT
|
The garage continues to give up more treasures.........  (and yes, there is a moped to go with it but I can't get to it yet) |
| |
Currently driving a '68 Karmann Ghia as my daily. Don't ask about previous cars - there have been way too many and I stopped counting at 160!
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2020 10:42:45 GMT
|
|
We need a full rundown on the contents of that garage, as you find it. You have 2 days. Begin.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2020 11:09:08 GMT
|
It seems I unintentionally have acquired a new Retro project. To cut a long story short, my son and his girlfriend are buying a house which has been empty for some time. The last occupants were what I'd call hoarders and the house was packed with stuff when we viewed it. There is a garage with a car port in front of it which was also jammed full of stuff. You know I said the car port needed to be emptied before we could even get to the garage...... This little beauty was in there, under a cover and 30 years of dust...........  Lovely isn't it. It was sold before the deal on the house was done to a nice chap who is now working to get it back on the road by the summer. |
| |
Currently driving a '68 Karmann Ghia as my daily. Don't ask about previous cars - there have been way too many and I stopped counting at 160!
|
|
andyf
South West
Posts: 415
|
|
Feb 21, 2020 12:51:23 GMT
|
|
Austin 1100, my first ever car, bought when I passed my test in 1981, and written off soon after by a bloke who ran into the back of me at a junction.
Which, judging by the amount of rust in it was probably merciful, but I do have a soft spot for them. Good luck and bookmarked.
|
| |
1980 Triumph TR7.
|
|
|
|
