Hello lovely people. Long time lurker, first thread.
So this is a bit of fun project. Mean't to be cheap an cheerful and not too involved. I've already got several quite involved motor cycle projects, and no garage, though a large workshop with all the kit isin progressfor the bikes.
I had a few moggies back in the mid 90's when I first learnt to drive, all had mods of some sort. Over the last couple of years I've had a hankering for another to tinker with, Ideally a Traveller, but good ones are strong money, average ones are a money pits, but hey if a decent splitscreen traveller turns up, I'll sell the missus.
Few weeks back a "barn find" morris minor convertable turns up on the local FB marketplace, it had been reduced in price a couple of times, and frankly looked a complete basket case. But it was my route home from work, so I arranged to go and view it in the dark... Seller was into house clearances and boot sales. He's found it in a real hay barn as part of a clearance, but I think had stretched himself. Impressions weren't good. Hood cover all but gone, front wings almost non existent due to rust, boot ling stoved in due to tractor rash, but signs of welding on the a post and inner wings that had been done to an OK standard. I opened the drivers door to find the interior full of straw, placed my boot on the the floor expecting it yo go through, it didn't, a gave it a good kick, still no soft spots. Doors both opened and shut with a clutch, and sounded solid. Phone torch on the spring hangers and sills, chassis legs, boot floor. All solid, with signs if semi decent repairs on th sills. curse word. This isn't a basket case, I might have to buy this.
I take a brave pull and through an insulting offer at the seller, less than 4 figures. He bites my hand off. curse word.
I pick it up a week later. A pair of n.o.s front wings are in the vack seat when I arrive, but it's clear a little welding is required on the ns a post and font of sill, so I arranged to drop the wings at my friend who restores minis to paint, and as I don't have a mig welder at home, leave it with him to weld up the alost and sill. I drop it of straight away a decide to see if I can get it running.
Connect my jump pack up but the lights are doing wierd stuff and and the coil starts smoking before I've a chance to turn the ignition key. Hmmm. Dis connect jump pack and go to look at the ignition. Its then that I start to piece things together. Dash isn't dirty and corroded, hood hasn't rotten. There has been a wiring fire under the dash, whish St the hood alight and melted I on the seats. Drivers seat burnt, but the rest of the interior survived. Loom is disconnected and I rig up a temporary loom to see if it will turn over. Motor is seized. Plugs out, oil in bores, find starter handle in boot. Fit handke and jum on it, it turns, tight at first, bot loses up a bit. Spin it over on the starter, slow, no spark. Cap of, looks like points gave been replaced, but corroded, points cleaned, gap set, and we have a week spark, and flat jump pack.
I walk away, and start on a parts ordering spree.
As collected.
So this is a bit of fun project. Mean't to be cheap an cheerful and not too involved. I've already got several quite involved motor cycle projects, and no garage, though a large workshop with all the kit isin progressfor the bikes.
I had a few moggies back in the mid 90's when I first learnt to drive, all had mods of some sort. Over the last couple of years I've had a hankering for another to tinker with, Ideally a Traveller, but good ones are strong money, average ones are a money pits, but hey if a decent splitscreen traveller turns up, I'll sell the missus.
Few weeks back a "barn find" morris minor convertable turns up on the local FB marketplace, it had been reduced in price a couple of times, and frankly looked a complete basket case. But it was my route home from work, so I arranged to go and view it in the dark... Seller was into house clearances and boot sales. He's found it in a real hay barn as part of a clearance, but I think had stretched himself. Impressions weren't good. Hood cover all but gone, front wings almost non existent due to rust, boot ling stoved in due to tractor rash, but signs of welding on the a post and inner wings that had been done to an OK standard. I opened the drivers door to find the interior full of straw, placed my boot on the the floor expecting it yo go through, it didn't, a gave it a good kick, still no soft spots. Doors both opened and shut with a clutch, and sounded solid. Phone torch on the spring hangers and sills, chassis legs, boot floor. All solid, with signs if semi decent repairs on th sills. curse word. This isn't a basket case, I might have to buy this.
I take a brave pull and through an insulting offer at the seller, less than 4 figures. He bites my hand off. curse word.
I pick it up a week later. A pair of n.o.s front wings are in the vack seat when I arrive, but it's clear a little welding is required on the ns a post and font of sill, so I arranged to drop the wings at my friend who restores minis to paint, and as I don't have a mig welder at home, leave it with him to weld up the alost and sill. I drop it of straight away a decide to see if I can get it running.
Connect my jump pack up but the lights are doing wierd stuff and and the coil starts smoking before I've a chance to turn the ignition key. Hmmm. Dis connect jump pack and go to look at the ignition. Its then that I start to piece things together. Dash isn't dirty and corroded, hood hasn't rotten. There has been a wiring fire under the dash, whish St the hood alight and melted I on the seats. Drivers seat burnt, but the rest of the interior survived. Loom is disconnected and I rig up a temporary loom to see if it will turn over. Motor is seized. Plugs out, oil in bores, find starter handle in boot. Fit handke and jum on it, it turns, tight at first, bot loses up a bit. Spin it over on the starter, slow, no spark. Cap of, looks like points gave been replaced, but corroded, points cleaned, gap set, and we have a week spark, and flat jump pack.
I walk away, and start on a parts ordering spree.
As collected.
