Extent of rot pictures

[paulhumphries]

In case people think I'm ready to give up on my convertible project because of a little damage have a look at the rot (which I don't have a problem with repairing) -
http://community.webshots.com/album/552923293pmqfxv

You can just see the nearside inner wheel arch that has been bodged to "repair" damage.
It looks like the body has been "restored" in the past with filler as there seems to be loads of the stuff.

Overall I'm still happy with my purchase for the price I paid but maybe you can now understand why the damage and distortion might mean it's a parts donor rather than a restoration.

BTW numeous parts are missing and interior is scrap. These were NOT removed by previous owner so I'm wondering if it's been a spares car already ?

Paul Humphries.

[alex_holden]

Looks like there's a cat munching its way through the floor in the first pic ;)

[chickenjohn]

Thats not actually as bad as I thought it was going to be based on your description. The only really tricky bit would be around the boot floor- you'd have to make that piece. You can get panels for the rest, for example the spring hanger comes on a nice thick plate shaped to the floor and part of the sill.

I've seen much worse which genuinely were spares cars.

Just imagine what a great story it would make if restored to concours condition

Have you got any pics of the underside of the sills and the front inner wings/ A post areas???

[chickenjohn]

Behind the cat it looks as though most of the inner sill is intact, that and the rear upper portion of the chassis leg provide the good metal from which the rest can be welded.

Look on the bright side, with that many rusty holes, you won't have as much cutting and grinding to do ;)

[paulhumphries]

Have you got any pics of the underside of the sills and the front inner wings/ A post areas???

There almost no sills left (especially offside)
If you jack up under the crossmember it just comes up with car not moving !
Offside A post not too bad but nearside badly bodged and will need replacing completley (as will whole side of bulkhead)
Inner front wings are rotten but covered with thick layer of underseal.
Like a lot of photo's it dosen't properly show the fulll extend to the rot.

Like I've said several times that if just rot then I don't have a problem repairing. The damage to front shock mounting crossmember together with nearside bulkhead means the only area on car which will escape attention is the upper windscreen frame.
Damage to a sound car or rot to an undamaged car are both viable but a rotten and damaged shell means I'll have to examine carefully before deciding what to do.
If the crossmember has moved then that would afftect castor and camber of nearside front wheel with subsequent handling / suspension / tyre wear repercussions.
If the car was sound then it could be pulled / forced straight but with the structure already rotted then what would I anchor the Portapower ram to ?
I can imagine trying to push bulkhead straight and the car breaking at sills.
No point in fitting new sills / floors first as the nearside woudln't fit properly.

Paul Humphries.

[Willie]

Crikey! I thought mine was bad but that is a heck of a challenge. I would think your major problem would be how to bolster the car so that it didn't
distort during all the stripping and welding since there seems to be very little
solid area.

[paulhumphries]

Crikey! I thought mine was bad but that is a heck of a challenge. I would think your major problem would be how to bolster the car so that it didn't
distort during all the stripping and welding since there seems to be very little
solid area.

That's exactly my problem.

The intention was to make a full jig using the unrotted front shock mounts as the datum point.
Now I find this area is distorted and also need repair before any other work is done it's making me think that it's assess fully before progressing further.

At the moment I'm not giving up but am prepared to accept it MIGHT be beyond worth repairing.

Paul Humphries.

[rayofleamington]

well, you posted pics so I'm guessing you wanted to hear peoples thoughts? (please don't shoot the messenger...)

The car has no interior, has a lot of filler and nothing but rot in all the structural and floor areas. If it really has no redeeming features is there any point to making a new shell by welding hundreds of pounds of panels together?
The advantage to a better 'project' car would be that you would have something to weld to in the first place, and more chance of a straight car at the end. I admire you're determination however the time, expense and effort it would take could restore another Minor, then 2 more on top.

Sorry if this seems negative, but it is only my opinion. Some Minors are not worth saving and I wouldn't touch this one.

If there is some sentimental value, then this is very different. I'm not saying everyone has to be 100% logical in their choices (That would be a dull world!)! But there are more Minors than people who want to own them, so to me it would need a good reason to take on an immense project.

The older Minors have a character of their own (SII and MM) and although there is no logic to it, I can understand the desire to give them a new lease of life as long as there will be some original metal in the car at the end.

[chickenjohn]

-snip- has a lot of filler and nothing but rot in all the structural and floor areas. If it really has no redeeming features is there any point to making a new shell by welding hundreds of pounds of panels together?
The advantage to a better 'project' car would be that you would have something to weld to in the first place, and more chance of a straight car at the end. I admire you're determination however the time, expense and effort it would take could restore another Minor, then 2 more on top.

Sorry if this seems negative, but it is only my opinion. Some Minors are not worth saving and I wouldn't touch this one.

-snip-

Ray, just out of interest, does this mean you are not going to restore the "Rotten Ray Mobile"?? ;) How does Pauls car compare to the Raymobile?

I'm not shooting the messenger, but what a story it would make if Paul did manage to restore this car!

[paulhumphries]

I've been up all night worrying about the car and what to do (only joking. I was up all night ill - which is normal for me hence getting early retirement on health grounds !)

This morning I jacked up under the off side spring where it is attached to axle.
The door doesn't fit anyway and watching the slightly open gap was shocking - it just kept growing until I stopped jacking
The car isn't full of heavy items and door hinges don't have any play so this is purely how much the body twists from one end to other.

I've taken a couple of photo's of door in "unjacked" / sitting on all four wheels position -
http://community.webshots.com/album/552943977BEFpxa

A little more checking has me looking for good points rather then bad - I'm struggling to find any.
Front bumper is usable as are overriders but would be a lot better rechomed. Door handles are good. All other chrome is scrap.
Front indicators are good. Rear light scrap. Engine turns over on starter but haven't tried to get it going and it's going to be changed for 1300 as leg problem means I need an autobox. Doors are repairable (cracks and lower rot / reskinning). Interior already stripped so no door "furniture". No heater. Alloy around speedo has extra holes so needs changing. original bonnet scrap but I've got a better spare. Boot lid rotten along lower edge (as normal). All out wings fibreglass. Seats terrible and frame so bad not worth repairing / recovering. All other trim panel so poor as to not even be worth using as patterns. No carpets. No brakes (other than handbrake). Clutch pedal seized. Hood frame probably repairable. No hood.

So I've got a good windscreen frame, front bumper, bonnet, hood frame, front indicators, repairable doors and possibly bootlid plus the mechanical spares.
Virtually EVERYTHING else will need replacing

I'm thinking the fate of the car is almost decided as I need a spares vehicle for the missing bits so that might as well be in better condition and restored instead.

Like I've said before I'm happy with what I got for the money I paid so don't regret buying as it'd just confirmed that a Morris Minor is the car for me.

Paul Humphries.

[plastic_orange]

Why not buy one of the 2 restored shells (2 door) currently on E bay, use the convertible components you have and just make one out of the 2 - save loads in the long run, and still be a satisfying project. It would be up to you what identity you used.

Pete


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-Minor-rest ... dZViewItem



http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-Minor-Kit- ... dZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-Minor-Refu ... dZViewItem

[Willie]

I think from experience that the amount of work involved on that 'car' is
extremely likely to lead to you becoming totally fed up and to lose interest.
It would probably cost more than buying a better condition model anyway.
Salvage any useable parts,if you have somewhere to store then without inter-
fering with any future rebuild. From the look of it that convertible has been
left out in the open for years with no hood on.

[paulhumphries]

Why not buy one of the 2 restored shells (2 door) currently on E bay, use the convertible components you have and just make one out of the 2 - save loads in the long run, and still be a satisfying project. It would be up to you what identity you used.

Pete

I don't have a problem with a converted saloon as the intention is to keep for myself for a long time rather that sell on in a few years.

In fact only the other day a friend offered me another car to run around and I said I'd prefer a Morris Minor saloon rather than a modern banger anyway.

IF, which it does now seem very likely, I break the convertible other than unboltable parts what else other then the windscreen frame would I need to keep to convert a saloon ?
I know about the strengthened sills, B post and dash reinforcment but what about the rest of the bodywork - is that just normal 2 door saloon ?

Paul Humphries.

[chickenjohn]

I think plastic Orange has a good idea, get the good convertible specific bits off your rusty wreck and use them to convert a sound 2-door. If you drill through the spot welds on the scuttle strenghtening plates then spot weld these to the chop top then it will look like a proper 2-door.

Other than that, i think your car is a case for doing a plastic orange style spaceframe chassis/ rover v-8 new floor pans/sills, then cut off the top end of the body good bits and you'll need to make a new bulk head (thus getting rid of accident damage) and you have a V-8 convertible!!!

[plastic_orange]

One of the links I posted was for a 'convertible kit'. It is a tried and tested method of getting a convertible, and I'm sure someone who has done it will be here soon to advise.
V8/chassis option is also a good idea - plus most are auto. You could knock up a chassis in a week.


Pete

[rayofleamington]

Ray, just out of interest, does this mean you are not going to restore the "Rotten Ray Mobile"?? How does Pauls car compare to the Raymobile?

I have plans for a chassis conversion on the Raymobile but at the moment I have too much else to do. If it is going to get done - the earliest time will be next year.

Paul's car is not nearly as bad as the Raymobile, however they both need their entire structure replacing.

[Willie]

Paul, yes, the rest of the body is the same as a 2 door. The factory fitted
convertibles had the extra U section beam inside the sills but it is accepted
that if they have rotted away sufficient strength is restored by adding the
door stop oversills which run from the front wheel arch to the rear seat support section inside the car. It is advantageous to drill through the layers
of steel on the vertical face and plug weld them thus making a very strong
sill unit.