Usability question

[hornmeister2000]

Hello! I have a lovely 2-door 1970 saloon which is in good condition and original (or original spec). Took it on holiday at the weekend and it went to Le Touquet and back with no problems at all. It got me thinking about the possibility of using a Minor as a main car. It wouldn't be practical with "Naomi" - as we discovered, the boot's way too small! However, it got me thinking about travellers, and I'd be interested in comments from others...

Buy a traveller with good wood/chassis/bodywork or a poor one and get the rust/wood fixed (i.e. no rust)
Fit a newly-reconditioned 1.3l engine
Strip out the inside and refit with lots of padding, thick carpet, underseal, etc. to cut down on noise (originality going out the window here!)

Now here are my questions...

1) What sort of cruising speed/mpg should I expect from a 1.3 'A' series?
2) What sort of load can a traveller carry (weight) and is it possible to upgrade the suspension if necessary (we're talking long-distance self-catering family holidays here with lots of wine to bring back!)
3) Presumably it's quite easy to fit more comfortable seats

This is all just an idea which came to me yesterday, but it got me thinking about how realistic it is. Any thoughts...?

[mike.perry]

A 1275 Midget engine and box (4 speed) + 3.9 diff will give you an easy 70mph cruising with a top speed of around 85mph as will a 1275 Marina/Ital engine with a Ford 5 speed box. MPG should be mid 30s depending on the sze of your boot. Don't forget the brake upgrade.
I would not recommend heavier rear springs, they are already stiff enough but telescopic dampers and possibly an anti roll bar will help the handling but not the load carrying which, with the back seats folded it can carry a considerable volume. Not sure about the weight though but it would be less than the 5cwt of the early van.
Front seat upgrades are readily available but most need an adapter frame.
Before you get carried away start adding up the ££££££££££££. It will be a long time till you recoup the cost on cheap booze.

[hornmeister2000]

Thanks for the reply, and good point about the £! It's not about cheap booze, I have a Renault Laguna which more than copes, I'm thinking about the genuine sustainability/usability of a Morris Minor. My saloon's great, ultra-reliable, economical easy to repair, etc. The only complaints are top speed (don't like to push the old girl about 65mph) and the inability to put anything more than my wife's handbag in the boot! Traveller seems a good idea and long-term cheaper than a modern car (and more fun!).

[simmitc]

Just remember that plenty of us use standard Travellers for every day driving and long distance touring. Jonathan can advise on all sorts of goody upgrades, but the standard car is fine for most use; we don not have anything except Minors!

[hornmeister2000]

Just remember that plenty of us use standard Travellers for every day driving and long distance touring. Jonathan can advise on all sorts of goody upgrades, but the standard car is fine for most use; we don not have anything except Minors!

You're very brave!

[mike.perry]

I would not claim that a Minor is more reliable or suitable than a modern car for jumping in every morning and tearing off down the motorway without knowing where the dipstck or rad filler cap is located (or indeed the bonnet release catch). It will outlast a modern car simply because when parts wear out they can be replaced with reasonable ease and cost.

[hornmeister2000]

That's my reasoning too - I've had a couple of medium-sized jobs on all 3 of my cars this year, and the Minor was cheapest and easy to get parts for!

[dunketh]

My 1275 saloon was perfectly usable as a daily driver - it fulfilled this role for three years. The only issue was the boot, as you've already mentioned.

I often had mine sat on the rear bump stops. 'Large' in-laws sat in the back and a boot crammed full of stuff.

I was forced to sell as there was nowhere for the dog to sit! That simple really. I would have bought a trav but to get a decent one requires a bit of luck on the lotto - and I dont play.

[MarkyB]

Do you need more space then you can get with the seat back folded down?
How much motorway travel do you do?

Minors can handle lots more weight than you may imagine.
After all, how much do 3 more adults weigh? They were designed for that.

The thing they weren't designed for was unleaded petrol.
For anything except sustained motorway cruising @ 70 mph they will cope fine.

What do you have to carry, and what is your commute like?

[aupickup]

use mine every day 50 mile round trip to work and back

no problems encountered

[hornmeister2000]

I don't commute by car (London!) but do go on long trips for holidays (south of France, Austria, etc.). I think I'd get an unleaded engine, although my saloon has no trouble with Valvemaster and super unleaded since 2003. The biggest job is persuading my wife that she'd be better off with another minor than a modern car...!

[stephenpolhill]

I see why you want a modern car. I use my 2dr '65 1098cc most days. I am at college still but for the short runs it is superb. I have also been to the Peak District, Cornwall, Norfolk and Reading a couple of times which overall are about 1500 miles for all these trips (I only passed my test in June!). Mine happily sits on the motorway at 60-65mph and although it would be nice to have a comfortable modern cruiser, Iknow I have to keep awake to drive the mog long distanes. Also the shorterand country drives more than make up for the motorways and I just love it. I wouldn't change my car for anything else, only buy something as well.
About the boot, I went camping with my cousin this summer to Cornwall. I got the tent, sleeping bags, everything in the boot easily, its deceptive. All that went in the back(seats down or up) were the bags for the clothes.

[bmcecosse]

The only problem with a Traveller - is keeping the timber in good condition. If it's stood outdoors and used every day - then the timber will suffer. Don't worry about 'unleaded' - many 1275 engines had unleaded heads as standard. With a standard gearbox and a 3.7 diff - I can do 50 in 2nd, 80 in 3rd, and plenty in 4th - and that's just a warmed up 1098 engine. It can easily hold the 70 mph limit on the motorway. Rear suspension easily sits down on the bump stops - seems modern springs are made of chocolate and don't last too long. Main problem with the car is the thin tyres giving poor road grip - easily sorted with decent aftermarket wheels and wider tyres. If you can do the work yourself - then buying a project and renovating it yourself is probably the way to go, otherwise - buy a good (but perhaps not concours) example - and enjoy!

[stephenpolhill]

BMC, what is this about the diff. I have the standard 1098 engine and would like a bit more speed (ie happy at 70, not trying as hard as it is now). Can you give me any more info on that. Easy to fit? How much? Worth it?

THanks

[simmitc]

Just another thought about the saloon and load carrying - get a small trailer for the odd occasions when you need it, and just use the saloon when you don't. Upgrade if you want, fitting whatever options you prefer.

[ssnjimb]

I use my standard 1098 2 door saloon for every day use.

Even gets the odd motorway trip from Evesham to Wrexham to visit my g/f's grans

Works very well.

James

[charlie_morris_minor]

my 1300 A+ mated to the ital axle and ital gear box with dolly o/d would sit all day at 80mph and return 40 -45 on a long run.
but as mike says you will take a long time to recoup the costs on cheap drink especially with the poor exchange rate

[ssnjimb]

i only ever get 34 to the gallon

[jonathon]

Just to play devils advocate here, everything you want from you're 'modified 'traveller is available from the majority of good modern cars at a fraction of the cost. They will be more reliable, more economical, less poluting and generally nicer to drive, ie mod cons,air con, good ventilation,heating, comfort etc etc.
Now if you want a project /hobby and have a passion for Minors then I'd be the last to disuade you from this path.
I would not buy a project car, but buy the best standard one that you can find then modify this. That way you will be able to determine the quality of the mods you fit/have fitted. There are a lot of poor quality modified cars out there.
Travellers need a lot of maintenance (wood) and should really be garaged/ carport, which has a good flow of air through it
Just my thoughts

[Mick_Anik]

I haven't done it yet, but I plan to upgrade the demist system to get rid of all that winter condensation more effectively. I will be looking for a more powerful heater and fan assembly...... there's plenty of room under the dash.
My old Merc had cunningly-hidden flat plastic channels which fed hot air into the rear footwells, and I will try to achieve something along similar lines. Worth considering, I reckon.
Demist is obviously an important system. The heater core needs to be completely clean inside, and all the pipes up to the screen well-sealed, and possibly insulated to improve efficiency.
With an effective demist system in place, I'd be happy to use a Morris on a daily basis. With a poor system, on a wet, muggy day it can all be rather.......soggy .
In the future I expect to be driving about in temperatures of minus 15C in the depths of winter, on ice and snow. Not too far from home though - twenty miles max. A seasonal change over to winter tyres is the norm here.....the rubber does not go as hard as stone and makes it possible to drive in appalling conditions. You have to lay out for two sets of tyres, but it all levels out in the end. Luckily I have enough wheels to avoid having to actually change the tyres from one wheel to another each year.

What fun....can hardly wait! Apologies for the slight digression at the end.