Astral Traveller

[a.james.morris]

Cheers mate, be nice to see it back on the road again! I owned a V8 green morris minor 4 years ago but i have a 2 door 56 split screen bog standard now.

[plastic_orange]

Well, I bought it. Don't know what I'm going to do with it yet - join the queue?

Pete

[motherofgod]

Wicked, couldn't have gone to a better place, now I know there's a queue but will you bring it back to glory or put your mark on it
highly jealous you now have 3 V8 minors!

James

[plastic_orange]

When I get it home, I'll give it a good look over (not seen it for 30 years), then I'll have a go at freeing engine off, then hopefully get it started. I aim to try and return it to how it looked back in the 70's (still friendly with one of the original builders). My mate Bob will probably do the spraying, and I'll sort out the rest. Oh, and fill in the sunroof

pete

[heathy12]

What a let down......its a Saloon!

Was expecting a full blown traveller there!

Well done Pete, if your ever clearing and projects to make room drop us a line!

[ratrodmog]

Pete, I'm really glad that this has gone to a good home and what a bargain . Please post up some good pics when you have time as I would love to see this beast again. Also I'm glad you are going to be restoring it back to it's former glory.
Cheers
Ben

[mrgreg]

Well done Pete, Its nice to know that it gone to a good home and will get restored. Will keep an eye out for updates. Good luck Greg

[plastic_orange]

Here's the pics of the uplift from the Smiths near Alford. They had the car for around 22 years, and only realised the history of the car when they put it on Ebay. As far as I am aware, it only saw the road illegally when taken for test drives, and was never used as it was intended. The owner (Doug) bought it in Inverness with a Rover V8 loosely fitted. He then fitted a 302 which he purchased from London, and got the car running and ready for MOT. However, he never actually took that final step, and the car was driven into his garage and left.
Fast forward a few house moves and the car recently lost it's inside storage,hence it's sale. I bought it in the ebay auction, and having known about the car from it's first build by Dunc Wood and George Watt, was eager to get it home. Big thanks go to Bob Falconer ( http://www.bobfalconer.co.uk ) for his transport and words of encouragement
Here's the pics and some narrative of where I am with it now.

PO

Uplift


Useful towing vehicle - a Ha**ey I think







Angie saying goodbye




Home





Interior was rather damp, and the smell was pretty ripe. I ripped out the sound deadening on the floor, and remants of mice/rats.









Dead something or other



Floor cleaned up - just surface rust - no holes


Engine is seized (solid) so I will be pouring diesel down the bores to see if they will free off. I lifted the rocker covers and 3 rockers were displaced off the valve :?









Diff etc seems ok (E type), and other than the spring mounts (too high) seems pretty well fitted




Boot area is very clean - boot lid is almost mint











View from Muj





View of Muj




I couldn't put on any weight as the space between the wheel and seat is very tight

[plastic_orange]

A few things I've noticed about the car with my look about today - the paintwork is not the original Honda Candy Red, but from a distance it's close.
The underside is still in good order, but plenty surface rust to clean off. Original bonnet with all the mouldings will have to go - it's damaged and I never liked that anyway. My son says he wants it, so his one will be getting sold when I get it fixed
I'd forgotten it had electric windows, and hadn't realised the westminster front end (de clipped) was connected to a minor rack - steering is super heavy.
The previous owner had never inflated the tyres in 20 years - fronts were 5 psi, rears 10.
The furry headlining is full of spiders
The wings are steel with the addition of self made fibreglass mouldings to form the extensions - I thought they were all glass.
Door gaps are still perfect - panels are all good (apart from bonnet). Don't know why the headlights have strange spot lights grafted in place of the originals.
I think I'll be taking the engine out to find out why it's seized, and as there was a core plug lying under it, I'll have to look for it's home
I'll post on progress - (other stuff may have to wait)

Pete

[Jefftav]

This looks amazing PO hope you can get the engine freed off. There has been an amazing amount of work put in to this Morris already, best of luck with your project.

[plastic_orange]

Just spent an hour on the phone with Dunc Wood (original co-builder) who said the reason for the size of trans tunnel was to fit a Jag V12. They couldn't find one at a reasonable price, so used the Ford V8.
I'm going to take the body off the chassis soon - before i remove engine, then I'll get things blasted. Front suspension is seized, so I think I'll renew - Dunc said the geometry was all wrong anyway.
Dunc also said when he had the car back in his garage for refurbishment in the late 70's/early 80's that custom car came up to do a revival story on the car.

PO

[plastic_orange]

I originally thought about returning it to as it was, but my intention is to put the car on the road - it was really built just for show.
I will therefore sensitively up date it.
Here's the CC article:






I've been busy today preparing to lift the body off. It is fixed in 8 places with a total of 28 bolts. To access the bolts I've had to remove the interior (it's absolutely stinking), and I've lubed the main bolts - half are now out - easily.
I've also removed most of the dash, as behind it is a mountain of rat's crap :shock: My son was helping today - he WILL be busy
All the switches pictured earlier are wired up :? , but I'll be re doing the whole lot, so it will all be coming out.
I also put duct tape round sunroof and front screen to stop water ingress.



Pics:

3 mounting bolts here



3 here too



Seats out and carpets too in order to access rear bolts - note the rear seat (ahem) area - beneath this is the diff and servo





Purple seat anyone?



Or 2



Rear cover off








Dash top coming out - was held on with 3 hinges to flip up - clever






Off



Spaghetti junction



RAT manure dump :shock:




Carpets out





It's smelling a bit nicer now

More tomorrow hopefully

[twincamman]

That's survived extremely well.

[plastic_orange]

Todays update:

Took a few pics before it gets too dismantled, then proceeded to remove all the wiring - I really had to as it was covered in rat crap.
Dash is now out and things are looking a bit clearer. Rain stopped play 15 minutes ago, so tomorrow may see the reamaining chassis bolts removed.
Tidied up under bonnet area too.

PO

Pair of lard asses















A bit of a mess











A bit tidier





The switch bank




Dash



G for George (builder)



Rain stopped play

[Jefftav]

PO I think we had the same shower of rain as I had to come in as well. Out of interest (I'll apologise now if it's obvious) do you know why it was called an "Astarl Traveller"?

Hope you lablelled all the wires

[plastic_orange]

Aparantly it's because of a light that used to be fitted on the roof. It's long gone thankfully, but someone put a dodgy sunroof in it's place (will be filled in).
Wiring was actually very neat - and labelled, but such was the under dash mess (rat crap and nests ) I decided to rip the lot out and will make a new dash and simplify the wiring.

Pete

[Kevin]

Lined up like that they look a good pair.

[Alex'n'Ane]

I agree, very jealous of your two machines Following eagerly.

[plastic_orange]

Rain stopped play today.
I'm getting a bit of stick from my mates because my original Minor V8 project is still lying in my garage

see here:

http://www.minormania.com/smf/index.php?topic=278.0

[plastic_orange]

Another productive day. Scot came up and we removed all the body mounting bolts, steering column etc to facilitate body off.
Only downside is that engine is goosed - water ingress in 2 cylinders, so it's totally seized. I reckon there is also water in the sump too. The new dual point dizzi cannot be removed either due to corosion I reckon.
If only the previous owner had put a plastic bag over the carb.

PO

Removing electric window mechanism







Body bolts coming out



Separated



Jag IRS with spacers



Spacers out and suspension dropped



2 inches lower



Tank out



Inlet off - check out the crud



1 head off - looking good



Other head off - looking :shock:



willing helper



Willing helpers



Stuck dizzi