Onne's old minor

[Alex'n'Ane]

I am the lucky owner of the 1950 dutch lowlight that was originally owned by onne, and I believe has been through the hands of a few others since. She's currently sat in the garage, along with all the repairs panels. She's unfortunately missing a few key parts, engine, box, and whole front end, along with other bits such as roof lining, lhd gauge panels, etc etc. The initial plan is just to get her all welded up and solid, and collect the bits I need along the way. I know the wings are available still (fg or later ones modified), but I am after some of the more awkward parts such as the front panel, and headlamp bowls, etc. So if anyone has something please do send us a pm She's currently sat on a rather nice set of white walls (seems a shame as she wont be on the road for a while), and the doors, rear wings and glass are stored inside the car [frame][/frame]

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Hi Alex, I have a set of left hand drive glove box lids/dashpanels tho they are missing the gauges and badge. Are you planning to convert to rhd or keep as is? Let me know if you need them.

[chickenjohn]

Looks like a nice project, why did Onne sell it?? He seemed very keen on Minors at the time.

[mike.perry]

Could you let me have the chassis no. so that I can update the records. Thanks

[Alex'n'Ane]

Pm sent Does anyone have any idea how many dutch built lowlights there still are around?

[wimor]

In the club we have 19 MM owners, but I don’t know how many lowlights.
I know that he Dutch Morris Minor club archivist have the complete production data of the Molenaar’s factory. At request , he can check the chassis number. When you are interested in a check please send me a email and I will send on it to him.

See the Molenaar factory on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqW2Bt9Qrq0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=507hLoHySUE

[Alex'n'Ane]

Thankyou very much, interesting videos I never quite understood why some were shipped over as bits then assembled. Thanks for the offer, I will send you an email at a later date with all the info I have on the car too.

[RobThomas]

Hey. I recognise that shell.

The interior has gone into our lowlight tourer and the rest of the bits are here as spares for our other cars. IIRC, it came with the chassis plate but no numbeplate since I had to lighten the load when I dragged the shell back home so quite a few unuseable bits (LHD etc) were ditched. I let it go to another owner for free so that the shell wouldn't get scrapped. There may now be a few bits going spare since I've completed the structural bodywork and have spent a bit of time on the smaller items. I think I have the lowlight boot latch mechanism here and the lower part of it was left on the shell by accident. Can't recall if the original bootlid was there but I know the doors were dumped since they were in an awful state with terminal rot in the upper frames. The original engine and box are here but they were rebuilt (pistons, cams, valves etc etc) so is quite an expensive proposition to get me to part with it. (Sorry)
I haven't finished the rebuild of Onne's grille panel, yet.

Rob[frame][/frame]

[Alex'n'Ane]

That makes sense. The number plate is NOH 04663 (dutch) It has some decent doors with it now, although its missing the door tops I am assured they are the same as the later models? It also has no boot lid, are these different from the later ones? (except the badge holes) pm sent about some bits.

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

The original type door tops are different but the later ones will fit, the ones fitted to my lowlight were really rusty and I fitted a stainless pair from a traveller with no probs.

[RobThomas]

Bootlid is specific to early cars. Hole for latch is different (higher up), as is the mounting area for the latch.

Here are the early, mid then late catches.[frame][/frame]

[mike.perry]

Despite having a local 1948 Series MM to study, and having opened the boot to look at the lock I had not realised that the boot lock handle was higher up. The boot lid prop is of course different on the later lids but I suppose that it could be swapped.
Is it OK if I add your photo to my library?

[RobThomas]

Sure!

[rayofleamington]

Looks like a nice project, why did Onne sell it?? He seemed very keen on Minors at the time.

He is still keen on Minors and came on this year's MOT UK. Reasons for selling are pretty simple and certainly understandable, and I'm sure he'll be rebuilding his fleet at some point in the future.