Morris Minor 1956 Series II

[Jonathan1967]

Advice needed for novice.

Yesterday I purchased a 1956 Series II Morris Minor from a classic car dealer. The car has undergone a major restoration and rebuild engine, still 803 cc and not upgraded engine.

As I drove away from the car dealer the minor did feel underpowered, i wasnt sure if this was normal. I have never driven one before.

[kennatt]

regardless of warrantee or otherwise.the dealer can be held responsible under the sale of goods act,if the car is not fit for use,which it clearly isn't.It could be just something simple,it sounds like a fuel supply problem. Get back in touch with the dealer and see what he is prepared to do,see what his attitude is.They should sort it out if they are a reputable dealer. If they fob you off,just mention trading standards,see what that does.
I wouldnt do anything yourself yet,see what the dealer says,it could be that they are unaware of the fault,and would gladly sort it out for you.
The standard 850 should easily do 55 on the flat,allthough it is underpowered on hills,but if it has been rebuilt as you say then should do better than 20 uphill. Welcolm to the world of minors and the forum where you will get better advice on here than from any modern day mechanic,including the AA. A new tank,yes ok if its leaking.Don't think so for the fault you describe,more likely a clogged up filter in the fuel pump. Car looks nice. Good luck

[bmcecosse]

As above - and well done the AA man for even attempting a repair! Did you not have a good test drive before buying the car?? 803 Minors ARE miserably slow - so much so that they can hold up traffic and give Minors in general a bad name - unless driven with consideration of course. The tank may be shedding rust internally - and as mentioned above - this could be dragged through and clogging the filter in the fuel pump. Indeed -do nothing till the dealer agrees -although they are likely to say 'bring it back and we will look at it' - which is not much good to you. You can test the pump flow by taking the hose off the carb - direct it into a can, and pump through a couple of pints of fuel -measuring how long that takes. It should manage a pint every two minutes. If the flow is not good - or the pumping is erratic - the filter could be removed and cleaned - it is in the base of the pump and is a little gauze tube. If you don't have a workshop manual - PM me.

[Jonathan1967]

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[smithskids]

bmcecosse is right, do the simple tests then you will know where you stand and it will help when talking to the dealer. When I met my wife she had an Austin A30 and it used to stop now and again in the most awkward places. when we eventually found the problem, some one in the past had left the petrol filler cap off or lost it and put a rolled up newspaper in to plug the hole until they got a new cap. needless to say it was in the bottom of the tank and sometimes covered th filter suction over and the car stopped. Off course after investigating the stoppage and starting up again the paper fell away from the suction pipe and it ran OK until the next time.It always seemed to happen when I was home on leave, maybe it was the way we used to throw the car round corners chasing Morris Minors!!!

[Jonathan1967]

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[John.n]

still faster than a tractor!

[LouiseM]

Welcome to the messageboard Jonathan I spotted the car on ebay and it does seem as though you've just got some rusty crud from the petrol tank clogging up the filter rather than a serious problem - hopefully the dealer will be helpful in sorting it out for you. You mention stopping to fill up with petrol - was it driving OK initially and just started to misfire etc after the tank had been run low?

As said, the 803cc Minor isn't the best powered but it will get you from A to B eventually. Look on the bright side, you probably got home quicker on the AA tow truck than if you had driven back

You can upgrade the engine but you would also then need to think about upgrading the gearbox, running gear, brakes etc. London traffic isn't particularly fast so you might find that the 803cc engine is fine for your use if you don't intend on driving it daily.

[beero]

Welcome to the forum, a lovely looking car (like the colour)
I'm sure it is something simple and when sorted you will love driving it.

[Jonathan1967]

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[Jonathan1967]

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[bmcecosse]

Under revs ?? There is a BIG gap between 3rd and 4th on these early 803 gearboxes - you need to rev hard in 3rd gear before going for 4th. Likewise on the downshift - you should double-de-clutch, giving the engine a good rev in neutral before popping 3rd gear in. Again - the revs will be a LOT higher in 3rd than they were in 4th......and these early gearboxes have very weak syncromesh and need all the help you can give them. A common upgrade is to fit the 948 gearbox which has better ratios (but still the same weak syncro) - while still retaining the long pudding stirrer gear lever.

[Jonathan1967]

Thanks for the advise. If I wanted to upgrade the engine etc, what would be the best one to go for? How much would this type of job cost?

[bmcecosse]

Just get the thing running correctly - and then see if you want to change the engine and / or gearbox..... You could pick up a working 948 engine and box for as little as £50/£100 - and swap them in a day. You would also need to change the rear axle final drive ratio - and the speedometer....

[liammonty]

Changing to the running gear from an early Minor 1000 (1956-1962), with a 948 cc engine is the best bet, in my opinion, and is what I did when my 803 cc engine went pop. No issues with insurance and brakes then, as the SII cars have the same size brakes as the 948 cars (smaller than the later 1098 cars though on the front). 948 engine is sweet, much tougher and more 'powerful', and you get a higher final drive too, meaning more comfortable cruising. ~You will also be able to keep your 'magic wand' gear lever, which is different to those in the later cars, with relatively simple mods using a 948 gearbox.

The cost depends on how much of it you do yourself. I did all the work myself, and sourced all the bits from a Morris specialist (second hand) for £175, about 6 years ago. If you use recon bits though, you could spend a fortune!

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Seeing as the car already has later rear wings and indicator/sidelamp assemblies, then a 948 would be the way to go as suggested.

The 803 does sometimes like to faff about, and after some extensive tests I am putting this down to one, or a combination of 3 things: crap manifolding, a poor edition of the SU carburrettor or modern petrol being more susceptible to vapourisation.

Generally speaking, once up to speed they are happy to hold 45 MPH all day. In traffic the acceleration doesn't matter too much.

I hope you keep an eye on the oil pressure which is of vital importance to these engines.

[des1957]

my Morris is identical to yours, same color, year and engine, i also find it reduces speed when i am going up a hill.
i remember when i was learning to drive in one many years ago, my instructor used to tell me as soon as i spot a hill i must soon build up my speed before i get there.
and leave it in 3rd gear till i pass the hill.
also when you change gears, try not to go straight from one gear to another. like you do with new cars.
i always go back to natural every time i change gears, then you don,t hear a crunch notice. it used to happen every time i changed gears.

[Jonathan1967]

Thanks for the advice, your Morris looks very good, Do you just use yours for use in town?
Thanks for the tip about picking up speed prior to a hill, I will try that.

my Morris is identical to yours, same color, year and engine, i also find it reduces speed when i am going up a hill.
i remember when i was learning to drive in one many years ago, my instructor used to tell me as soon as i spot a hill i must soon build up my speed before i get there.
and leave it in 3rd gear till i pass the hill.
also when you change gears, try not to go straight from one gear to another. like you do with new cars.
i always go back to natural every time i change gears, then you don,t hear a crunch notice. it used to happen every time i changed gears.[frame][/frame]

[bmcecosse]

Here's a 948 for £10 - if you are quick.... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271166183465? ... 1423.l2649

[Jonathan1967]

Thanks for the ebay link, I missed it though as I didnt see your mesage. It went for 16 pounds.