Woodwork preservation and front doors

[LiselottesTraveller]

Hello,
I´m a new member of the MMOC and a happy owner of a Morris Minor Traveller from 1965. I just bought it, and it really needs a lot of Love and Care !!
It is going to be totally restored in our garage as an autumn/winter/spring project.
The woodwork is so rotten that the major parts of it goes to pieces just touching it.
I have ordered completely new woodwork from the UK which will soon be arriving to Sweden, and my first question is

1/ Which is the best way too preserve the new wood? What are your experiences?

My second question is
2/ Can you recommend any comfortable front seats from other cars that will fit in the Traveller?
( I must be able to fold them ) Maybe Ford Ka, Ford Fiesta, or others ? (We´ll keep the sofa in the rear )

Much grateful for reply
Kind regards from LiselottesTraveller Sweden

[King Kenny]

Hi and welcome. It is always good to hear from world wide owners.
I have owned my Traveller for 44 years and have replaced the wood twice. My rear doors are now falling apart but the wood on the rest of the body is discoloured but solid. The car has been kept outside all year and used virtually every day until I retired from work.
In my experience the wood is not expected to last for more that ten years unless the car is never used outside. The only thing you can do is slow the deterioration down.
I painted all hidden areas with aluminium paint. Used a good rubberized sealer (not Dum-Dum) in all the wood to metal joints. Coated the exterior wood with a 50/50 matt varnish and white spirit mix followed by two top coats of good quality clear varnish.
I found the biggest problem was with the sliding side windows. There is no sensible way to stop water getting into the joints and start the rotting progress. The drain holes are good at putting the damp deep into the wood. What I did was to replace the two sliding panes of glass with a single piece of toughened glass. This was sealed to the wood frame and prevents any water ingress.
In my opinion you just have to accept that the new wood will rot at some point. The kiln dried Ash is like a sponge and it was never intended to last more than ten years. Who would have thought that a 1969 Traveller would still be around over 50 years latter.
Good luck with your restoration and be encouraged with the thought of how good it will look when you have replaced the wood.
Can't comment on seats.

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[simmitc]

Welcome, I hope that you have loads of fun with your Traveller. You have asked the question that always generates much debate - put ten Traveller owners in a room and ask for the best treatment for the wood, and you will get at least 12 different answers

O don;t know what products are available in Sweden, bit my thoughts are to thoroughly soak the new timber in a clear wood preserver. Let it really soak, but then let it dry before trying to apply a top finish. Fill any holes or troughs, particularly at the ends of the waist rail (don't fill the drainage holes!).

Avoid a hard varnish that will crack and trap water. If you need the car for everyday use then Burgess Wood sealer is a breathable finish and can even be applied to wet wood. An oil is a good preserver, but needs regular replenishment. Deks Ole gives a good finish but needs a lot of work - up to 15 coats last time I read the tin. Osmo offer some good products. Sorry, there's no "right" answer, just lots of options.

I fitted copper tube lining to all the drain holes, sealed in with epoxy, and this seems to have prevents water entering the wood via that route.

[dudload]

welcome!

i replaced the wood on my traveller 9 years ago - it's kept outside at all times, although covered with a waterproof cover whenever it's forecast to rain (so 70% of the year!)

no sign of rot that i can see yet and the wood is still nice and bright.

It was initially treated with multiple drench coats of cuprinol 5 star and then multiple coats of sikkens oil. I then give it a light sand and give it multiple coats of osmo UK oil every year - seems to have done the job so far!

[LiselottesTraveller]

Thank you all for your replies !
I can see that there are many options !

[Chipper]

I fitted copper tube lining to all the drain holes, sealed in with epoxy, and this seems to have prevents water entering the wood via that route.

That's a great idea! I have generally just applied sufficient Cuprinol/varnish so that it coats the inside of the drain holes, and try to keep them regularly cleared. Last time I used Sikkens Microporous, which has lasted about 7 years or so now, compared to previous attempts with yacht varnish that would only last a couple of years at the most.