Morris Minor Owners Club

You have done a lovely job David and a credit to you and a good read also

Thank you very much, it's very satisfying sharing all of this. Today was another record for the Pickup, I drove her to The Tank Museum in Bovington near wareham in Dorset, no problems whatsoever, I'm running out of records to beat, she feels like she could travel the continent.[frame][/frame]

we travelled through four counties, Sussex, Hampshire, Wiltshire and into Beautiful Dorset. I was mainly on the M27 motorway, she felt happier and more stable doing 60 rather than 50mph where she grumbles a little. She could do 70mph easily but I'm not keen on speeds that high with Drums for brakes. stopped for checks of course, a slight water top up and away she went, happy and fit for the road.[frame][/frame]

feels like she could travel the continent

sounds like a challenge!

Drum brakes aren't inherently inferior -- in fact, I'm given to understand that many eighteen-wheelers (that is, lorries) have drums (though of course many of those use air-actuated brakes rather than hydraulic ones). What's scary is that the Minor's drums are kinda small. If you could find a larger set, like those Wolseley ones that BMC is always on about, then Alice could stop in a pin-drop.

The comparison shot with the tank really makes Alice look tiny!

Hi, Fin, yes the drums on my Alice are standard size, I like keeping it original where I can, the brakes in original configuration are more than adequate for normal motoring, I don't think 70mph is an acceptable speed for a 44 year old morris Minor, I only got up that fast for a moment just to see if she could get there, and she did. I can't see me uprating the brakes, they are fine for sensible use.[frame][/frame]

The Horn press has a broken outer ring, they are going for silly money at the moment, a good condition one on fleabay can go as high as 40 quid and more. So for the time being I'm keeping Alice's original broken one going. Ive Araldited the parts together and held them and the spring with clothes pegs till the glue hardened. Now Ive used Milliput to fill the depressions in the joints, when it chemically dries I'll touch it in with Humbrol Enamel paint.[frame][/frame]

with a black enamel paint touch up it's an improvment, with a bit of plastic polish when it's dry to blend it all together it'll be ok, at least until I get a fairer priced replacement. Next, glove box liners to hide all the wiring, then the heater final connection phase.[frame][/frame]

The driver's side glovebox is far easier to install with the steering wheel out of the way -- but you may get away with it, considering the steering wheel only has two spokes! It's devilishly hard with the three-spoke wheel.

Fin you were dead right, with the two spoked steering wheel, fitting the gloveboxs was a piece of cake. All that wire work hidden from view. Very pleased with how this looks now.
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Next up was the heater hoses, had to take a break to take Harry to the flicks to see "the Avengers assembly" then right back into the garage on my return home this afternoon. Got the hoses fitted.[frame][/frame]

connected up the heater push button to the dash, the final original piece, quite a moment.[frame][/frame]

brand new tap of course, the old one was glooped up and corroded, the cable is connected, but needs final adjustment[frame][/frame]

Looking good David. Looking at the plastic end caps on your heater fascia, you might want to try using a permanent broad tipped black marker to re-colour these if they look a bit faded. It's a bit unorthodox but it does seem to work well on bakelite and older plastic. Once its dry, you can polish with a soft cloth and it certainly lifts the look of tired plastic. Try it first on your spare heater if you want or on the inside face of the shroud where it won't be seen if you decide it doesn't look right.

David
With the new heater tap, I'd push the outer sheath of the cable just a little further in.So that the outer sheath protrudes
pass the clamp.It appears that the inner cable is "rubbing" on the clamp at present and will eventually fray the cable prematurely.A light dab of grease where the inner cable exits wouldn't do any harm and give you a smooth action when the cable is pulled.
The little "finishing touches" are the icing on the cake for a top notch restoration.You've well and truly earnt your spurs.
Bob

It shouldn't fray as it's a solid wire cable but pushing the outer along, as mentioned, would let the inner clear the clamp, although I've wondered if the 'ridge' in the middle of the clamp is where the outer cable is suppose to end. Maybe another way to stop the inner rubbing would be to simply put a set in the cable.

Thanks for pointing that out gents, Ive moved the cable in further to clear the clamp, a blob of grease will help things along as Bob mentioned.[frame][/frame]

Ive created a slight hitch back here where the heater tap cable pinches against the battery box, I may have to find a rubber stopper there to prevent vibration fraying the outer cable, or re site it.
I took her out for a test run today (any excuse to drive her) to see if the heater works, slight "nip up" (Bobism) to the jubilee clips to prevent coolant loss, even without the heater motor going, warm air was blowing into the cab and onto the windscreen, result. Wish I'd had this fixed for the Bovington trip the other week, my hands got cold then.
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Probably should have a grommet around the cable where it passes through the bulkhead, too. Any of that stuff can be damaged by vibration and chafing.

Slide a short length of rubber tube over the heater cable to ease the rubbing as well as the grommet.