Morris Minor Owners Club

minor_hickup wrote: I have one, just tell them you restore cars. that's all I did, its for trade and 'enthusiastic amateurs'!

Apparently it's only for "enthusiastic amateurs" on a begrudging basis, and then only if said amateur is enthusiastic enough to spend £300+ a month (people who "only" spend 50 quid or so a month aren't worthy).

OK, so £300 a month is quite easy for just the normal service items at Halfords, but then that's why I don't generally buy anything there. And after this afternoons little conversation I think I'll be continuing to not buy from there, and instead get my parts from Partco (oh look, they're trade), the local factors when they'll haggle, and online.

As for the spring, look like when I get round to it I can attack it with a bit more of a clue thanks to the replies here

I have it as they're open until 8 most days and 6 on a sunday. I never need anything between 9 and 5! If you're ever down Tunbridge Wells way try there, they didn't ask for reciepts or anything!

Yes Partco are quite happy to give trade discount. If you know any employees at hellfrauds they can give you staff discount. But I find they never have any of the bits I need anyway - and their oil is just stupidly expensive !

I found myself tempted to ask for an application form while i was in there. I don't know whether it was the idea of discount, being unemployed or the stunning red-head serving me! I managed to resist.

My local Partco are the same they will sell to anyone at the counter, Europarts are also the same.

minor_hickup wrote:I found myself tempted to ask for an application form while i was in there. I don't know whether it was the idea of discount, being unemployed or the stunning red-head serving me! I managed to resist.

Knock down stick on tat, desperation and a harassment case don't seem like good reasons to get a job there to me

No at least I saw sense! Brilliant place for 'free' tool hire though. Just keep the reciept!

Fitted one rear spring today... And Satan would be shopping for winter sports supplies before that pin was ever going to drift out.

Maybe if there was actually room between car bodywork and pin end to swing a very large hammer it would have shifted eventually (probably taking the hanger with it), but the interference fit in the plate was just a solid mass of rust. So off came the small bolts and away it all went (luckily the car came with a new fitting kit as well as springs, though I noticed washers obviously aren't considered worth including)

The new rubber bushes are complete crud unfortunately, so the whole lot will have to come apart again in the near future to replace those with something resembling useful parts. But I used plenty of copper grease so it shouldn't be a two hour several tool naffo dremelalike (it never spins up properly, cut out twice today and crackles and sparks all the time, and has done so since I bought it 4 months ago - The sooner it fails enough to get a replacement the better) cutting nightmare of a job when that happens...

I bought an adjustable pin spanner on eBay for a few quid - turned out I didn't need it! The nuts unscrewed perfectly, and the plates likewise came off relatively easily, I just needed to unscrew the small nuts. The front plate bolt was easily jammed from moving by wedging in a screwdriver. The pins then hammered out easily, leaving the nuts on to protect the threads. Everything had been coated with a still pliable underseal, so I was lucky I guess!

I took my rear springs off recently. I had to cut the big 'U' bolts off as the nuts were not going to budge for love nor money. Then as with everyone else it was just the front spring hanger. To get the plate off after getting the two screws out I hammered around with a screw driver to create a gap between plate and hanger, then I had to use a cold chisel to get it all moving. No need for any special tool, hanger has now been well and truly de-rusted and cleaned out and painted.... it looks lovely now!

It's great reading posts and realising everyone is having the same nightmare.