Morris Minor Owners Club

Neil MG wrote:Here is the engine pretty much back together and painted.[frame][/frame]

Is the engine stand anything special ? ie did you have to make adaptor plates etc? and what make is it?

The engine stand is a Clarke 340kg. I didn't need to use an adapter plate, I managed to find suitable holes on this A-series engine and also on a B-series engine. I suppose that if you were to use it a lot for a specific type of engine it would make it more convenient to have a ready made plate.

Neil MG wrote:The engine stand is a Clarke 340kg. I didn't need to use an adapter plate, I managed to find suitable holes on this A-series engine and also on a B-series engine. I suppose that if you were to use it a lot for a specific type of engine it would make it more convenient to have a ready made plate.

Will look into a Clarke stand, did you just use the back plate mounting bolts?

PaulTubby wrote:

Neil MG wrote:The engine stand is a Clarke 340kg. I didn't need to use an adapter plate, I managed to find suitable holes on this A-series engine and also on a B-series engine. I suppose that if you were to use it a lot for a specific type of engine it would make it more convenient to have a ready made plate.

Will look into a Clarke stand, did you just use the back plate mounting bolts?

I used long 1/4", 5/16" or 3/8" bolts as appropriate and big washers that fitted through the mounting "fingers" into the engine. You have to fiddle about to get them to line up with suitable holes.

Neil MG wrote:

PaulTubby wrote:

Neil MG wrote:The engine stand is a Clarke 340kg. I didn't need to use an adapter plate, I managed to find suitable holes on this A-series engine and also on a B-series engine. I suppose that if you were to use it a lot for a specific type of engine it would make it more convenient to have a ready made plate.

Will look into a Clarke stand, did you just use the back plate mounting bolts?

I used long 1/4", 5/16" or 3/8" bolts as appropriate and big washers that fitted through the mounting "fingers" into the engine. You have to fiddle about to get them to line up with suitable holes.

Did you get the above bolts with the stand or sourced elsewhere? also machine mart don't seem to sell your model, they only have two listed
http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/searc ... and/page/1

A job that I had been looking forward to, although with some trepidation was the gutter. So here goes...[frame][/frame]
I cut out a square in one end to clear the roof to cab rubber, applied a bit of sealer and taped it in position. I then drilled a small 2mm pilot hole near both ends and pushed a couple of nails in just to hold in place .
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Working from the front I tapped the nail in with a hammer and punch before moving 3 or 4 inches, drilling and nailing down the car.[frame][/frame]
I taped the drill bit, both to set the depth and also to protect the soft aluminium moulding.[frame][/frame]

I still had the old gutter that I believe was the original fitted at the factory. I carefully noted the position and shape of the corner cut out.
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I transferred this onto the new one in pencil.
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I made up a little cutting tool from some small cut off discs that I had from a mini polishing kit.
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I suppose this is what a Dremmel is for...[frame][/frame]
I cut out the drain slot. I suppose it would have been just as easy (easier) to position the gutter, mark this and then cut off the car, but what the hey...[frame][/frame]

All very straightforward so far, and now the fun part, bending the gutter round and up...
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I nailed as I went and it was actually a lot easier than I imagined it should be
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The upper edge of the moulding kind of bends the wrong way and I wondered how I might bend it back the other way...
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However, I carried on fitting until both sides met in the middle (well at least a predetermined place, matching the original position as closely as possible)
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So that was the nailing done...[frame][/frame]

Now the part that I thought would be the most difficult. Tapping the top section down to cover the nails and form the finished gutter. I started very gingerly tapping my bit of wood with the hammer whilst moving along the gutter.
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Making sure I only moved the section a small amount along its length, very wary of causing dents or ripples, I was actually a little over cautious. It proved to be a lot easier than I thought.
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Even the corner tapped back smoothly without any sign of wanting to distort.
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I think the light makes the joint look more obvious than it appears in the flesh, but once the painting has been done it will be barely visible.
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The gutters matched up ok with the cab and all in all I am quite satisfied.
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So in conclusion, if anyone is considering this or wondering whether to or not, then go for it!

Meanwhile the rear doors are in the wood protection process...[frame][/frame]
The lower glass channels have been cleaned up[frame][/frame]
The wood and boards for the load bay floor have been repaired and painted[frame][/frame]
and the rear seat stripped for recovering

You made the gutters look easy! Excellent job, its not one I want to do again in a hurry though

wow! just wow! i've just read this thread start to finish and am seriously impressed, and jealous of your skill
if mine is half as good as this once it's done, i'll be over the moon!

Looking every nice. Can't wait to see it out on the road.

Wow, got a lot of catching up to do...
Here is the engine with piping and electrics started. The washer bottle is genuine Lucas new old stock, although you can get new reproductions that are probably just the same...[frame][/frame]
The rest of the wood is undergoing the same laborious process, I am double figures already for the number of coats. but it will be worth it.[frame][/frame]
I have also been working through the mountain of bits to refurbish, some simple stuff like glass channels[frame][/frame]
And some a bit trickier like head lamps[frame][/frame]
is this what is known as spidering on the reflector?[frame][/frame]
The optics on the reproduction lamps are not so good apparently and I would still want to fit the halogen bpf bulbs which are quite expensive. I really don't like the look of the new halogens either[frame][/frame]
So i swapped the lense onto the original glass, hey presto original look halogen lights![frame][/frame]

I had a problem with my seat base in that the wooden bar was missing. The one that goes across the back with the pegs on for the seat back in the folded position[frame][/frame]
Thanks to the forum I got a replacement (many thanks Fletch) in fact I got a complete seat. Unfortunately when I stripped it down the inside was corroded and in worse condition than my original. It looked and felt perfect until the cover was removed.[frame][/frame]
So I removed the wooden batten and moved it onto my seat base. This is the base with batten removed, I need to take another picture of the part fitted oops![frame][/frame]
Meanwhile back on the car the front suspension is in[frame][/frame]

Very nice job, car is looking great! I like how you've got the "dappled" stone chip coating effect under the wheel arches, which stone chip coat did you use??

If you don't mind me butting in, Hammerite do a stone chip that gives a mottled effect. it's called 'Stone chip shield' the same finish as the original floor.

I used the U-Pol Gravitex, but I have used others and i think they are pretty much all the same stuff. I did the whole underside after seam sealing all the edges and joints. I guess it acts as a seal, sound absorber and stone chip protection combined. I also used it inside the car as a sound deadening. I put several layers where the factory originally sprayed bitumen as a sound deadening, i.e. inside the doors, below the dash and the floor behind the rear seat.

I've never tried that one. I can get a similar effect with the Tetrosyl my local paint supplier sells but it seems to go on as a smoother layer necessitating moving the gun further back to get a slightly drier coat and give a textured finish rather than the smooth finish.

Haven't been posting enough here, but have been busy!

Engine bay nearing completion[frame][/frame]

Suspension and brakes[frame][/frame]

Lights[frame][/frame]

Electrics complete including this Retrosounds radio. This was the original factory position and works well. I used a longer bonnet release rod for convenience though.[frame][/frame]

I used Waxoyl on the back of everything! Also anti-seize on every fastener. I want it to last, but I also want to be able to take it apart if ever necessary![frame][/frame]

Carpets glued in. All the floor carpets are on clips and specially cut to allow removal without taking out the seats.[frame][/frame][frame]Trying to kill two birds with one stone here. I have used the insulation as a drip shield so I will not stick any plastic on.
[/frame][frame]Fitted the headlining. It seemed as if it would never be wrinkle free, then at the point of giving up I put the wood trims on and it all smoothed out!
[/frame][frame][/frame][frame]Sealing the gap between wings and body.
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I used a cream coloured sealant and it almost doesn't show. A quick touch in with paint and it will be invisible[frame][/frame]

Rear door hinges and gutter painting. I wonder how the factory did these? They were obviously painted after fitting, whereas the aluminium parts were painted before fitting. Probably, it was something like this? Albeit before the frame was fitted to the car[frame][/frame]