Morris Minor Owners Club

Mervin wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 4:05 pm Whether it was changed on later Minors, the ignition key letters and numbers are stamped on the visible front of my ignition switch.
Remove the following if it's against the rules, but it's easy to start my car from under the bonnet. That depends, of course, if a door can be opened and knowing where the bonnet release is!
I had a new clutch fitted two years ago and I received a phone call asking how the bonnet is opened!

I would hope that without the cut off fob, Nell could not be started from under the bonnet
I mean I think there would be some kind of override incase the fob failed.. but you would need tools for that… and time. Wouldn’t be a quick jump in and drive away

Don't worry yourself over thinking it and worrying. Any vehicle from the latest computer filled cars to good old moggy can be easily stolen with the right knowledge and equipment. On the news tonight they were discussing signal blockers that cut out surveillance cameras and doorbell cameras. Any obvious deterrent will help with opportunistic joy riders but nothing can stop the professional car thief.

Bill is right, same with the ‘extras’ fitted, enjoy the car, it should give good service.

Funny because our modern car is worth more money but I have never once worried about it getting stolen, I suppose it’s a bit different with moggies, they are more like family members than cars!
But yes you’re right, no point over thinking and worrying about it

Good deal with free delivery on Amazon if you're interested.
No connection to me

Bill_qaz wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 8:51 pm Good deal with free delivery on Amazon if you're interested.
No connection to me
Screenshot_20260116-204759_Amazon Shopping.jpg

Ooh handy thanks, will keep in mind. There was another little gizmo someone shared on here, think that was eBay. A friend of mine has something similar which he’s going to give me to try so will see how that works out too!

the more things in the way may make a thief go elsewhere,

mrs.smith2012 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 8:36 pm Funny because our modern car is worth more money but I have never once worried about it getting stolen, I suppose it’s a bit different with moggies, they are more like family members than cars!
But yes you’re right, no point over thinking and worrying about it

It's just that our Minors have very low security as standard so a bit of extra security makes us feel better. As the owner of a convertible I have always said it is about as secure as a paper bag and it makes no difference whether the top is up or down!

Stephen

svenedin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 1:09 am

mrs.smith2012 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 8:36 pm Funny because our modern car is worth more money but I have never once worried about it getting stolen, I suppose it’s a bit different with moggies, they are more like family members than cars!
But yes you’re right, no point over thinking and worrying about it

It's just that our Minors have very low security as standard so a bit of extra security makes us feel better. As the owner of a convertible I have always said it is about as secure as a paper bag and it makes no difference whether the top is up or down!

Stephen

Haha ‘as secure as a paper bag’ I like it

bobtail4x4 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 10:22 pm the more things in the way may make a thief go elsewhere,

Yes, considering she’s parked outside our window under a camera I don’t think anyone would risk it unless they can do it fast…. So I won’t make it easy for them!

svenedin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 1:09 am

mrs.smith2012 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 8:36 pm Funny because our modern car is worth more money but I have never once worried about it getting stolen, I suppose it’s a bit different with moggies, they are more like family members than cars!
But yes you’re right, no point over thinking and worrying about it

It's just that our Minors have very low security as standard so a bit of extra security makes us feel better. As the owner of a convertible I have always said it is about as secure as a paper bag and it makes no difference whether the top is up or down!

Stephen

There is a school of thought that it's better to leave a convertible's doors unlocked. That may prevent the roof being slashed to gain entry. Of course you then need a good immobiliser/alarm. Plus this philosophy might not cut the ice with your insurers

mike1864 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 10:47 am

svenedin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 1:09 am

mrs.smith2012 wrote: ↑Fri Jan 16, 2026 8:36 pm Funny because our modern car is worth more money but I have never once worried about it getting stolen, I suppose it’s a bit different with moggies, they are more like family members than cars!
But yes you’re right, no point over thinking and worrying about it

It's just that our Minors have very low security as standard so a bit of extra security makes us feel better. As the owner of a convertible I have always said it is about as secure as a paper bag and it makes no difference whether the top is up or down!

Stephen

There is a school of thought that it's better to leave a convertible's doors unlocked. That may prevent the roof being slashed to gain entry. Of course you then need a good immobiliser/alarm. Plus this philosophy might not cut the ice with your insurers

I absolutely agree with you. I see no purpose in putting the roof up if the weather is fine because it is simply no obstacle to theft at all and as you say, the roof can be slashed so easily. However, it is unlikely the insurer would see it that way. I keep nothing in the cabin of the car whatsoever for that reason.

I wonder what the insurer would say to roof down but Disklock fitted?

When the car comes back from some bodywork I am going to fit a hidden switch that interrupts power to the coil. This is much safer than interrupting power to the fuel pump. The car simply will not start at all.

Stephen

A friend had the switch in the pump feed of his Morris 1100. When his wife rang him at work to say the car had disappeared off their drive, he told her to walk a few hundred yards up the road, where she indeed found it, abandoned; now with an empty float chamber.
As I'd mentioned upthread, make sure that the switch is rated to carry the 4+ inductive (ie sparky) Amps that both the pump and/or the coil take. Personally I'd invoke a heavy duty multipole changeover relay. With that you could even get really clever and wire the gauge to read Empty. So the thief might give you some petrol before (hopefully) giving up.

I absolutely agree with you. I see no purpose in putting the roof up if the weather is fine because it is simply no obstacle to theft at all and as you say, the roof can be slashed so easily. However, it is unlikely the insurer would see it that way. I keep nothing in the cabin of the car whatsoever for that reason.

I wonder what the insurer would say to roof down but Disklock fitted?

For much of my working life I was an insurance broker and the advice (and sometimes even a policy condition) from insurance companies, was often to leave any cash registers ajar with a small amount of cash in, rather than locked and empty. Obviously, the thinking was that the the cost of replacing a jemmied empty register far outweighed the loss of a £50 float and a still intact register. The additional potential benefit was that the ne'er do wells would be satisfied with a quick and easy 'win' and not hang about to smash the place up looking for cash that may or may not be there anyway.

The same principle applies to whether to lock a convertible or not. It might be worth convertible owners speaking to their insurers BEFORE any potential theft claim, to clarify the insurance company's stance. If the answer is what you want to hear, get them to put it in writing and keep a copy with your policy document. Hopefully, you'll never need it.......but just in case!

mike1864 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 11:39 am A friend had the switch in the pump feed of his Morris 1100. When his wife rang him at work to say the car had disappeared off their drive, he told her to walk a few hundred yards up the road, where she indeed found it, abandoned; now with an empty float chamber.
As I'd mentioned upthread, make sure that the switch is rated to carry the 4+ inductive (ie sparky) Amps that both the pump and/or the coil take. Personally I'd invoke a heavy duty multipole changeover relay. With that you could even get really clever and wire the gauge to read Empty. So the thief might give you some petrol before (hopefully) giving up.

I had a pal in my early years in the RAF (mid 70s), who had brought a Triumph Toledo or perhaps a Dolomite from another RAF guy.
There was an aircraft electrical socket under the glove box, through which key circuits had been routed.
When leaving the car, the plug with the matching connections was simply removed and put in the pocket; so no switch that someone might stumble upon, just this to puzzle them.. ...

It might be instructive to sound out the views of insurers who are willing to provide cover for open vehicles such as Mini Mokes, Beach Buggies etc.

geoberni wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 12:37 pm

mike1864 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 11:39 am A friend had the switch in the pump feed of his Morris 1100. When his wife rang him at work to say the car had disappeared off their drive, he told her to walk a few hundred yards up the road, where she indeed found it, abandoned; now with an empty float chamber.
As I'd mentioned upthread, make sure that the switch is rated to carry the 4+ inductive (ie sparky) Amps that both the pump and/or the coil take. Personally I'd invoke a heavy duty multipole changeover relay. With that you could even get really clever and wire the gauge to read Empty. So the thief might give you some petrol before (hopefully) giving up.

I had a pal in my early years in the RAF (mid 70s), who had brought a Triumph Toledo or perhaps a Dolomite from another RAF guy.
There was an aircraft electrical socket under the glove box, through which key circuits had been routed.
When leaving the car, the plug with the matching connections was simply removed and put in the pocket; so no switch that someone might stumble upon, just this to puzzle them.. ...
Socket.JPG

Again in the 1970's these KPT series were common in the BBC for connecting wheelable mini-racks to studio wallboxes ; more robust than Varicons. But it needs a special tool to crimp the individual conductors.
It would have been a bulky blind plug for your pal to keep in his pocket though. Did colleagues always think he was just pleased to see them?
But I digress

mike1864 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 17, 2026 2:31 pm

Again in the 1970's these KPT series were common in the BBC for connecting wheelable mini-racks to studio wallboxes ; more robust than Varicons. But it needs a special tool to crimp the individual conductors.
It would have been a bulky blind plug for your pal to keep in his pocket though. Did colleagues always think he was just pleased to see them?
But I digress
[/quote]

That was a generic image I used, if old memories serve correctly, the one in his car was a Plessy Mk4 which was 1950s era with solder connections. The removable connector was only about the size of a golf ball.