Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello everyone,
My name is Ana and I am a lass originally from Northampton but living in Atlanta USA. I have a 1959 Red Morris Traveler 1000. I have had it for the last 13 years and had it renovated after an idiot pulled out in front of me and side swiped it nose to tail. That was 12 years ago.
I have just had the brake master cylinder changed and the cylinders on the wheels and the pads re shoed...for $2300.
I also have a passion for vintage Vespa's and do work on them a bit so I am going to try and do the mechanical stuff on my Moggie. I also can't afford to drop $2300 every so often.

I have just joined the club minutes ago

I was wondering how to get a Haines Manual for the car so I don't feel like I am peeing in the breeze. I also need a handbrake cable, and a window wiper motor.

Thanks for having such a wonderful board. It feels good to have a place to go when I am the only Morris I have seen here in 13 years. I don't feel so isolated now!

Welcome to the forum! I believe there are a few other Minor owners in the US.

That is extraordinarily expensive for a brake overhaul!!! Its a Morris not a Ferrari. How did they justify such a big bill?

You can order a manual in PDF Acrobat form on a CD from the club.

Haynes manual and workshop manual are also available from Minor parts suppliers http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/adv ... 7b82e2cd72

You could also ask here for advice!

PM me and I will send you the e-mail of Randolph who seems to know everyone who has a Minor in the US.

Hi Ana, and welcome to the Forum.

This might be worth a try,

http://cgi.ebay.com/HAYNES-MANUAL-MORRI ... p1638.m122

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I got the bill for the brakes. He showed me the brake shoes and all the cylinders. Apparently the cost was in labour. Well, it has served to spark my growing interest in mechanics!
There are very few places here to repair Morris's but I have a lead on a guy that repairs mini's in Atlanta.
I am coming over in March and hope to pick up the handbrake cable, wiper motor and perhaps the right pump (see post in mechanical section) and a gear shifter knob.
Is there a place I can go to get all these things?
Will I have problem carrying a wiper motor in my suitcase back to the U.S.?

Judge wrote:Hi Ana, and welcome to the Forum.

This might be worth a try,

http://cgi.ebay.com/HAYNES-MANUAL-MORRI ... p1638.m122

I have bid on it. Thanks for the heads up

I thought some parts suppliers here in the UK were happy to ship parts abroad?

The cost may have been in the labour, but it's hard to imagine quite what they were labouring on. Shouldn't be more than 2 or 3 hundred £s, I'd say - and even then, it's very DIYable
a

it's hard to imagine quite what they were labouring on

They were probbaly looking for all the complicated stuff that isn't there .

Ana- I'm in Colorado.
There are (at least) three parts houses here stateside..


http://www.minicityltd.com/

http://www.britautoparts.com/html/morrisparts.html














http://www.auto-part.com/britCatalogs/m ... ntents.asp

Hi Ana,

Welcome - I guess that for the amount you paid for the brakes there's some of the forum who would fly over & fix them for less!

East Sussex Minors will ship to the USA, I suspect others will.

Do try posting here if you're after something small, unusual etc. I do purchase parts & spare for my car - if it's easy to post I'm sure we (or someone else) can help out.

I don't see you having a problem with parts in luggage - but - I would suggest that you bring a thick clear polythene bag for the parts (IIRC the wiper motor is only second hand = grubby!). Keep the receipts for the parts and be prepared for the security to ask about them (I think that the cases will be X-rayed).
There's nothing worse that having to open a case in front of the rest of the airport - all the dirty washing migrates to the top!

For a manual, I'll report Orkney's wonderful post:-

Orkney wrote:Borrowed the one from Spags link,
can be found here

wont be moving it as well handy for refernce

http://www.orkney.info/mog/manual.pdf

There's no postage on that one

All the best,

Colin

Hi Ana,
just to say if you get trouble with any small parts etc you need and the sellers wont ship outside of UK feel free to PM me as you could always send anything here and i could forward it in the post to you should th need arise.

Hi Ana and welcome aboard, as others have said it does sound like you were overcharged a little and if using Lockheed parts (not pattern ones) the cost for the master cylinder + 4 fronts & 2 rears + brake shoes over hear would be £190 or about $380 + a bit for fluid so that does seem rather excessive.
Dont forget to fill in your whereabouts in your profile

Don't worry about the Haynes manual (Mini lads call it Haynes Book of Lies) - the original Leyland manual that's free on the internet tells all and more than the Haynes!
Stick with that pump - have you tried swapping the fuel pipes over ? And you would be wise to get two new handbrake cables - and fit them both. What's wrong with the wiper motor ? Many parts sources in UK - Bull Motif get a fair name and have always been ok with me.

bmcecosse wrote:Don't worry about the Haynes manual (Mini lads call it Haynes Book of Lies)

So does everybody else - notably (perhaps) on this message board
a

I assume you are aware of this Company - they list Minor parts and look to be at the correct price too ! https://atlantaimported.com/categories.asp?cat=54322
They have the wiper motor (not expensive!) - don't see the handbrake cable but you can always ask.
Edit - Look under 'Spridget 948 - 1098' for the Minor rear brake parts - they are the same as that Spridget. They list an emergency brake cable for the Spridget but no picture shown and I don't know if it is the same as the Minor cable - you would need to take one of your cables along for comparison.

bmcecosse wrote:I assume you are aware of this Company - they list Minor parts and look to be at the correct price too ! https://atlantaimported.com/categories.asp?cat=54322
They have the wiper motor (not expensive!) - don't see the handbrake cable but you can always ask.
Edit - Look under 'Spridget 948 - 1098' for the Minor rear brake parts - they are the same as that Spridget. They list an emergency brake cable for the Spridget but no picture shown and I don't know if it is the same as the Minor cable - you would need to take one of your cables along for comparison.

The link to: Atlanta Imported Auto parts is the brother of the guy who fixed the brakes! They are in the same building! I know that the mechanic mostly works on MG's and when he took out the master cylinder on the Morris he used an MG one (his brother sells) and welded an extra bit on the pushrod as it is too short. He is the one that took out the wiper motor as it doesn't work and did not replace it and told me that I need to go and get the handbrake cable from England!

I will look at the sites over here that you all provided and get the cables, wiper motor and original pump. Thanks everyone for being so helpful. It has felt so bad for so long to feel like I am the poor step child to the exhalted MG........and yes I reckon that he may have swiped my wiper motor and it is some rich American's MG!

The master cylinder sounds like a real bodge - and they do show the wiper motor as available and not at all expensive. However - I agree - steer well clear after that stupidly expensive brakes experience!

I know he is in California but Randolph Williams is a very helpful guy with quite a few contacts stateside, you could try contacting him.
http://members.aol.com/dolphnx/index.htm

Ana wrote: when he took out the master cylinder on the Morris he used an MG one (his brother sells) and welded an extra bit on the pushrod as it is too short

WHAT??????????????

dear lord

welcome to the forum, Ana