Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello fellow Minor fans,

My name is Gary. I am situated in Thurrock (Essex). I have always had a strong passion for old cars. I really like Triumph Heralds/2000 & Dolomites and Rover P4 -P6's but the Morris Minor is my favourite. I have been subscribing to Practical Classics and Classic Car weekly for a couple of years and in the next 12-18 months I am going to get myself a Minor. I have never had a classic car before.

I currently own a 1993 Mercedes 190E LE which is a lovely car itself. I have learned a great deal from servicing and maintaining the 190. It is a good car to learn on as the quality of the car is extremely high. However there are still a fair number of electrical systems that I worry about.

My plan is to either sell the Merc and get a Minor as my daily driver or keep the Merc and use the Minor in the summer etc.. However I only do about 4000-5000 miles per year which I think a decent Minor would be more than capable of. The Minor will be kept in a dry brick built garage and as I work full-time will only be used on weekends etc.

My questions are this:

1. What books should I purchase and read before looking at some cars?
2. How many hours per month should I allocate for maintenance?
3. Does anyone know of any places that supply parts that are not too far away from me?
4. What shoud I budget form the car? I was thinking of £3000 to £4000
5. Is the 2 door saloon a better bet than the 4?
6. Are there different trim levels and if so how do they differ?
7. I assume I am best off looking for a late 1098cc model?
8. Which updates are recommended? (Unleaded engine/Disk brakes etc).

Any suggestions will be gladly received.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Kind regards

Gary

Hi Gary and welcome!

You have a fine taste in cars, I also have a thing for Triumphs and own a Spitfire, I have had several Dolomites and 2000s as well as a few Rover P6s - one of the best British cars ever.

Back to Minors, there are loads of books out there, but most of the things you need to know like buying guides and servicing data are regularly published in the classic mags.

Being a 1940s design the Minor does require a high standard of maintenance, but it is all quite simple. A weekly check of oil/water/brake fluid levels and a monthly check of the gearbox/axle oil, then a 6 monthly run through the valve clearances, points, plugs, condenser and brakes is how I maintain mine.

Your budget would buy an excellent Minor, they are still one of the cheaper classic cars so you would actually get one for a lot less than what you have to spend but check any prospective purchase over very carefully.

2 or 4 door is a matter of taste really. The 2 door cars doors are wider so it is easier to get in the front, but harder to access the back. 4 door cars have the convenience of easy access to the back seats, personally I prefer the 4 door, but it the cars condition that is important, not the number of doors.

The differences in trim are minimal really, but some cars didn't have a heater.

The 1098cc engine is certainly the best bet, but the 948 is probably just as good in reality, it is actually a smoother engine. The 903cc and the sidevalves are not ideal for everyday driving.

Whether or not you want to modify your car really depends on yourself and what you want from your car. For instance, the standard drum brakes are perfectly adequate for a standard car as long as they are properly maintained. An alternator can be useful, as it is getting harder to find decent dynamos, alternators are more efficient too, but having said that, if the dynamo is healthy it is perfectly good enough.

As for an unleaded head, they are not essential, but if the head requires replacement it is worth fitting one then.

Hope this helps, I have run a Minor daily for over 10 years with very little trouble, all they ask is some regular maintenance.

Hi Gary this is an excellent place to start

What books should I purchase and read before looking at some cars?

if you look in useful tips
http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/index.ph ... ic&t=12197
Another useful source of info is to go along to the local Essex Branch you dont have to own a car to attend a branch just an interest in the cars

Hi Gary,

As far as I'm aware there aren't any Minor parts suppliers in Essex but these are all available via mail order, usually with next day delivery, by companies such as Bull Motif and ESM. General service parts such as plugs, points, condensers, headlight units, bulbs etc can usually be found at a good motor factors. Even Halfords stock some of the basics so parts availability won't be a problem.

Lou