Restoration Dilemma & Advice

[ADO16]

Hello All,

(This is a copy of my previous post on the MM SV board.)

My problem is do I restore this 1951 Mist Green 4 door MM highlight transition year Morris with the short bonnet or not. Upon inspecting further I noticed that the complete floor is gone along with the complete sill assembly and the big one being the center cross-member (or can I just replace the outer ends).
What would you do, bite the bullet and restore it or forget it and part it out. My Mig welding skills are good, but to tackle this I will soon hone them quicker.
The other problem is that I read about a 4 door that was recently restored and the person restoring it had to build a jig so the complete structure would not tweak out of square. Would this be true? And finally, where would one start, sills first then the rest of the structure? I guess what I'm trying to say is, what would be the start of the cutting and welding flow?

I do think that this car should be saved! Please advise.
Thank you very much in advance.
Cheers all,

Steve

[bmcecosse]

I would start with the crossmember - assuming there is some floor to weld it to! The ends can be replaced (and don't bother with the jack points - they should never be used anyway) - but in reality the whole thing would be better to be renewed now. Then sills - one side at a time. You will do better to roll the car on it's side to get good access. If it's a saloon the shape should be held ok - just don't cut out too much at one time. If worried - just weld stays across the door openings - and remove them when finished.

[bigginger]

...and width ways across the car, particularly if you're rolling it, preferably with some triangulation. With a ropy floor/X member, there's not a lot holding the shape

[bmcecosse]

I would certainly have the gear-box crossmember firmly bolted in place - even if the engine/box are not present.

[ADO16]

Thanks all for your posted replies. I will definitely use a car roller (auto rotisserie as they call them in the States) on this one, along with door braces and triangulation braces. Since it is a 4 door it seems that it will be ultra critical to brace, and to make sure everything stays within the datum of specs.
I will try to post some pictures as the project progresses.

Cheers,
Steve

[bmcecosse]

4 door should be reasonably steady. A 'rotisserie' here would be a long pole (spit) going through the centre of the car - and that is probably less likely to cause distortion than simply rolling the car over on a frame bolted to the wheel hubs on one side. I would just say -= reduce the weight as much as possible by removing doors/bonnet/boot - and power unit!

[ADO16]

Hello all,
Here are the current pictures that I promised!
Now you can see what I will be working with.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33263274@N03/

[Dean]

Wow... I'd love to get my teeth into something like that one day.

[morris62]

first make a list (give them numbers to save re writing it later) of what needs replacing, post it up on here and see what people would suggest as the order to do it in.

me if i had to do it again i'd layout the front members and crossmemer first and weld them up using the gearbox cross member as a bolt on part, then you can take measurements of the old chassis as you go

[mike.perry]

Looks like you have a little bit of work to do. That does not look like the correct shade of green, it looks like a metallic finish so don't use it as a guide.
The two small holes at the back edge of the hood are for "MORRIS MINOR" chrome badges. Available if yours are missing. Most of the chrome parts are available but you might have difficulty with the insert for the windscreen surround. Windscreen rubbers are also available but not always a very good fit and the windscreen itself is a pig to fit correctly.

[ADO16]

Mike,

Your right about the color but if you look at the interior shots I believe it will depict the proper color. Why would anybody paint a car with such a horrible color (metallic green) it's beyond me. I plan to restore it to what it was back in 1951.
Right now I'm waiting for the weather to get better to move it from where you see it in the pictures. They've forecast snow and cold (-15deg.) tomorrow, then the rest of next week in the 20's. That's the Pacific Northwest for ya!

Thanks again for the info everyone!

[Pyoor_Kate]

Oooh, uh, I'd say 'shiny' but it isn't. I'm another one who'd love to get 'er hands on a SV minor (but with plans to emmigrate am trying to keep the fleet down).

Good luck with 'er, 's a big job, but it'll be worth it in the end.