Morris Minor Owners Club

i was wondering what peoples views were.i dont need new tyres at presant but i was browsing the suppliers websites ,and the standard size tyre seems to nearly out of stock.i know they are availiable from other componies,but at a premium.what worries me is that tyres are a fundamental thing for the cars.without them we go nowere,is it something the club should look into,as well as recon gearboxes .

i feel thay should look into the shortage of parts that are needed to keep the moggie on the road,

Thats why I'm running wide 13s.....

dalebrignall wrote:i was wondering what peoples views were.i dont need new tyres at presant but i was browsing the suppliers websites ,and the standard size tyre seems to nearly out of stock.i know they are availiable from other componies,but at a premium.what worries me is that tyres are a fundamental thing for the cars.without them we go nowere,is it something the club should look into,as well as recon gearboxes .

Why do you say this? Bridgestone 145 x 14" tyres are widely available, although they seem to be produced in batches so there can be gap in supply (so don't run your tyres right down to the limit!). Camac tyres are as far as I know no longer available in 145 x 14". 155 x 14" Nankangs are still very much available and although not perfect will fit a minor rim, they now have a better tread pattern similar to the bridgestone. Even 5.20 x 14" Dunlop crossplies are still available. There's no problem for minor tyres as far as I can see.

esm still list the nankang and bridgestone 145

dalebrignall wrote:i was wondering what peoples views were.i dont need new tyres at presant but i was browsing the suppliers websites ,and the standard size tyre seems to nearly out of stock.i know they are availiable from other componies,but at a premium.what worries me is that tyres are a fundamental thing for the cars.without them we go nowere,is it something the club should look into,as well as recon gearboxes .

I am a little confused Dale what do you think the club should look into as you say yourself that the tyres are available.

My local tyre supplier sourced two 14 inch 155s this weekend with no problem.

Just fit 155s and ignore the little bit of ballooning.
They're still cheap too, no 'classic car' tax on them.

i only said this because 2 major suppliers have not had in stock for a good couple of months thats all

I think it a fair question in light of what Dale has said. Whilst some suppliers may still have stock, this does not necessarily mean that more are being manufactured. Also those in stock may be very old, and having had the problem of buying new/old stock tyres previously, not for a Minor I hasten to add, and watching the walls crack after very little use, I'm now more than a little wary.

What can we do other than to keep using our cars and buying new tyres for them? If demand falls too low the manufacturers will eventually stop making them.

Fit different size wheels

alex_holden wrote:What can we do other than to keep using our cars and buying new tyres for them? If demand falls too low the manufacturers will eventually stop making them.

Use them more As I have said many times, restoration and tinkering seem to be the preference on here. Less use, less wear, less need for parts, less demand for parts, parts manufacture becomes uneconomic, no parts, no cars. It's all in your hands.

The problem with that idea, which I wholeheartedly agree with in principle, is that there aren't any swivelpins for my minor to run on. So I'm trying to cut down my minoring.

At least, until the kingpins arrive. Of course, the problem with *that* is that the DAF needs me to sort out various 'problems' before it'll be a happy car.

what side do you need

Pyoor_Kate wrote:The problem with that idea, which I wholeheartedly agree with in principle, is that there aren't any swivelpins for my minor to run on. So I'm trying to cut down my minoring.

But have you asked yourself why there are no swivelpins? Could it be for the exact same reasons I have already given?

No, we already know why the swivel pins have been delayed, as I have constantly said over the last few months.

I thought you'd come in on that one Jonathon I know, but why were stocks allowed to get so low in the first place?

Unable to answer that one with any authority
I really believe that we as owners of Minors will have to get used to the fact that we are a tiny market and producing what really amount to 'one off' runs of parts tyres etc will mean that we could run dry of stocks quite easily. No company, especially in today's climate will manufacture vast stocks which could take years to see a return. Especially if some parts require new or updated tooling.
Re swivel pins, shortly over a 1000 pairs from one producer plus those from ESM will hit the shops. it will be interesting to see how quick these sell.

Thanks Jonathon, you've just proved my point. Perhaps the committee would like to set a good example by attending as many rallies as possible in their Minors.