Morris Minor Owners Club

The day I had yesterday. I now live in Shropshire but two of my cars are still in Sussex, where I used to live. Since joining this forum I’ve been re-invigorated to sort out my cars and make some of my ideas, reality. So I have taken this week off with the idea to get a trailer and go down and bring back my two remaining cars so I can start to sort them out. My first was Lottie, my blue Traveller, which I went for yesterday. Got up early, 04:00, so as to miss the traffic but due to some initial problems I didn’t get into Haywards Heath until 11:30. It was raining, hard. Then the fun starts…….

She was right were I left her, in the lockup, full of spares – nice red leather interior for a 1954 four door saloon soon to be up for sale as I don’t need it any longer – etc.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/357 ... 5c5a10.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_0363" />
Put the battery on and she starts, but runs out of petrol before I can get her on the trailer. So, after much grunting and pushing, which I have a pain in my shoulder for today, I put her back in the lockup and go in search of fuel. I return with some and finally get her on the trailer.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/357 ... fd8ce1.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_0369" />
All was looking well, apart from me being totally drenched, until I came to the M40. I thought I’d check the tie-downs so pulled into the hard shoulder. Everything was tightened ok, so got back in and went to pull away but the BMW wouldn’t have any of it. It was like it was coasting along in Drive without a foot on the accelerator. Turned everything off and waited 15 minutes. Still no joy so phoned it into the AA at 16:05. Then the fun REALLY starts……
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Apart from a visit by the Highways Agency and a nice white saloon driving past the wait for the recovery truck was uneventful. He turns up, puts the BMW on the trailer and hooks the trailer on the back and takes me to the Tesco off of Junction 3. “We always leave guys here, it gives them a chance to get something to eat and drink”, but as we’re unloading we get told to move on by Tesco security. So it’s back to the new services at Junction 2.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3309/357 ... 26778d.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_0374" />
Here the AA man diagnoses a possible Turbo fault and gets me recovered home, “The truck will be here in 1.5 hours”. So first recovery man leaves and 10 minutes later the AA recovery man arrives. Relieved it wasn’t a 90 minute wait I watch as he loads up my cars. He then explains the structure of his day. AA men need to take 45 minute breaks during the day for health and safety reasons, they have some flexibility with these but he informed me that to get me to Warwick Services, where I was to meet another AA recovery truck to get me home, we would need to have a rest as Cherwell Valley.
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So we set off. Stop for 45 minutes at Cherwell Valley and drive up to Warwick Services. All this time the Traveller is getting more attention than the BMW, which I find both amusing and pleasantly nice. As we are driving up to Warwick the AA man calls ahead to see where my next recovery truck is and finds out that he’ll beat us there. Sure enough when we arrive the new man is having his 45 minute break before being able to take me all of the remaining way home. So unload again and wait for the break to be over before re-loading and setting off on the final leg, which was very uneventful.
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I finally got home at 01:15, after 3 tow trucks and almost every M40 service station. Big thank you to the AA guys who seem to plan everything ahead which made for a smooth recovery. Even the 45 minute breaks where placed to enable me to get home. They have said that if this isn’t done you could have to stop for 45 minutes 5 miles from your destination as there are hefty fines for both the AA and the driver if these breaks are ignored.

So now I have to sort out the BMW and get back down to pick up my MG, hope that day is better.

Before I forget, behind the garages where my cars are stored, in Sussex, I found this……
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/357 ... 9e1c6b.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_0364" />
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/357 ... 6e06be.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="DSC_0367" />
I will try and get more information on it, like who owns it and their plans, if anyone here is interested in taking it on…. David, it’s not that far from you, do you fancy a pair..???????

Glad you got home (in the end!) safely.

Thank you.

My main concern was that we would have to leave the trailer behind. But no, here now and safe.... And it looks like I don't need to do much to the body, other than replacement wood. Was thinking of having a set made in Oak, just to be different and I like the look. Is there a pattern anywhere? Failing that I'll use what I take off.

Certainly never heard of it done in oak. I think they stuck to Ash as it steams/bends better, and it had been traditionally used in cars. So weh are you "biting the bullet" for the repeat journey?

Not sure right now, the turbo is a bit sticky on the BMW so may hire a van with a tow ball for it. Need to find out why the Turbo kicks in sometime and not others but this does seem to be why the BMW gave up yesterday, she seems fine this morning and has already pulled the trailer out to allow me to get Lottie off it.

Hope to have it all done by the end of the weekend still. Always the optimist me....

Hi,

Use ash - oak will keep changing its shape as it dries out (or gets wetter).

Although ash is a "semi-hardwood" it has better dimensional stability than oak...

It also has a long straight grain which gives it good strength.

Cheers,

Colin

Reminds me of our trip home from the National in the six legger

It was lucky I had the camera with me. The 'delivery home' was an adventure in itself. Will make up for the apparent lack of body work that need sorting.

Good day out eh? Makes a good story though!

Hi, just noticed the pickup relic in the field behind where you stored your trav, I like pickup relics. I'll e mail you if you don't mind letting me know where it is I'd like to go and take a look.

Pity the Traveller didn't have a tow bar - then you could have pulled the ghastly German thing home on the trailer!

had the same truble once when my old mk1 caviler could not make it back from germany to uk lots of trucks diffrent countrys some time not under standing just smile that is good for them

i would be interested in teh pick up if not just to get my frend splitty on back on teh road

My Dads Vauxhall packed up years ago just past a dual carraigway exit (facing the wrong way!) which meant the poor old Morris had to tow it even further! I seem to remember low gear in use a lot on the inclines!

My Dads Vauxhall packed up years ago just past a dual carraigway exit (facing the wrong way!) which meant the poor old Morris had to tow it even further! I seem to remember low gear in use a lot on the inclines!

A few months ago I collected a Traveller from Leicester with my Landrover Discovery and trailer. On the way home to Ongar, the Landrover started playing up just before Stansted services on the M11. I got up the sliproad and half way round the roundabout when it gave up the ghost. We were blocking two lanes and the slip road back onto the motorway. No way we could push it but a quick run round the back revealed a tow bar on the Morris, so we unloaded it, in record time, put a rope on the tow bar and towed the lot into the services. It pulled it easily, mind you it was only about 4-500 yards, but we did get some looks when we got on the forecourt! Yes, you guessed it, it was out of diesel!!

A work colleague took us out for a quick spin in his new Capri. Half a mile up the road there was a large bang and he minced the engine. I took great delight in towing him back to the office with my Series MM.

On the trip to Gambia, plenty of cars were playing up, but it wasn't until we were doing the victory lap in Gambia that I got to tow someone. I took great pleasure in towing the old Diesel Golf behind the 54 minor... It did rather struggle - maybe with 2 people in each car as well as the weight of the Golf was a lot to ask.


As for 3 tow trucks - I made it via 6 from North scotland when the Merc ate its propshaft / gearbox joint.