Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi Mateys
New boy here,glad to meet you all.
I bought a tidy '67 green convertible in the summer( named 'joycee' after me dear ole Mum who sadly is no longer with us ) the only upgrade is a servo,the rest of the car is standard.
I am taking her to our mobile home in the South of France in the spring where she will spend the summer months.(everybody has a boring Ferrari or Massa!)
I would appriciate your advice on, do I need to modify her,what spares would be sensible to take, what extra servicing will she need? etc.
I shall take her on the train this year as time is tight but will drive down in forthcoming years (gently)
The car goes well, but is that a bit of scuttle shake I feel,I wonder?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Rich

Hi Rich, welcome to the forum!

I would carry an AA card with European cover, costs about £140 a year but well worth the peace of mind. I have full European cover as its required for driving in southern Ireland. Also carry spare
points
condenser
plugs
leads and cap rotor arm
lead assembly
top and bottom rad hose and bypass hose
petrol pump
fuses
some wire
radweld incase the radiator leaks
bulbs
exhaust bracket and exhaust paste
tools!
This maybe sounds a lot but will fit in a small box in the boot. At least if you do break down a the AA or a local gagage could fit any of the bits. I reckon if you have it spare you wont need it!! Carry out a full service before you, nothing extra should be required.

As for the scuttle shake, is it when your driving fast? The wheels may need balanced.

And a head gasket set, and a fan belt! Bon chance!

Hello Rich and welcome to the Forum ! Maybe you should also consider a clutch return spring, throttle return spring, and perhaps oil,water,brake fluid etc. Good luck and safe journey !!

I would recomend NOT to modify. The car will perform great in a standard set up. I'd consider makin sure you had a new thermostat for going to hotter places, but that's about it.
If you plan to do a lot of servicing before going, try and do that at least a month before hand! That way any faulty new parts should have been found and fixed in plenty of time. If you keep the old working parts then you'll have most of your spares to hand. As part of a FULL service you should really check everything - including brake linings, and whether any wheel cylinders are weeping etc. and if the fuel pump points are badly pitted then replace them before it plays up!

Most (all?) of the UK specialist suppliers will do mail order abroad, so there's no need to go overboard with parts.

I'll second that, especially having a shake down period before you leave.
I remember people going on the MOT who were almost finishing doing rebuilds in Dover waiting for the ferry.
A shake down period means much better peace of mind on the trip.

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Hi Mateys.

Thanks for the replies,I was sure of a response and I am not dissapointed.
After reading the posts I have come to the conclusion that I will not modify at present but allow her to go au natural!
I take on board your suggestions which have been made with obvious experience of the car.
I notice that the engine has 1967 as part of its serial no' could this be the original engine or just coincident?
Hopefully I have put a picture of her somewhere here,but if not I will try again next time.

Regards to all Rich.[frame][/frame]

Coincidence on the engine number !

Hi Richard. We hope to be off to Provence the first week in September.By Tourer if we have one by then!! As their will only be two of us we will have plenty of room. So PM me some time and I'll give you my details in case you need spares Mick

remember people going on the MOT who were almost finishing doing rebuilds in Dover waiting for the ferry.

I've been know to still be under the car in the garage when a rally has set off...

In addition to the sensible lists given, do take the phone N° of your favourite spares supplier.
Shipping parts to France is not v expensive and as sod's law is alive and well it will be the tiddly piece you didn't take which fails.