Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi everyone,

Last week the garage was declared structurally unsound when we found a large crack in a main supporting beam right over the top of the Morris. As you can see from the photographs the garage is leaning badly and on the brink of collapse. As a result the Morris has been evacuated and is living outside under a waterproof cover. Does anyone have any advice for protecting a car from the elements? Will the waterproof cover be enough to protect against rust?

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So here is the Morris under it's waterproof cover

As long as the cover is of the 'breathable' type it should be ok - it would be better if it was not over grass though as moisture will evaporate from the ground and can condense on Morris's underside!

Keeping the car well waxed and polished also helps the water run off.

Repair the beam pronto! That cover will 'sweat' the car - and also chaff the paint when the wind blows.

I'd describe that as a split rather than a crack.
Any chance of a wider angle shot of the structure?

My guess is that the triangular bits between the uprights aren't up to it, maybe due to subsidence or the bottoms of some uprights rotting away.

The beam can be easily repaired with a few bits of angle iron and some long bolts/screwed rod! And/or simply bolt another beam on either side!!

Here are some more pictures.
As you can see it is leaning badly, although saying that it has been leaning since the 1980s!, however in the last few weeks the lean has got worse and the crack in the beam has appeared. The building also leaks but has been useful for storing the Morris over the last two years.
We are going to be demolishing the building in the summer and rebuilding a stronger replacement, but for now the Morris has to live outside
Thanks for all the advice[frame][/frame]

Hmmm - well the 'lean' wasn't so obvious i the earlier picture! Best get it sorted before next winter.

Look like a "Lean Too"

Is there no way of propping it up and strengthening the roof temporarily then you can keep the Morris in until you are ready to build the replacement? I have kept mine outside for years and the paint does suffer and it rust quicker.

Is there no way of propping it up

The building next to it is propping it up slightly, however I think it is too far gone for any repairs

I may be able to store the car in an old barn but I will have to find out. This building is also not structurally brilliant however it is not falling down - yet

Suggestion. If you get a cheap kingsize flat bed sheet and throw it over the car before putting on the cover this will help the paint and stop any "chaffing". Check the weather forecast and only put the cover on when you know it's going to rain very heavily. Over the Summer it won't hurt too much, but don't park it on grass! Find and bit of gravel/concrete, then the underside will be protected as well.

I would square up the building - and triangulate the corners which looks to be the main problem! Should be a lot easier/quicker/cheaper than building new. The beam is an easy fix.

I have the same cover as you do. It has protected my car well however I popped the cover on after a light drizzle and water was left under it. Although slightly breathable, it left watermarks on my roof which I now need to polish out. I reckon the cover has kept it well over the last year but I'd have preferred a garage. Have you looked into those tent style garages as a temporary protection?

Something like a tirfor winch or a pulley system anchored to a tree should be enough to pull it up straight again.
Probably not all at once unless you can attach a two points some distance apart on the building.

Once there is some strain on the ropes some brave or foolhardy person needs to remove any woodwork that has been put in since the lean started (the "door frame" and the plywood triangles?)

Once it's upright (and no further) send in a small crack squad of extreme carpenters to reapply triangular bits between all the uprights and rafters including a few fore and aft.

As it was leaning before I expect it was this winters snow that made it so much worse.

That split will probably close up when the forces on the beam are back to normal.

If you can't find a small crack squad of extreme carpenters you'll have to do it yourself!

I'd say you need 4 or 5 people, most of them just to keep an eye on things like the bases of the uprights to ensure they don't get pulled up or sideways and make tea.

bmcecosse wrote:Repair the beam pronto! That cover will 'sweat' the car - and also chaff the paint when the wind blows.

I was going to say repair or replace the building. There's no substitute for storing a car indoors. I have dust sheets on two cars which tend to be used during the Summer period (That's the period when it rains but it doesn't get dark until 8 or 10pm ). I don't even put those on until the cars have first been cleaned, as any dirt of dust under the cover can cause hair scratches.

Bear in mind your insurance - if you say your car is garaged on the proposal.

If it were my car I'd invest in a gazebo. Even a cheap £15 thing would keep the worst of the weather off it, while a larger folding one (more expensive but sturdier) would be even better.

My Minor lived outside for a while until the garage was sorted out and my paintwork definitely suffered though in fairness it had areas of damage already.

For some of that time I used a cheap cover which turned out not to be breathable. Lets just say its fortunate the car was going to have a respray anyway

Phah! Your moggy deserves better than that wooden leany thingy.... don't get it repaired, build new... a brick built tiled roof thing with it's own electricity circuit. You'll also need a decent breaker switch to support a blueray flat screen tv and beer cooler your moggy should have as a minimum to enjoy over the winter!

What is it with Men and their sheds?