Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi Guys,

I have a late (March) 1956 Series II 2 Door saloon.

I realise that in itself it isn't a rarity, neither the first or the last of the breed, nor has it had any famous or indeed infamous owners (other than me )

My question is, how many Series II Minors are there still around? I originally bought the car with the intention of building an "old school" style Hotrod, but I'm in two minds as whether to cut the floor pan to allow the fitting of a Ford 5 speed gearbox.

Regards

John

I'd say less than 5% of the cars at a minor rally are Split Screen. So yes getting rarer every year.

I drove my 1954 splitscreen from Glasgow to the National at Harewood last weekend,and it never missed a beat

see "how rare is my minor" in Matters this month.

cars left from '56 (saloons) total 683, this figure does not include exported, breakers, sorn exempt or untaxed vehicles

series 2, which i beleive is 53-56 inclusive total 2039 cars, excluding convertibles, travellers and LCVs

so there is more '68 cars (2741) on the road, than there is series 2s, so it ain't common, lets put it that way.

now i feel like a right nerd.

marcusthemoose wrote:
now i feel like a right nerd.

Marcus,

Just out of curiosity I Googled "Moose in England" and I found a statement (never take googled info as fact) that there are NO wild moose in England.

I own a 1952 MM (splitscreen). Just trying to keep the thread on track.

VERY long story on the username- if i told you all where it comes from it would bore you to death, and you probably would get lost.

the MM is a sidevalve, where as the series 2 used the austin a 30 "a series engine" with a displacement of 803cc. both models are split screen, but there is a difference!

marcusthemoose wrote:VERY long story on the username- if i told you all where it comes from it would bore you to death, and you probably would get lost.

I'm on vacation (holiday) for the next 7 weeks so I have the time.

I have a 1955 split screen with a 948. Not the original engine I'm sure.

Seeing the article in Minor Matters made me wish I had kept my 1954 series II but he was just to far gone for me to keep

Maybe oneday I'll get him back, no one seems to keep him for long, he's always on ebay

MMaurice52 wrote: I'm on vacation (holiday) for the next 7 weeks so I have the time.

Ok,

So if I understand this right, there are just over 2000 Series II Minors and just over 600 cars from '56 left (as far as we know).

The car number, as stated on the identity plate is FFBAII/398461. I'm sure others more knoweldgeable than me can place where in the production history this puts it.

The car, when bought, was fitted with a 948cc engine with a blown head gasket, I have 2 choices, I can either return the car back to standard, which I don't really want to do or to continue with my "old school" plan but not alter the body, which means using a standard 1098cc gearbox and not fitting the gas shocks to the front, meaning that, should it be necessary, the car can be reverted to a reasonably standard configuration at a later date.

Regards

John

It's up to you John really it's your car and your money remember and in all fairness you are still keeping or putting one on the road, whatever you decide. If I decided to modify I'd opt for one that didn't alter any panel work. That way (my way of thinking anyway), is that you don't position the car into a unique market place with restricted selling power if you wanted to sell it. From experience at the rally last weekend it seems most Moggy buyers like some kind of originality. That's my opinion though.

i think i heard some where that it is possible to convert a later gearbox to the "fairy's wand" series 2 type gear stick. this will mean there is no cutting the floor for the later tunnel cover, and you get ratios better suited to the minor. it may be the case, as with a fair few, that the tunnel has already been changed, but really the later type gear lever is much easier to use.
if the floor is original, see if the conversion can be done (might just be for 948 gearboxes,perhaps a little research is in order), but if it already cut, just swap the 1098 engine and gearbox in.
that the way i see it- my series 2 is cut for a 1098 engine and gearbox, so its not really a big deal.

Still no nearer an answer, although It does seem to have stirred up a bit of a hornets nest. If the 1098cc gearbox is a straight shoe in without cutting the floorpan, then I go with a 4 speed 1275cc Ital motor.

Oh, decisions, decisions!!

I came to the rough figure of 19747 lost each year 1949 to 1971 and there are now just 27010

I was told that I have not worked it out right So is there any one out there to correct me

would be nice to check the cars left in a years time to see how much the scrapage rate is slowing down

no looking for a rare good 2 door split screen