Morris Minor Owners Club

Have recently purchased an already restored 1970 traveller. It unfortunately did not come with the correct period tools or radio.It does have an aerial mounted centrally on the roof above the mirror. Any help in finding suitable tools and radio would be much appreciated. Also as a complete newbie to classic cars, can anyone suggest the best oil to use in it? My local car accessory shop stocks 20w/50 which is what the handbook says should be used, but he thinks 20w/50 is fit only to oil wheelbarrow wheels! He reckons there are much better newer oils available. What do you think?

Welcome to the messageboard 20w/50 oil is entirely suitable for use in a Minor engine (I take it you have a standard 1098cc engine?) As for the tools, are you looking for an original tool kit as supplied with a new Minor or just a variety of tools to use to maintain your car? Post a message in the "wanted" forum with regards to the radio and someone here might have something suitable. If not, there's always e-bay or auto jumbles.

As louise stated 20w/50 is more than suitable and i think you,l find that a lot of the "experts" on this forum recomend Asda,s own brand is more than suitable,a lot of modern oils have additives that can do more harm in the long run than good to older style engines.Halfords do a retro style gallon can aimed at the classic car market but at around £16 a can its as good as asda,sand tesco,s own brand which is what i use in my moggy hope this helps regards Mike also its a lot cheaper as well as being suitable

RhonddaTraveller wrote:Have recently purchased an already restored 1970 traveller. It unfortunately did not come with the correct period tools or radio.It does have an aerial mounted centrally on the roof above the mirror. Any help in finding suitable tools and radio would be much appreciated. Also as a complete newbie to classic cars, can anyone suggest the best oil to use in it? My local car accessory shop stocks 20w/50 which is what the handbook says should be used, but he thinks 20w/50 is fit only to oil wheelbarrow wheels! He reckons there are much better newer oils available. What do you think?

Hi Rhondda,
First welcome
Oil .... I use is Halfords Classic Oil 20w50 5Litre's for £16.99
Tools...Look at these sites ....
http://www.whitworthspanners.com/
http://www.moss-europe.co.uk

Also look other Morris Minor parts sites....
http://www.morrisminorspares.net/
http://www.morrisminor.org.uk/
http://www.morrisminor.co.uk/

Good luck with your Traveller post up some photo's
Brian.....

Thanks for feedback. It is a standard 1098 engine which has not been modified to run on unleaded.
I have been looking on Ebay for a suitable radio but haven't seen anything in a suitable mount. I believe that when Morris fitted a radio to a Traveller it was mounted beneath the parcel shelf on the passenger side. Is that correct?
Thanks.

Radios were never a standard fitment, put what it you like, and hide it if you're embarrassed by the blue LEDs.
We are very inclusive, and wont point at you whatever you do to your car.

The ASDA/Morrison own brand 20W50 is fine for a MInor. Just check if your car is negative earth before fitting a wireless.

get 20w50 from wilkinsons- its only £4.99 for a 5 litre "drum" (i believe that is a gallon in old money).
tesco value motor oil is sold in 1 litre quantities at £1.69 each.

woh! thanks for that i didn,t even think about wilkinsons that,s even cheaper than asda and tesco i feel an oil change coming on and if it,s 5litres then thats half a litre more for the money[a gallon equates to 4.5 litres]

Check if the oil has an API classification. Personally I would only use cheap unclassified oil in an engine that was already on its last legs.

Personally I prefer the Unipart 20w50 which is available from my local Partco for £13 for 5 litres with a good rating, I am with Alex in that the unrated oils with no spi make me a bit wary, why dont they put a specification on them.

Kevin wrote:why dont they put a specification on them.

I believe it is because the oil is recycled and there is no requirement for a spec on recycled oils...

all of a sudden i feel confused about which oil to use myself

I recently put Comma Classic 20w50 in our Minor , seems very good.

I've used the ASDA oil in many different cars (including high power Mini) for years - it's fine ! And the price is right. £13 for oil........... going for a lie down.............

my dad swears by wilko's oil, and it hasn't failed me yet (:

use 20/50 oil i would go for the stuff with a rating,personally ,if you use the cheaper stuff add some stp to it to bring the spec up .

Hi great info on the message boards and in particular this thread. As another newbie at least to servicing, and also with a Traveller I am finding the types of oil are very confusing. I looked around and found the Halfords Classic but will go look at Tesco's (Asda do sell oil in peterborough shame!). Any thoughts on rear axle and damper oils to be used?

I can see I'll be spending more time on the message boards.

Good luck with your search for a radio I must admit I feel as if I could do with one sometimes but I can't bear the thought of drilling holes on the bodywork to fit the aerial!!!

Cheers

Yes, I don't think i'd be that brave yet either - luckily there's already an aerial already fitted - it doesn't look like there's any lead attached to it though.

You can get internal aerials, and they do work.

If I was going to fit a new external one I'd actually go for one on the roof as it would be less likely to get vandalised.