Morris Minor Owners Club

After selling a car I had spent 8 years building to fund my wife though teacher training this year I needed a cheap rolling restoration project to keep me out of trouble. So the hunt was on for a cheap split screen, not an easy task I know. One came up on this very forum but it was sold from under me even after I had arranged to hire a trailer to pick it up.

However lady luck was smiling on me and three came up on e-bay, two of which were within 15 miles of me and both had MOT’s. However the third caught my eye, a 1953 two door in black which had been sat in a stable since 2004. Registered on 3rd March 1953 it must be one of the first series II’s as it has a cheese grater grill and an A- series engine! Just what I was after. Well to cut a long story short I bid, I won and I even managed to move my trailer booking back a week so I actually avoided loosing my deposit.

05:30 Sunday morning and I was trundling up the M1 heading for North Yorkshire and after 3 hours finally arrived at a beautiful Manor house on the edge of the North York moors. Highlights of the journey were having to turn the trailer around in a single track road after getting lost, suicidal sheep who decided to use the trailer as a diving board and roads full of baby pheasants with absolutely no road sense at all!

So there she was looking a bit dusty and cover in bird poo, rust along the bottom of the boot lid and one door and a big lump of filler peeling off on the lower panel behind the drivers door, but she fired up first time and structurally there were only two areas of concern, both the front sill sections were a tad crumbly (but aren’t they all!!)

So loaded up I headed home.

Once back in the drive I had a good look around and am happy with my new toy. She has been christened Betty Bubble Butt by my daughters as they think she has a nice round bottom!!

I had a day off work yesterday and spent the day assessing what needed doing for the MOT, which turned out to be both front sill sections, wiper arms, brake shoes all round, sticky semaphore on one side and a battery clamp as I am not sure an elastic bungy cord counts as a securing method. So by yesterday evening I had ordered the parts I needed, cut out the rot from both sides, fabricated new patch panels and had finished welding one side completely.

Once road legal I will concentrate on the bodywork but best of all I intend to use her for my daily commute.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

It's good to hear you've found a project, good luck with getting back on the road.

Which engine has it got? It has a series MM bonnet so it is possible it is one of the 'very' last series MMs (they stopped building them in feb 1953) but fitted with a bigger A-series engine, then again it could be an early series 2 with the MM bonnet badge. Either way, it looks a very interesting car so good luck

Sidney'61 wrote:Which engine has it got? It has a series MM bonnet so it is possible it is one of the 'very' last series MMs (they stopped building them in feb 1953) but fitted with a bigger A-series engine, then again it could be an early series 2 with the MM bonnet badge. Either way, it looks a very interesting car so good luck

Here you go, a shot of the A series engine in all its glory. There is a big badge on the rocker cover which says Austin so as you say could be one off the last MM's or one of the first series II's as it has 8inch front brakes as well! Anyone know of a fool proof method of finding out if it is an MM with an engine transplant?[frame][/frame]

Anyone know of a fool proof method of finding out if it is an MM with an engine transplant?

Need to know the chassis number.

MColes wrote:

Anyone know of a fool proof method of finding out if it is an MM with an engine transplant?

Need to know the chassis number.

177461

177461 puts it within striking distance of the last MM -- 179839 -- but also ensures that it IS an MM, because the first Series II 2-door saloon was 178659. Congratulations!

But of course that engine (and the brakes) could have been added later. What's the engine number?

Apparently 170001 - 171000 & 178501 - 179800 were Series 2s so 177461 was an MM series. As the last MM was 179839 this means yours was 79th from the very last MM.

I would agree with the previous statements.
The engine looks to be a 948, the oil filter is visible, and I would think that it has been transplanted from an A35 or A40 which would account for the Austin badge.
What gearbox is fitted, long or short gear lever and does the rear axle have a round or square bottom diff?
Assuming that the speedo is in front of the driver, what is the TPM 4 fig. number on the dial?
The tail lights are late Series 11, the coil is in the MM position on the bulkhead, not on the dynamo.
As the early S11 and late Series MM bodies were the same apart from the bonnet badge the only way to be sure which is which is the chassis no.

I am glad you managed to find another car and from the sounds of it, something nice and interesting.

does this mean you are going to change your name? to 79thfromtheverylastMM maybe?

charlie_morris_minor wrote:I am glad you managed to find another car and from the sounds of it, something nice and interesting.

does this mean you are going to change your name? to 79thfromtheverylastMM maybe?

Thanks Charlie, it just goes to show that sometimes the hand of fate can direct you to a better outcome!

Did think of changing my name to Betty Bubble Butt but thought that this may attract even more web weirdos than I get already!!!

The engine number on the log book states 176727 (it also states 918cc?) but I could not find a number on the engine to double check. Anyone know where it is stamped?

Not sure about the gear box but this picture shows the gear stick. Will have a look underneath tonight while I am welding to see what I can find out![frame][/frame]

176XXX is a side valve engine no. which you no longer have. The engine no on your engine should be on an ally strip rivetted to the block just below no1 spark plug. If it is a 948 it should start with 9A (Austin). If it is an 803 it will have a canister oil filter screwed to the side of the block.
The gear lever looks like an 803 box, not a very good combination with a 948 engine

mike.perry wrote:The gear lever looks like an 803 box, not a very good combination with a 948 engine

Might be lucky though and someone MAY have swapped the remote housings over and put a 948 box in.

I doubt it, if you rev the nuts off it at 35mph in 3rd then chug away in top then it is an 803 box.
Seats are Series 11.
Is the chassis no. stamped into the bulkhead alongside the the accelerator cable guide?

mike.perry wrote:I doubt it, if you rev the nuts off it at 35mph in 3rd then chug away in top then it is an 803 box.
Seats are Series 11.
Is the chassis no. stamped into the bulkhead alongside the the accelerator cable guide?

Will try it out this weekend once I have finished the welding and brakes! The previous owner had the box rebuilt years ago and it looks very clean but I will need to do some more research to find out what it is.

Had a look for the engine number last night and all I could find was the remains of the mounting holes where the plate should have been so no clue there!

Here is a picture of the engine bay which may help and you will be pleased to know that I fabricated and fitted a proper battery clamp lasst night as it was raining and I do not like welding in the rain!!![frame][/frame]

Have you got an engine steady bar between the back of the engine and the battery box? I cannot see one in the photo.
You should have 950 cast in the block on the manifold side.

Hi mike

No engine steady so that is another job to add to the list!!!

Yes did see 950 cast on the block so that answers that!

You say the 803 gearbox with a 948 engine is not ideal but doing some research the power output quoted for a 948 engine is only 4hp higher than the 803, will it make that much difference or should I be looking to source a replacement gearbox just in case?

Thought this was interesting. I googled the garage and it is still listed. Had a look on google earth but could not locate it. Anyone local to Whitby know of the place?[frame][/frame]

Hi
Stakesby garage is located on Castle Park Whitby I believe the owner may live in Lealholm a little village outside Whitby. The garage is still operating
I am not local but visit Whitby very regularly
I have an unmolested 1952 MM sidevalve with original gearbox and diff. I live in Chesterfield - you can view my car if it helps with any referencing
Paul

The 803 engine manages 30bhp, the 948 = 37bhp (I think the 848 Mini was 34bhp). The 803 and 948 are worlds apart in terms of performance. The 948 has a well suited box and diff whereas the 803 box is very low geared in the intermediate gears and has a low ratio diff to give it some performance.

I doubt it, if you rev the nuts off it at 35mph in 3rd then chug away in top then it is an 803 box.

This is genuinely apparent when driving - nobody pre-warned me of this but on my first drive with a SII using the original box it felt like I'd gone from 2nd to 4th rather than 3rd to 4th.
Rumour has it, that this was done so that the original weak and low powered A-series matched the accelleration of the sidevalve that it replaced.

You can use the standard 948 gearbox with the 948 engine (much better ratios than SII box) or the even stronger 1098 gearbox. The SII A-series gearbox was really not that robust, although more robust than the original engine!

Although.. you could convert back to sidvalve engine + box?? Certainly it wouldn't be a sports car, but as you've been lucky enough to get a very late MM by accident, it's something worth considering.