Morris Minor Owners Club

I would love a traveller as an everyday car - but don't have a garage and will need to use it ever day, rain or shine: am I asking for wood-rot heartache??

It's okay - just found a previous thread on the subject!!

So what conclusion have you come to? They were built to be used everyday, go for it

Hi, that IS my conclusion, there is one soft spot - which i'm going to inject for now with special wood hardener designed to restor some rigidity to rotten wood - then sand and teak oil it regulalrly (well not every day like... don't want to sand it away!) and then simply cover it and use my morris saloon in the very worst weather... not everybody had garages when they bought them new did they?!!

It's really not a practical everyday car in this country - in Tenerife it would be great! Most folks who had them originally had garages and at least kept them indoors overnight.......and they weren't bothered about preserving them as Classics - they were just a working car that was traded in after a few years for a newer model. I try to NEVER get mine wet.....

I'm sorry, but i disagree. A well maintained Traveller can be used as an everyday car. Many posters on here do just that.

Hmnnn... we shall see - I think economics comes in here: the cost of my traveller would have bought a 5-6 year old small car - in 4 or 5 years time it would have cost me a couple of grand in insurance, maybe 500 pounds plus in tax plus the cost of any servicing / repairs that I couldn't do myself... and the vehicle would then be worth, what? Maybe 400 quid? Set this against the traveller: the same initial cost plus about a total of 450 quid in insurance for the same time period, all the servicing maybe 120 in parts, no tax and at the end of it? Well at worst a traveller that needs all new wood which is still worth a grand or more! And that is if I make no attempt to do wood work myself - and I'm sure I could tackle it with a little forum help and the 'chap round the corner'...

So, even in our wet climate it makes perefect sense... even chaning the wood every five years (a couple of grand to do that yes?) still works out cheaper than depreciation on a more modern car...

This is how I'm looking at it anyway

You must get a LOT better weather than me where you are then...... I would say it is possible IF it is garaged or at least under a carport when not in use. Yes - I know some use them everyday - and if willing to do the maintenance that will require - especially in winter with salt on the road - then carry on by all means!

When these cars were first on the road, many people didn't have garages. The cars just sat by the side of the road, rain, snow or sunshine. I know the roads are a lot busier than then, but the climate hasn't changed all that much. My late Father went to work in his 2 dr in the snow of the winter of '62/'63 every day.

Aaah - this Q was about Travellers - not saloons. And my experience was that folks who could afford Travellers - also had garages. My Uncle used to keep his inside the local garage business - and would walk round there to get it when he needed it - and faithfully returned it there in the evening.

Did then come with a notice when new reading "do not use in adverse weather conditions will instantly disintegrate"... I think not

Get out there and enjoy your car whatever the weather, that's what they were built for!

Unfortunately - they were not 'built' for it....... but if you can afford the time/effort/cash to allow the car to deteriorate outdoors - carry on!

mines outside all the time and is used every day
i say go for it and use it

Aye - but it's not a Traveller Dennis!

It i not just about the wood. Keeping them watertight is nigh on impossible and that leads to all sorts of problems with rust and interior deterioration. Yes people did use them every day but they got rough quite quickly if left out. If you can keep up with the maintenance great, but expect a lot of work. I am surprised you can get insurance for everyday use and without overnight garaging. I can't.

Why would insurance be more? I'm not sure they would care, unless it gets so bad its likely to cause an accident - which is unlikely to happen without it failing its MOT first...

Of course, not garaged increases your risk of theft and older cars have less preventative measures...

Insurance was no issue - 80 for the saloon and 89 for the traveller, fully comp and both for everyday use as long as both are mot'd. Seems a bargain, and that is where cash savings come in - I have, as long as nothing major goes wrong, already saved 700 pounds insurance and tax for the next 12 months, minus service parts of course...

We shall see eh?

Oh, yes, and those prices are for overnight on private drive.

Arthurdaily wrote:saved 700 pounds insurance and tax for the next 12 months, minus service parts of course...

Which gives you plenty of money to fix the car if one day you go out to your driveway and find a pile of scrap metal because we just had a sun shower

Turns out, with careful screwdriver probing, that the whole side is gone! Anyway, purchased the new side - or rather am in the process of buying it, and a chap round the corner will fit it! Excellent! And, out of interest, I asled him about keeping it outside, and he has done... for 13 years! No issues...

Horses for courses I suppose.