Morris Minor Owners Club

Two days in and we already have 6 postings, maybe not Concours people yet, but having spoken to Cam at the AGM at least one possible future entrant!

Andrew has already outlined the purpose of this forum and so really all I would like to do for the moment is to encourage all of you, no matter what your particular interest in the Morris Minor is, to post your questions, ideas, comments, anything in fact that relates to concours.

I will do my best to answer any questions you ask and also take on board any suggestions made.

So as Andrew says, over to you.

Bill Hewlett

MMOC Cheif Concours Judge.

having spoken to Cam at the AGM at least one possible future entrant!

Thanks for the mention Bill, but I can't guarantee exactly WHEN I will be entering!!

Oh and welcome to the board!

no guarantees from me either regarding timing (unless they open 'wreck of the rally' into concours - then I'd buy a few dodgy Minors to hedge my bets)

Cam, Ray,

No guarantees needed, just an inerest. You will both be very welcome.

Any more?

ok - Judge - A originality question for you - What are original paint colours for Morris minors (LCVs in particular) in New Zealand? - Sorry its a hard one!

I guess I get to hang around here in this forum as my ute is totally original except for the radials, and being unfinished. I'm not sure that it would qualify for "concours" in the truest sense of the word tho.

Judge - A originality question for you

Probably an impossible question for Bill to answer. I've read somewhere that NZ minors (and other minors exported as knocked down kits) utilised local interior trim,tyres & paint. I've seen a few pictures of NZ minors plus quite a few on the road and the colours are certainly different to any seen in the U.K.

I like the idea that there are people out there who are striving to keep Minors in totally original condition and are willing to spend huge amounts of time and money doing so. However I'm more into having a Minor as a fun way to be mobile, treating it as a car to be driven and to carry around the things I need. Only last week my mog was loaded down with 5 paving slabs and two heavy bags of sand. I guess this kind of treatment would cause a seizure at a concours event? I bet Issigonis would be amused to see how his first design still earns it's living in the 21st century.

last week my mog was loaded down with 5 paving slabs and two heavy bags of sand.

Sounds like the traveller, when im home it regularly gets bags of rubble in a bag and other stuff and goes to the tip......

Yeah, I always find that I've the muggins that gets asked to take bags and boxes full of rubbish down to my local tip. I suppose my car is the only one we've got with 'wipe-clean' seats!

our rubbish doesnt go on the seats, we can fold the rears down :p

all the mogs in the yard in new zealand i drove past (or nearly drove past, i kinda lept out of the car and snuck across ) looked to be the kind of interior trim and colours that i've seen here (he did have 40 in his yard) and he gets all his parts and paints from the morris minor centre in bath, which i thought was BRILLIANT!

No guarantees needed, just an interest.

Hi Bill welcome and I think its a great idea, I wonder how many of us on here have the engine steady upside down, I have a bit of an advantage as my branch chairman is Fred Skinner.

Hi Bill welcome and I think its a great idea, I wonder how many of us on here have the engine steady upside down

I do!!! 'cause it's easier to tighten up the nuts that way. But then again, my engine steady mount is non-original either (big flat bar welded to the bulkhead crossmember!).

I do!!!

But at least you realise it Cam but many dont

Yes, that's true I suppose................. But I HAVE read Ray Newell's Original Morris Minor book cover to cover a few times........... especially the Series MM chapter, when I am dreaming............

especially the Series MM chapter,

Blimy you make that sound a bit like Hells Angels, is that the local branch

Blimy you make that sound a bit like Hells Angels, is that the local branch

Not quite! I think the average age of our local branch is 60+!! With the chairman at about 82!!

I don't think most of them could get on a bike let alone be a Hells angel!! Swapping cardigans for leather jackets?? Nah! Conjures up some amusing imagery though...............

I wonder how many of us on here have the engine steady upside down

Half the concours cars seem to, and so do some cars in Ray Newel's books so I guess it's not a beheading offence ;-)

I have no idea if mine is upside down...........

Why is there only 1 concours traveller then??

Wow, I am really taken aback by the response to this new forum, long may it continue and grow.
Fweddy, In answer to your question, I think there is something in both what Chris has said, re: KD (Knocked Down) and CKD (Completely Knocked Down) Minors, and Bea re: the same as UK. Having been involved only in UK Concours (I'm not sure the Club would appreciate expense claims for judging at NZ events) I am going to have to do some research, but in the meantime if you have not already done so, I would suggest you take a look at Ray Newell's book ' Original Morris Minor ' pages 97 to 117.

Chris, thank you for your support of Concours and can I say that I too believe in the view that a Morris Minor is a fun way to be mobile and also practise this principal. My own everyday transport is a 1964 convertible (modified), while my wife's is a 1966 traveller and one of my daughters a 1969 4 door saloon (also modified).

Sorry, last reply was from me (forgot to log in!!, still getting used to forum).