Morris Minor Owners Club

A bit quiet on here lately.

Can I assume everyone is busying themselves in their sheds/garages preparing for the summer rally season?


Let us all know what you are upto.

To start;-

I have modified all four wings on 'Bumble' (V8 Convertible in pic.) so that it can sit lower. I have widened the rears 1 1/2 inches (5 1/2 inches each side now....) and raised the extensions on the fronts. The rears are now back on. The fronts are in paint. I have also lightened the front panel and sorted some of the previous paint issues (in paint now).

I have cut and welded on a frame to the load area of the Project Pick-up to support the load floor and mount the sides and stripped the doors ready for stretching and fitting with fibre/glass skins.

I'm currently 'tweaking' the pedals on Maxwell (V8 Pick-up) for maximum comfort......If there is such a thing in a V8 Minor Pick-up!

So. What are YOU up to in the garage?

Well having stipped the front end off my traveller, I've straightened and rewelded bumper mounts, straightened front valance mounting panel, as it was buckled, also bought a new bumper valance as old one has had it. So got to get that painted, replaced water hoses with wire reinforced silicone ones, had rad flushed and flow checked, removed 2 of the 4 fans that were on it. rewired the fans with a switch in cockpit fitted a thermostat. couple of other jobs to do when front end is back on, then will have the timing retarded to help with cooling and hopefully make it more of a pleasure to drive

james

Building a new exhaust manifold as the original kept cracking due to the wrong specification of material for the application.

Checked the clutch as it slipped up past the pits at Le Mans. The plate has plenty left on it but I think it overheated. These were my first circuit laps and the weather was very hot. The car got a bit warm.

Changing the brake fluid. After being in for 8 years it is time for a change.

Possibly a hydralic handbrake.

I don't get time for winter jobs i'm always driving the darned thing!

However, I am planning to fit a 1275 head on my 1098 this weekend

Since August I did manage to remove the hedge and then new fences round my yard - removing the hedge has given enough room to park another classic along side the garage, but that creates more jobs (putting a roof on that space)

Currently I'm trying to install a 8' x 10' shed in one corner of the yard, then I may be able to move my junk out of the garage and start working on cars again! However I've ended up doing more work on houses again .

After the shed is up and the junk is moved I'll be installing a solar/battery off-grid mains supply in my yard
That's 5kW of mains running off batteries and a 0.64kW solar charging system, costing me about £1800 including 19kWh of lead acid batteries (16 x 100Ah 12v configured in 4 x 48v strings). Use will be limited to ~3kWh per day to maintain battery health unless I want to double my total budget (more solar and more batteries = expensive)

I figured 3.5kW + headroom supply capability should be able to run my MIG welder, the lights and a kettle!
A generator would have been cheaper but that's not so neighbour friendly at 1am.

Maybe I should have bought an oxy-acetelene welder and some cheap solar lighting and a camping stove for the kettle...
Can't use the angle grinder at 1am anyway, so a generator could have covered most things.

rayofleamington wrote:However I've ended up doing more work on houses again .

They aren't as much fun to drive though Ray.....................


Sounds like you need to get back working on them cars pronto!

i have done nothing all winter.. well since last september when my cars got parked up on friends drives whilst i got this built ( + a kitchen extension )[frame][/frame]

it is big enough to take my two moggies and one MO and leave me enough room for a work shop at the end.. i just need to get my cars back before my wife fills it with rubbish[frame][/frame]

Currently making an airbox buck out of fibreglass but it's too cold for the resin to set

dp wrote:Currently making an airbox buck out of fibreglass but it's too cold for the resin to set

Add more catalyst.

Do a test sample first and time how long it goes off. I did this before each job and had a big clock so I knew how long I had left.

it is big enough to take my two moggies and one MO and leave me enough room for a work shop at the end.. i just need to get my cars back before my wife fills it with rubbish

I can fill it with cars for you, if you're too busy ;-)

ps - nice work, and well worth the effort!

rayofleamington wrote:

I can fill it with cars for you, if you're too busy ;-)

now why would i be busy

now why would i be busy

I can see a double buggy in there... ;-)

Innovator wrote:

dp wrote:Currently making an airbox buck out of fibreglass but it's too cold for the resin to set

Add more catalyst.

Do a test sample first and time how long it goes off. I did this before each job and had a big clock so I knew how long I had left.

It's up to 4% catalyst so can't add more. I'm using a blow heater to try to help. Works eventually.

I am half way through re-building my 950 minor engine. But my son has 'nicked' all my tools to fix his 'Mini'. To be honest, I'm glad he's got them, as I can't seem to get out of this armchair.
I also have a chassis leg to attach before engine goes in, and that's not happening 'til it's at least 25 deg outside!

Well this was supposed to last years winter project? But as it happens its taken me all year to get this engine working. So I've changed my fiat twin cam for something abit quicker, and upto date, It's a Ford Focus ST170 engine with GSXR 750 carbs and type 9 gearbox. The engine revs to 8000rpm and the variable valve timing can be switched on manually by a switch on the dashboard.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
stevie

On my Pick- Up, I removed the radiator and front grill to fix an annoying water leak, Fitted a new cam belt, to the 1600 twin overhead cam engine, replaced the leaking oil seals on twin cams, dizzy drive and front crank pulley quite a fiddley job, had to buy comlpete gasket set to get special oil seals. Renew cam tensioner pulley took three months to obtain one as it was an odd size, not even one in Italy I was told. Spray the yellow cam cover a nice silver. Fit an electric heater valve from a ford KA and silicon pipes. All runs OK took it for a good run just before the snow came.