SOUTH AFRICA: 'Maude' my Morris Minor's Restoration
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:03 am
Hello from a sunny South Africa!
My name is Simone and I am 27 years old. I have been a fan of the Morris Minor for as long as I can remember. I begged my parents to buy me a Morris as my first car, but got a beetle instead. Needless to say, I always said I would own a 'Morrie' one day. Last year, while browsing the web, I came across a 1960 Morris that looked in good shape at a reasonable price in Nelspruit (near Johannesburg). I bought it in a flash and arranged for it to be transported down to me in East London (on the coast). Almost immediately, it was clear that, the photos on the internet showed her 'good side', but I already knew I wanted to fully restore her. Maude is not yet ready, but the photos I will upload are of her journey back to full glory so far...
Fortunately my dad is a mechanic so 'Maude' was in very capable hands. He began by stripping her down to a bare shell. The parts were then sent to sandblasting. This revealed all the nasty bits that needed attention. New floor plates were welded on and all holes were lead-wiped closed. The whole shell and bits and pieces were primed for paint. In the meantime, her engine was stripped and a truck load of new parts were ordered for everything from her engine to brightwork. Her seats were stripped and the frames re-welded where they needed attention. Door panels and seats were sent to the motor trimmers for recovering. I went with a dark and light grey two tone finish with a charcoal carpet. For the hood lining, I chose a cream to tie in with the cream colour rims. As rechroming is almost the same cost if not more expensive than buying new chrome, I ordered almost every chrome bit from the Charles Ware Morris Minor Centre. What a great bunch to deal with! Along with the brightwork, I ordered new rubbers, rear lights, hubcaps, numerous engine parts, a parcel tray and new glove box backings.
That's all there is to report for the time being. I am hoping her respray will be completed by next week and that her interior should be near completion. My dad is reassembling the engine at the moment and I have finally managed to locate 155/70/14 tyres. I was hoping her restoration would be complete by 18 March this year as they National Rally is being held in Cape St Francis, but it's not looking good at this stage. I will however, make sure I get there to view all the cars on display. It promises to be a great few days!
Well folks, until my next update, cheers for now![frame]
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My name is Simone and I am 27 years old. I have been a fan of the Morris Minor for as long as I can remember. I begged my parents to buy me a Morris as my first car, but got a beetle instead. Needless to say, I always said I would own a 'Morrie' one day. Last year, while browsing the web, I came across a 1960 Morris that looked in good shape at a reasonable price in Nelspruit (near Johannesburg). I bought it in a flash and arranged for it to be transported down to me in East London (on the coast). Almost immediately, it was clear that, the photos on the internet showed her 'good side', but I already knew I wanted to fully restore her. Maude is not yet ready, but the photos I will upload are of her journey back to full glory so far...
Fortunately my dad is a mechanic so 'Maude' was in very capable hands. He began by stripping her down to a bare shell. The parts were then sent to sandblasting. This revealed all the nasty bits that needed attention. New floor plates were welded on and all holes were lead-wiped closed. The whole shell and bits and pieces were primed for paint. In the meantime, her engine was stripped and a truck load of new parts were ordered for everything from her engine to brightwork. Her seats were stripped and the frames re-welded where they needed attention. Door panels and seats were sent to the motor trimmers for recovering. I went with a dark and light grey two tone finish with a charcoal carpet. For the hood lining, I chose a cream to tie in with the cream colour rims. As rechroming is almost the same cost if not more expensive than buying new chrome, I ordered almost every chrome bit from the Charles Ware Morris Minor Centre. What a great bunch to deal with! Along with the brightwork, I ordered new rubbers, rear lights, hubcaps, numerous engine parts, a parcel tray and new glove box backings.
That's all there is to report for the time being. I am hoping her respray will be completed by next week and that her interior should be near completion. My dad is reassembling the engine at the moment and I have finally managed to locate 155/70/14 tyres. I was hoping her restoration would be complete by 18 March this year as they National Rally is being held in Cape St Francis, but it's not looking good at this stage. I will however, make sure I get there to view all the cars on display. It promises to be a great few days!
Well folks, until my next update, cheers for now![frame]
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I must admit I am a bit tired of paying, I'd like to start driving her now, but I know it is well worth the wait. Will be sure to take loads of pics at the national rally and upload them! I was in Port Elizabeth a month or so ago for a Classic Car show and the Morris Minor Club had about 30 of their cars there, was great to see. I have attached a pic or two for you to see 
