Morris Minor Owners Club

Our 1960 traveller has been broken into.

The thieves wrenched the rear door handle off and stole our weekly shop, whilst it was parked underground in IKEA Bristol.

No CCTV coverage of that bit of the car park.

I am going to need a new handle and some larger screws.

You need to cover up what's in the back, some people have made covers from various things.
My friend just uses on of those tartan car rugs which works well enough.

It still won't stop the more inquisitive scrotes, though.

They lack imagination, along with other things.
Stealing shopping seems pretty desperate unless there was something fencable like bottles of spirits or some such.

JOWETTJAVELIN wrote:It still won't stop the more inquisitive scrotes, though.

Indeed.
I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that it may be a better idea to leave your car unlocked with nothing inside it of any value whatsoever.
If they want to and are determined enough get in, all the security devices in the world will never stop them, regardless, and that goes for stealing the vehicle as well, with the exception of Tracker (possibly and in most cases)

MarkyB wrote:You need to cover up what's in the back, some people have made covers from various things.
My friend just uses on of those tartan car rugs which works well enough.

They see that and they'll think (if they actually possess a brain cell, and are actually capable of thinking) you are hiding something, which you probably are.

It's a bit like shopkeepers that often make sure the till is fully visible and wide open with nothing inside it when the shop is closed.

While my rear door handle is (as per original) screwed on from the outside, the retaining screw on the inside of the lock has an extra large washer under its head, helping to prevent it being removed from the outside. They'd still make a mess trying, of course, but no need to make things easy.
Phil.

PS. Only ever the nappy-changing stuff left in the 'boot' anyhow!

I've just finished repairing it.

The handle sheared, the monkey metal gave way, the square bar was held in by the little screw and also was seized in the mechanism. I had to take the whole lot off (as it had been bent anyway) and cut through the square bar, the press it out.

New handle from Charles Wares, mechanism and door straightened, wood isn't that bad a few marks cleaned up, the rest doesnt look too bad.

Let's hope it will never need replacing again.

Well, its made me think about parking under a camera where possible.

Best thing is let the thief see nothing they need there hands chopping off

Hi Cal, we used to have a roller blind across the back of ours with 2 hooks screwed in to the woodwork to hold it across the back of the trav.Front of blind fastened to back of seat.Seemple pseeeeew