Morris Minor Owners Club

I have been cleaning up my latest purchase a Morris Minor Traveller duo tone 1961.
A very original car.
It lived in the same town all its life and the same street for 43 years.

Whilst cleaning it up and sorting out various jobs to it I was wondering who else has an original car.

In this I mean.....

Absolute minimum of welding or non at all.
Original paintwork,not just to the exterior but to the interior hidden regions and underside.
Original interior,or has work been carried out to your seats i.e foams.
Original timber,no repairs allowed .
etc etc.

Who has the longest owned car.

We could compile a top ten.
Points will be deducted for work carried out to your car,from its original form and how it left the factory..

Lets start having your nominations


Morris Mike

My own is largely original, still has much of the original paintwork and some panels were resprayed by the original owner, sadly the original paint has faded and the car looks like a patchwork quilt now. Replaced the carpets but still have the old ones. Original 803 engine it left the factory with. Still on trafficators and hand-signals. No seatbelts. Tyres are new Dunlop D75 crossplies.

Essentially all the hallmarks of a well-used car which has been looked after and is still providing family transport in its semi-retirement.

I'll stay quiet on this one
Minor one has a complete false floor, fibreglass filled wings, lowered and incorrect engine. Will never ever be standard without a lot of work.
Minor two has floor strengthening awaiting new floors, orig trafficators etc, certain items like carpet, fuel pump (mechanical) and dizzy replaced
Minor 3 is a resto and has new but arguably non original floors so far.
Do I have any less respect for them? No

Several of ours have little or no history. But I care not, as they will be saved and used

chesney wrote:I'll stay quiet on this one
Minor one has a complete false floor, fibreglass filled wings, lowered and incorrect engine. Will never ever be standard without a lot of work.
Minor two has floor strengthening awaiting new floors, orig trafficators etc, certain items like carpet, fuel pump (mechanical) and dizzy replaced
Minor 3 is a resto and has new but arguably non original floors so far.
Do I have any less respect for them? No

....but apart from THAT, they're just as they left the factory!!!!!!

POMMReg wrote:

chesney wrote:I'll stay quiet on this one
Minor one has a complete false floor, fibreglass filled wings, lowered and incorrect engine. Will never ever be standard without a lot of work.
Minor two has floor strengthening awaiting new floors, orig trafficators etc, certain items like carpet, fuel pump (mechanical) and dizzy replaced
Minor 3 is a resto and has new but arguably non original floors so far.
Do I have any less respect for them? No

....but apart from THAT, they're just as they left the factory!!!!!!

Aye, that's what I maintain ;)
But you know as well as me that Yasmin (YAS) has been through more changes than most ;)

Minor one has a complete false floor

Was it once owned by a smuggler?

I've owned my MM series since 1972, but it's not completely original as I have fitted new tyres










Pete

MarkyB wrote:

Minor one has a complete false floor

Was it once owned by a smuggler?

I have several names for him, smuggler is not on the list.

DPO then, Dozy previous owner.

what is the mening of originel - have some duplicate MM - if all main parts made in england ,not change shape of the body and fine work ,it is originel - i have one

Quite a few years back I suggested a similar criteria for a new judging class on the club scene but it went down like a lead balloon. There seems little recognition and appreciation for original unmolested cars which although well preserved wouldn't win a prize at a branch rally against a fully restored car. I had a '61 saloon, which other than having the front wings replaced in the 1980s was totally original inc carpets (different to the repro sets you get now) and poor orange peel paint finish in the engine bay... A traveller as original as you say is a real find.

Absolute minimum of welding or non at all.
Original paintwork,not just to the exterior but to the interior hidden regions and underside.
Original interior,or has work been carried out to your seats i.e foams.
Original timber,no repairs allowed .
etc etc.

Who has the longest owned car.

I've got one that could compete... Very little welding (one patch), never been resprayed, orginal interior, carpets, mechanicals etc etc. Its been owned by my mum since the early 70's... not a minor and not roadworthy anymore... Pics taken about 10 years ago and its not improved...

As Wayne Cerrini states in his programme Chasing Classic Cars...

"A car is original only once,you can restore one many times".

Very original unmolested cars are big news in the states at the moment.
My friend attends many shows out there and he told me they have seperate display areas for original unrestored cars.
Sometimes they trailer them to events if they do not run,like the GPO van mentioned elsewhere on the forum,and advertised on Ebay.

Or they get them running only replacing the bare minimum of the mechanicals to get them safe for the road,then leave the paintwork and interior as found.

Morris Mike

Surely trailering them to events negates their primary use as a car? I would sooner have a running car that is not original than an original car that doesn't function as a car any more. As for a separate judging class, that's ridiculous! I am not a big fan of concours cars but the owners I admire their dedication and some indeed do look better than they left the factory.

I've fitted a new water pump, radiator, fuel pump and rear seat belts since I bought it.
It needs new seat covers and I intend to fit duo tones when I can scrape up the cash,but duo tones went out in 1964 (i think), mines a 65.
But they look that good in blue and white, in a smoke grey blue car in my case, they have to be, with new carpets too if I can sneak em past the missus.
original or not.

That fair enough, its your car and duotone seats look very attractive so why not if your seats need replacing.

The Wayne Carrini / US thing about shows and judging for barn finds is probably taking it a little too far, but it is a bit of fun nonetheless. Anyone noticed how much attention a barn find car gets on a stand at the NEC (for eg) when surrounded by shiny restored cars? Its not just an American trend.

However I think the original posting, and my own contribution relates to very well preserved original cars rather than 'barn finds'. Yes of course things like brakes, tyres, waterpumps and service items will have been changed thats just to be expected. But a car thats just been looked after and never been through the tatty old MOT failure phase and hence needed restoration is a very rare thing. There are a few Minors around that fall into this catagory and its very nice to see them. Its also very valuable referance for anyone wanting to do an accurate restoration that there are these few original examples about, and its sad that they are not recognised as such on the club show scene. Maybe a separate class is over the top, but a car with a recent 2k paint job and a Newton Commercial interior will always (and rightly so) win over an original car. Therefore as owners change and the cars look less shiny there is always that encouragement and temptation to restore, and then thats another original car lost.
It may not be a big issue, and may seem a daft point of view, especially form someone like me who makes a living (or trys to) by restoring old cars, but doing that every day certainly makes me appreciate an original survivor.

hmm - that tape on RH rear quarterlight isn't original..