Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi i was just wondering what upgrades are easily swapped to help improve the moggy without altering or chopping bits. Iv been told a sierra gear box would fit making it a 5 speed is this possible? And then maybe upgrade the brakes to bigger drums of discs?
Thanks

Hahahahaha - you're opening a huge can of worms!! All depends on your budget....I suggest improve the brakes, then the wheels and tyres before worrying about gearbox and presumably engine upgrades....since the standard 1098 engine will struggle to pull a 5th gear on anything except downhill........ Decide what you want the car to do for you - and how deep your pockets are.....

bmcecosse wrote:Hahahahaha - you're opening a huge can of worms!! All depends on your budget....I suggest improve the brakes, then the wheels and tyres before worrying about gearbox and presumably engine upgrades....since the standard 1098 engine will struggle to pull a 5th gear on anything except downhill........ Decide what you want the car to do for you - and how deep your pockets are.....

Haha well there not that deep! Just wondered really can you get bigger drums?

[quote="bmcecosse"]since the standard 1098 engine will struggle to pull a 5th gear on anything except downhill

Roy, how is it that you consider the 1098 to struggle to pull a 5th gear yet you think that it is quite capable of pulling a 3.9 diff?

Because a 3.9 is scarcely any better than 4.2........ It also costs little and is easily fitted -and removed again if found wanting. A 5 speed conversion is around £1000 - so a serious decision.... Back to the OP - yes of course larger drums are available. If your car has 7" drums then upgrade to the later 8" drums from 64 on Minors. If you already have 8" (and they should be fine for any sane motoring with a standard Minor) - then you are looking for Wolseley 1500 9" front drums - or Riley 1.5 also 9" (but wider) front drums. Neither is going to be easy to find!

Always make sure that the stopping and handling is up to scratch and capable of accepting more loading on the suspension/steering and brakes before doing any modifications especially those designed to make the engine more powerful which may result in the vehicle being able to exceed its design parameters.

philthehill wrote:Always make sure that the stopping and handling is up to scratch and capable of accepting more loading on the suspension/steering and brakes before doing any modifications especially those designed to make the engine more powerful which may result in the vehicle being able to exceed its design parameters.

A more powerful engine doesn't make it more difficult to stop (unless it's a V8 or something that adds a lot of weight). Nor is it going to change the handling of the car on corners etc.

The driver has control of the throttle. More power doesn't HAVE to be used. You could fit a beast of an engine and drive at the same speeds as the stock 1098 and be just as safe on the road, just know that there's the temptation to push the car beyond those design limits!

If your going 30mph in a 1098 or a bored,1380 race engine your braking distance is the same - you might get to that speed faster, but that's acceleration, not speed.

Of course, the gearbox/axle will suffer too if you start using the power available.

I have to disagree with you.
My comment which you have quoted is fully correct in that it should be paramount to make sure that the car has full mechanical and structural integrity so as to be able to cope with ANY modifications carried out whether it be to increase engine power or increase the power of the brakes. For example:- It is no good increasing the power of the front brakes only to have the eye bolt pulled out or tie rod come away from the chassis leg due to corrosion or lack of maintenance.
As some one who has a highly modified Minor I personally would not carry out any modifications without considering what implications those modifications would have not only on the vehicle and other related parts of the vehicle but also on the driving habits of the driver.

philthehill wrote:I have to disagree with you.

i agree with you phil as will most insurance companies..

Funny my truck is modified , and my insurance is cheap .

But your insurance company will still expect any modifications that have been done to the car to have been carried out in a fit and proper manner and declared on the application sheet for insurance and the rest of the car to be kept in a roadworthy condition.

A gearbox should make no difference, as it still has the same lack of power , and fitting more efficient brakes that don't require constant adjustment in theory should bring your insurance down ,
When i stated the list of mods , they seemed uninterested , even when I mentioned the blower .
But my mate had a Chevy nova with a 1000 hp and his was £50 more
Rh specialists

You sure they understood what a 'blower' is ???? Maybe they thought it was a hair-drier.....

Any modification (even just changing the gearbox) to the car should be declared to the insurance company when applying for car insurance. Even though your insurance company seemed dis-interested; the important point is that you did declare them (hopefully they did note them down on the application form) . What they do with the information after the application/declaration has been made is up to them.
It is no good complaining to the insurance company when they say the insurance is invalid because those modifications were not declared on the original or subsequent insurance applications.
Personally I would want to make sure that every 'i' was dotted and every 't' was crossed as regards modifications and insurances. I would not want to be left in the lurch if the insurance company pulled the plug on my insurance policy after an accident because the consequences could be horrendous for all parties.