Should I buy a Morris minor?

[Pennywise]

Hello everyone


I have been lurking on this site for a while now, fantasising about buying a Morris minor.

I am however being discouraged against it by my well meaning (and more knowledgeable about cars) partner who says that a MM is not a sensible choice for me.

I have loved these cars since being a teenager and dreamed of driving one. Am now 36 and looking to buy a new car. I think Mms are the most beautiful car there is. I hate modern cars and can't bear the thought of buying one. My dream is a black Morris minor with red seats.

I have owned only one car previous, that was an Austin maestro, it wasn't that reliable and I admit it was annoying. Here are the things that concern my partner, and if I am to go ahead and fulfil my dream I need to find answers to his concerns, or be prepared that I am not the right person to own one of these wonderful cars.

- I know nothing about car maintenance (am willing to learn but no one to teach me and I work 2 jobs so not much spare time )

- I do not have a garage to keep car in and live in London

- I want the car to be my main form of transport for getting out of London, but won't be driving it short distances very regularly ( most likely ) as I get the tube

- I would like to drive to Scotland in the car I buy and go on a road trip round highlands

I can afford to buy a car in good condition and am prepared to pay to fix/maintain/improve it, but would be clueless if it broke down on the road etc etc

Apologies if this all seems very ignorant, I am an imaginary enthusiast rather than a practical one. Any and all advice welcome.

[panky]

One of the great pitfalls of owning any classic car, and not being able to maintain it yourself, is finding somewhere to do it for you. Relying on 'mainstream' garages can be a problem as they are used to plugging their computer in to diagnose faults, so my first suggestion is to find somewhere that is classic friendly and who you can trust, ideally recommended by others who know. Compared with modern cars Minors are slow and very basic in equipment so don't be disappointed when there's no air-con in the summer or electric windows If maintained and looked after as they should be then there's no reason why the car you buy shouldn't do all the things you want it to, you just need to adjust you driving habits to suit, good luck with the search for a car and welcome to the messageboard where you will find a wealth of useful information

[whyperion]

The 1960 948cc merrily went from London, round scotland (twice) wales and other parts. Like all cars they do get tired and need maybe more maintenance than a 3 year lease/service contract of a 'Modern' car. We now have 3-4 under rebuild , one runs (though it should not), one is now firing today and should be back on the road in spring ( other commitments mean three weekends free), but we do have benefit of garage (and 30 years of memories on where bits should go) (the parts live in the garage, the car outside. , the local minor club meetings are also fun and useful to get to , and the messageboard and magazine help too. There are good saloons at under £1000 to buy and MOT from time to time, prices depend on the circumstances of the seller as much as condition of car. Some normal garages (at normal hourly rates) , do know minors - I can name six within 3 miles of me - one run by Sri Lankans , whom I have used when needing rush work done (this year MOT/Brakes, Clutch Change and some stubborn nut removals).

If you are keeping car on street though you will need some physical security deterrents fitted.

q.v http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37815

[bmcecosse]

I say - run away now - before you get trapped ! Slightly tongue in cheek. As above - you will need somewhere reliable to 'fix' it if you can't do yourself. And I strongly urge you to keep it in a nice dry garage - off the street - especially as it sounds like it may be a 'week-end only ' car...

[Ieuan]

Agree with everything above, if you can't do it yourself, find somewhere that you can trust to do it for you. Having said that, I knew nothing about trunions/carbs/leafsprings/point or anything not found on a more recent car, and I have learnt everything so far from this fine forum, the Haynes manual or YouTube. There is a lot of very very useful information to be found on the interweb.

RE the not having a garage, get a Disklok and fit a few cut off switches. As long as you have a space to park it you should be fine, what with being in London and all. Just keep an eye out for any water getting in/perished seals.

As long as the car has been looked after you shouldn't have any problems with the reliability. Just as a precaution, a full service would be advised as soon as you purchase one, purely for peace of mind. For the tiny amount it costs to replace plugs/points/oil etc it would be silly not to. In my experience my Minor is just as reliable as any other car I've owned. If you're not already a member of a breakdown company, I'd suggest you do that as soon as you bought a Minor, then all you need to do is ring them if you're in a spot of bother. I like to think I'm fairly mechanically minded, but I had to get the AA out when all that had happened was a spark plug had failed, so it can happen to anyone

I've driven hundreds of miles in the two months I've had mine and it's been the best motoring decision of my life to date

[bmcecosse]

Most of the 'good' Classic Insurance Cos INCLUDE Roadside and Recovery in the Insurance package - so no need for any other service. Minors kept outdoors deteriorate horribly , and of course the theft/vandalism risks..... - it really should be kept dry and securely garaged as much as possible.

[Pennywise]

Amazing replies so far, wow I feel so positive about this. Like I could do it. I actually live next door to a mechanic but I don't know if they specialise in classic cars. I would certainly trust them, ie not to rip me off , but I don't know if they have specialist knowledge. The garage is an impossibility, no way I could get one nearby, and I wouldn't have a regular parking space just on- street parking.

[beero]

If you really want a Morris Minor then go for it. If you fall out of love you can sell it in a year and not lose anything in depreciation. In fact, if you spent out in maintenance the same sum as a modern car loses every year in depreciation you will have a VERY well maintained car.

[panky]

I wouldn't say that was a show-stopper as many owners are in the same boat but you need to be prepared to carry out the body maintenance too. They don't dissolve over night but it's not nice when the rust starts bubbling through

[mike.perry]

You must remember that unlike a modern car you cannot just get in it and drive to the other end of the universe. Oil and water need checking regularly, tyre pressures need checking and regular trips around the car wih a grease gun are required.
You will also need a breakdown recovery card and a tool box with some tools in it. You may not know what to do with them but the car does not know that.
If you do decide to buy a Minor make up your mind which model you want, join your local branch and take someone experienced with you when you go looking. Do not buy the first pile of rust that you see and remember if it looks bad on the outside it is worse on the inside

[Deux Chevaux]

Has been mentioned a few posts back that mainstream garages are only used to plugging diagnostic readers in to cars, and wouldn't have the faintest idea how a real car works. Well I heard of a fellow 2CVer having a problem out on the road a few months back, and needed the assistance of the AA/RAC. The young guy who turned up wanted to plug it into his diagnostic reader! He couldn't get his head around the fact that the car didn't have any electronics on it.

I have my own RAC horror story when my 2CV broke down about 10 years ago. I knew it was the condenser at fault, but didn't have the tools to get to the points box on the end of the camshaft at the front of the engine, so called out the RAC. By the time the RAC turned up the condenser had cooled down and the engine was running. I explained the problem and how to fix it, but the bloke was quite rude and refused to work on the car because "it's running and I can't diagnose a problem that isn't there." I told him to follow me a short distance down the M6 and it'll happen again, but he refused and left me there. Needless to say the car broke-down again after seven miles or so, so I rang the RAC and asked them to send me a low-loader and transport me home. Next day I bought a 123ignition (Dutch manufactured electronic ignition) and haven't broken-down since. Car's done around 100,000 miles with 123 fitted. Moral of the story:-Not even the AA/RAC are immune to Euroboxism.

Anyway, Morris Minors, like 2CVs, are COOL. Join the club, get yourself to your local club meeting, and get a knowledgeable member to look at any possible purchase. Buy one, and enjoy the ride.

[The vast minority]

Has been mentioned a few posts back that mainstream garages are only used to plugging diagnostic readers in to cars, and wouldn't have the faintest idea how a real car works. Well I heard of a fellow 2CVer having a problem out on the road a few months back, and needed the assistance of the AA/RAC. The young guy who turned up wanted to plug it into his diagnostic reader! He couldn't get his head around the fact that the car didn't have any electronics on it.

I have my own RAC horror story when my 2CV broke down about 10 years ago. I knew it was the condenser at fault, but didn't have the tools to get to the points box on the end of the camshaft at the front of the engine, so called out the RAC. By the time the RAC turned up the condenser had cooled down and the engine was running. I explained the problem and how to fix it, but the bloke was quite rude and refused to work on the car because "it's running and I can't diagnose a problem that isn't there." I told him to follow me a short distance down the M6 and it'll happen again, but he refused and left me there. Needless to say the car broke-down again after seven miles or so, so I rang the RAC and asked them to send me a low-loader and transport me home. Next day I bought a 123ignition (Dutch manufactured electronic ignition) and haven't broken-down since. Car's done around 100,000 miles with 123 fitted. Moral of the story:-Not even the AA/RAC are immune to Euroboxism.

Anyway, Morris Minors, like 2CVs, are COOL. Join the club, get yourself to your local club meeting, and get a knowledgeable member to look at any possible purchase. Buy one, and enjoy the ride.

Very interesting
When I was poor as a 19 year old lad, I had what I believed to be a really high quality car. I was very proud,It was an 8 year old 1981 Honda accord 3 door. it suffered one night from a holed rad on a dark motorway and the very nice man from the AA that attended actually said it's a crap old Honda, scrap it. He knew nothing about cars and cared even less. I hated him and decided then never to trust anyone with anything mechanical that I may one day need to rely on. Get a good local mech and use him, the moggy is simple as putting a hat on your head so if you have a good guy you will be ok. The lack of a garage is a dead turn off though.
Stealing sweets from children is harder than stealing a Morris minor so think on that..
Al

[XWL61]

Have you ever ridden in or driven a Minor? If not, I would suggest you do before you dream any more! Check out your local MMOC branch - I'm sure there will be someone who can help..

Andy

[dalebrignall]

go for it , there is a good garage in mill hill that can help you . if you use them reguallyyou dont have many problems . i am self taught with the servicing , lots of advice on here .

[simmitc]

As others have said, if you buy wisely then you can't lose. We use ours every day. I used to do around 18K miles per year without nay problems (maintenance essential). We have toured all over the UK without problems, but breakdown cover is essential for those occasions that you can't really cater for - offside puncture on a busy motorway in the dark for example. Then again, the same thing applies to a modern car. A minor might break a half shaft (I've had two in 35 years, but that's a pretty good MTBF) but a modern could also lose drive.

On breakdown cover, some companies exclude cars more than 25 years old, but as a member of the MMOC, you get special RAC cover.

My advice is to have a ride in one to make sure that you are still sold on it, then join the MMOC and get yourself a car. Take a knowledgeable person with you to look at the car to check for the usual problems. Remember: with a Minor, it's not miles per gallon, but smiles per mile that count.

[Deux Chevaux]

The difference between a proper car like a Morris Minor and a Eurobox, is the fact that if you have a box of essential spares in the boot and you do break-down, you may well be lucky to get mobile very quickly indeed. If a modern car breaks-down, the chances are it'll be hardware/software/sensor/injector/turbo/etc (delete as appropriate). That'll mean a tow to a main-dealer and a big fat bill heading your way.

PS:-Morris Minors are easy to drive if you've driven any other car. My first drive of a Citroën 2CV was in rush-hour traffic in Birmingham. That REALLY was fun. Handbrake and gear-lever on the dashboard, and a back to front gearchange.

[Deux Chevaux]

Very interesting
When I was poor as a 19 year old lad, I had what I believed to be a really high quality car. I was very proud,It was an 8 year old 1981 Honda accord 3 door. it suffered one night from a holed rad on a dark motorway and the very nice man from the AA that attended actually said it's a crap old Honda, scrap it. He knew nothing about cars and cared even less. I hated him and decided then never to trust anyone with anything mechanical that I may one day need to rely on. Get a good local mech and use him, the moggy is simple as putting a hat on your head so if you have a good guy you will be ok. The lack of a garage is a dead turn off though.
Stealing sweets from children is harder than stealing a Morris minor so think on that..
Al

When I had my 1961 Minor convertible it sprang a leak from the brake system at the top of the M5, where it narrows to two lanes before entering the M6 north. I rang the RAC and they sent out a local garage with a low-loader. The bloke was one of the rudest, nastiest humans I've ever had the misfortune to meet. Treated the car with zero respect when loading and unloading, and was quite frankly a nasty piece of crap. I really should have made a complaint to the RAC, but I was young and foolish. He certainly wouldn't get away with it today, that I can assure you.

[moggyvirgin]

Like you I knew nothing about car maintenance so before I bought my first minor I read through some of the questions and answers on this forum but I thought the best way to learn was to get my hands dirty and strip down a car. So I bought a minor last April and started to dismantle it. I can tell you these cars are so easy to work on as long as you take photos or draw pictures of where each part was positioned. You need to buy a workshop manual and AF and Whitworth spanners and sockets, not modern metric tools. I know your not planning to do a restoration but the point I'm trying to make is you will easily learn how to maintain your minor and keep it on the road and if you get stuck the guys on here will help you out.

[moggiethouable]

A minor is the one car a "knowledgeable" partner wont be frightened of.
Maintenance is cheap and simple, you have to love them though, not just like em, you will not lose money if you change your mind at a later date, I guarantee, if you sell it, you,like many another ex owner, will at some time revisit this site looking for your ex Mog, probably heartbroken.
As for on street parking if you cant rent a garage nearby consider security, older cars are not protected against theft like the moderns so its worthwhile buying a disklock for the steering wheel and etching the windows, total cost £125.00, then there are trick ways of immobilising your car that people here will help you with, it is probable the seller has already equipped your future dream with security measures anyway.
All this may make the dream seem even more impractical, but thats what dreams are, impractical.
Go on, just buy one.

[dp]

Hello and welcome on your De-lurk

I'll go through your points one by one but the summary is definitely get one..

- 'I'm being discouraged by my partner... not sensible'.
You use words like 'fantasizing', 'dreaming of, 'loved', wonderful' when writing about getting a Minor. We on this forum share those feelings about our cars and while not primarily motivated by 'sensible', a Minor is more sensible than one might expect. Your partner is not your dad and no matter how close, won't know you better than you know yourself.

-I have loved these cars since being a teenager and dreamed of driving one. ...My dream is a black Morris minor with red seats.'
Check out your local branch meet, someone will be happy to show you around. As for your dream, you also have the choice of 2 door, 4 door, soft top, Traveller or even van

- I know nothing about car maintenance (am willing to learn ...)
Lots of local colleges do beginners car maintenance. With a Minor, there isn't much under the bonnet so not much to go wrong. In contrast to a modern car, a Minor has much less parts, and they're mostly cheap. The downside is you have to check things more regularly but they are simple things.

- I do not have a garage to keep car in and live in London
Car cover & good security decices as mentioned above. I would also add that a cheap self-install tracker costs abo £35 plus £5 a month for a phone sim (You text the tracker and receive location texts back.

- I want the car to be my main form of transport...
As long as you are not in a hurry, enjoy a relaxed pace. looks like you don't need it for the commute and don't have a car so you'll become more mobile than you are now.

- I would like to drive to Scotland
Something to build up to - with spares packed and the knowledge to do some basic things yourself.

-I can afford to buy a car in good condition and am prepared to pay to fix/maintain/improve it, but would be clueless if it broke down on the road etc etc

The main thing is to get as rust free a Minor as possible. Rust is expensive, everything else is relatively cheap.
AA Relay will tow the car home if they can't fix at the side of the road. Even from Scotland. Then you can describe the problem here and someone will figure out the problem from the symptoms.

-Apologies if this all seems very ignorant, I am an imaginary enthusiast rather than a practical one. Any and all advice welcome.

Certainly no need for apologies. We all started where you are now.

I would suggest making a plan over the next few months to make contact with the local Minor meetup, ask lots of questions
and look at lots of Minors.

Also talk to the trustworthy mechanic neighbour. He might be happy to look after your car; perhaps in the street as most things can be done with a few basic tools. Often mechanics working on modern cars all day enjoy the predictable simplicity of a Minor.

It seems like the Minor itch is always going to be there . Yes, it'll be scary, it'll have a learning curve but nothing worthwhile comes without a bit of effort and stress.