Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi when I bought my 54 series 2 it came with a radio attached under the parcel shelf right side of the steering wheel , yesterday I was puting a new bulb in the panel so I had to remove it when taking it out I realised It was an HMV radio and I read somewhere that the delux model came with a HMV radio so I'm wondering if it was the original , it doesn't power up it is plugged I to a metal box under the pasenger side parcel shelf . I was going to take it out but if it's the original I would like to get it going and leave it in but I don't know anything about electrics

In the 1950s a car radio would have been a very expensive extra. It certainly wasn't part of the "deluxe" specification although it might have been fitted to the car when new as an accessory of course.

Yea I've been trying to find a pic of the original radio but can't seem to find one

An HMV valve radio was definitely an optional extra at the time but it was very expensive. I think you keep it in place and get in professionally repaired. You could even get it updated to modern spec - ie FM/digital and even an MP3 adapter fitted.

I have read that Issigonis would not include provision in the design of the car to fit a radio, as he regarded radio as a distraction that the driver should not have. Of course, an ambitious salesman would not let that stop him.

I'd get it repaired to as it was and not modified if possible. You can send any signal to it via a modulator down the aerial cable, although it obviously wouldn't deliver a stereo sound field and the modulator must send on the correct waveband. I know they can send FM as I've used them before to play my ipod through a 70s Audioline !!

simmitc wrote:I have read that Issigonis would not include provision in the design of the car to fit a radio, as he regarded radio as a distraction that the driver should not have. Of course, an ambitious salesman would not let that stop him.

He had a point! Wonder what he would make of the multitude of distractions in modern cars?

I bought a 62 minor a few years back and it had an Ecko valve radio fitted with the big valve pack screwed under the bonnet. Im pretty its quite a bit older then the car. It didnt work so I removed it, but its in the garage incase sometime I decide to throw some money at it!

A member of our branch has a Rover 110 and it also has a valve radio, he sent it off to be repaired and FM added, along with a USB so he could use an ipod via the speaker, cost over £300

That's interesting i wll leave it there anyway it looks good and I did want to fit a radio with iPod connection but hide it in the glove box , I just don't know how to fit one myself , would the box that the radio is plugged into be the amp or transformer anyway there's no life in it

errolflyn wrote:Yea I've been trying to find a pic of the original radio but can't seem to find one

Car radios were a very expensive accessory in the 1950s and mostly fitted to expensive luxury cars. I haven't heard the story of Issigonis disapproving but most ordinary cars of that time have no place provided to install one. A radio cost around £50 in those days, when an entire new car was £400 for a small one.

So to answer your search there isn't an original radio as such for a Minor.

I would've loved to have had a period radio in my traveller.
It's a shame it's not working. Probably someone has said but have you checked to see if a fuse has blown?
If it was me I'd take it apart and give the inside a good clean, then put it all back together and connect it to a spare battery to test it before putting it back in the car.
There used to be people who fixed old things like that. I used to go to a man close to where I worked who could fix pretty much anything to do with sound equipment. He's retired now and unfortunatly no one has taken his place.
Maybe there is someone in your area who does cheap repairs?
It may be a long shot but you may be able to find a manual online for it. I found one for a 1978 8 track I purchased on Schmebay, I just typed the make and model number into a search engine.

Try here?

http://www.radio-workshop.co.uk/

Can you post a picture up of the radio and seperate under dash unit?

I'm useless at electrics I'm good at cosmetic but not fixing radios . I'll put a picture on tomorrow when I get home from work

The box will contain the valves and a 'trembler' device to generate the HT. Only connect it all if the car is still +ve earth.

errolflyn wrote:I'm useless at electrics I'm good at cosmetic but not fixing radios . I'll put a picture on tomorrow when I get home from work

I'm no good at electrics either but it doesn't stop me from taking a broken thing apart and seeing if it's fixable.
You have nothing to lose. You can't break something that's already broke. All that may happen is you could make it worse but seeing as it's broken anyway you might as well try.
The 8 track car stereo I bought one day got a tape stuck and it was wound all around the mechanism. I had no choice but to take it apart and try to free the tape. I got out my screwdriver and went about dismantling it making sure to remember where all the screws and parts went. I freed the tape which was beond saving, gave the inside a good clean and put the stereo back together.
It's been fine ever since.

Yes it's still + earth

I'll post a pic later but I just found this it's similar to one of these http://vintagecarradio.co.uk/sales.html

Here's the radio and amp box[frame][/frame]

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