brakes

[robert gardner]

hello to every one just got my first morris minor 1967 two door in fair condition the brakes bit low no leeks on cylinders what is the best up grade looking for advice allso swaping dynamo for alltenator thanks rob

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Two points;

1. If it's your first 'old car' the brakes are certainly not as good as modern car brakes.
2. Brake shoe adjustment is frequently neglected, indicated by excessive pedal travel or having to pump up hydraulic pressure before the brakes work.

If the wheels aren't locking up on a sudden application from 20 MPH they need attention.

[robert gardner]

if you stamp on pedal they lock up i was thinking servo may help allso i think i am going to put electronic ignition as more reliable as points thanks for your help mutch app

[les]

Servo won't improve the brakes, it just takes the effort out. The brake system is quite reasonable when working right. Points are generally reliable and Dynamo can cope with a standard set up, unless you've got lots of electrical extras fitted. It might be an idea to get the car working with original equipment before swapping everything about. You then know you've got a sound base.

[SteveClem]

A lot depends on what you intend to use the car for. Daily driver, weekend trips out,motorsport?
My Trav is my main car and it made sense to upgrade it so that it's not compromised in today's world. The other old girls are pretty much as they came off the line and they are great for local trips and fun days out.

[Big Jim]

I would say live with everything as it is and use it for a while .See what you do and don't get along with. I find most things quite ok , and part of the experience of driving an old car . If you want to upgrade a lot of things perhaps you don't want an old car ?
I do'nt have to rely on my car as my only transport , so I don't mind to much if I have to tinker with it . I probably would think differently if it was my daily driver .

[biomed32uk]

I was going to do all the same things as you to mine when I bought her three years ago nearly, brakes, alternator etc.

She is only a fun car, Sunny days and local runs, not my main car at all.

If the brakes are spot on, all working with decent shoes and correctly adjusted they are fine for normal Minoring.

Again for a weekend fun car the dynamo is fine, I have no electrical extras so it copes just fine. I do keep her plugged into a CTEK charger in the garage so the battery is always charged when we leave.

It amazing how quick you get used to the Morris, everything just needs to be a little less rushed, I go between a new C Class Merc and the Minor, so its quite an extreme difference in car and technology between them. I even find the headlights on the Minor OK, not that I drive her far at night but for what she does they are fine.

As said give it some time and just see how you get on, and make sure everything is spot on.

[Trickydicky]

As others have said, with the brakes, ignition and Dynamo all working well and maintained there is really no need to spend money on upgrades. Though as Biomed says upgrade to an alternator if you have loads of electrical accessories.
For night time driving you will see a little better if you install Halogen headlights.
If you buy ignition parts purchase them from Distributor Doctor, it's the only reliable source of quality ignition parts.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

if you stamp on pedal they lock up i was thinking servo may help allso i think i am going to put electronic ignition as more reliable as points thanks for your help mutch app

Then they're working fine so leave alone! Brake fluid needs renewing every few years by bleeding all the wheel cylinders topping the master cylinder up with fresh fluid. Laying the car up for any time over a month and things deteriorate so it's good practice to run it out or at least stamp on the brake pedal every week.