Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,
I have recently joined the club and thought I would introduce myself.
I recently bought a 1966 Morris 1000 through a friend of a friend complete with its V5.
The car was last taxed in 1979 and after was taken off the road for some repairs.
It had 2 new front wings and a new passenger door fitted. When I emtied the inside I discovered that the drivers side floor had some ugly patches welded to the floor. After it had all this work done it was left in a garage for 20 years when this friend's friend started stripping it for a restoration.
I intend to take the car to a local sandblaster to have the floor blasted so I can replace all 4 quarters and sort the sills giving me a strong shell to start with.
The question is do I restore it back to original or do I upgrade suspension/brakes/engine/and box. There is also most the interior fixings missing so plenty of work ahead which I intend to catalogue.
what do you guy's think any help and discussion would be much appreciated
Thanks Peterk

Welcome to the forum, looks like you've got some work ahead and it won't be all plain sailing! Very satisfying journey non the less though. You may get a shock after sand blasting it does seem to find all the thin metal, which of course, is probably not a bad thing. Don't be worried about upgrading if you want to, there are some nice mods available, there again originality appeals to some. With restorations I tend to favour standard spec initially, then when on the road, a judgement can be better made regarding improvements. Your preference though. Good luck.

As regards upgrade vs original - also don't be scared of original.
There's a reason the cars are still running - because they were amazing.

Original engine, gearbox and suspension.are more than OK for modern roads.
The original brakes are NOT what people are used to if they've only driven a modern. I'm happy enough with the 8" drums but I cut my teeth driving a minor. 9" drums are a period option or there are disks.

Suspension upgrades - Poly bushes are better (more durable). The rest not needed unless it's been made to go faster. It's personal choice and many people want to upgrade. Most upgrades are based around the original suspension anyway.. so you may as well keep it and add modifications if you still want them after you drive it a while.

Consider how you will use the car. As a runaround original spec is fine,you will not have any problem. If you are thinking motorway type journeys,regularly, what about the 1275 engine with the Ford 5 speed box? Still looks right( ish).

We paid £600 to have the entire car and all metal components blasted with glass beads. Took a while to hoover the glass out but was not that difficult. The whole thing then got sprayed with a rust-proof primer and then I started the metalwork replacement. Worked well that way.

If you think you have some rust in the sills then it may help to hack the corners off so the blaster car get in there and give it Welly. I wish I had done that!


Minors are one of the few cars that don't lose value if modified (except early MMs).

I think a previous owner sandblasted mine - this rust and sand muesli is what I found when I started cutting away the chassis legs

Thanks for all for your replies. As regards the sandblasting I want the floor in its worst condition so I know how much work I have ahead ...didn't realise sand caused so many probs, so by asking you guys I have learnt something....gonna go with beads.the car is outside on my drive and after blasting will go to a friends garage for welding, how fast do I need to get paint on. I'd rather have some time to play with.
I think I'm gonna go with 1275 cc with twin S.U's. Also how much hassle is fitting the Ford 5 speed box.
Questions a plenty and I am sorry to harrass you guys but I have a dream......lol

Hold onto that dream and make it reality !
Once blasted you don't have much time before rust will try and start it's work again. Moisture in the air will start attacking.
Get your welding done asap and get some decent rust prevention / primer on as soon as you can. Even with just straightforward primer
slapped on rust will attack , if it is left without further coats of paint being applied.
If your mates garage is a professional garage , I guess we're thinking heated premises , it which case you will have more time on your hands.
Bob

Good advice, I used to work in a company that, amongst other engineering procedures, had a shot blasting facility, as soon as items were blasted they were dipped in a liquid and left to dry, Genfoss or similar rings a bell, it gave protection from rust. In fact I had some wheels blasted and treated this way and they stood for several years without paint and no sign of rust. Of course a large object would not be as easy to treat, so as above prime etc as soon as possible.

Some 2-pack (maybe all?) and Epoxy primers are waterproof. Worth slapping a coat all over the car after the blasting and then just grind off where you want to weld. Celly primer and stonechip aren't waterproof at all.

Sand hasn't been used for blasting for a while except in sealed environments so glass or Garnet get used. Soda is a good option if you are having it done at home.

I think I'm gonna go with 1275 cc with twin S.U's. Also how much hassle is fitting the Ford 5 speed box.

A single 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" SU would be just as good if not better and easier to balance / set up, this is what I had on mine. Twin 1 1/4" SU's can be a lot of hassle for very little gain.
I had a ford type 9 on my 1275 in Abby for a few years, bought as a rebuilt unit, rebuilt twice, including the fitment of a drain plug for changing the oil, as they don't come with one as standard................. in the end I got fed up with with it and went back to a standard 1098 gearbox and never had any more trouble!
However if you plan to drive it hard on one of these you would want one rebuilt with stronger 1275 (Midget) internals, or source an MG Midget gearbox.
The 1275 is the engine it should have ended up with in production, in my opinion, I suppose there was too much in house rivalry in Leyland..................
Best wishes,
Mike.