Morris Minor Owners Club

Dear sirs, I am restoring my 1957 Morris Minor saloon 4 door. Please could I know if back of front panel/grille sorround and radiator panel must be painted black or into body colour.
Many thanks, Max

Both

At factory panel fitted in black paint and then exposed top rail parts painted in body colour..

Taupe

The black surrounding the radiator looks better than a lighter body colour giving a solid black hole behind the louvers. A simply masking since the dividing line is hidden

A lot of Minors had cream grilles ie blue and green ones

I don't think he is asking about the colour of the grille itself is he?
In any case the grille would not usually have been cream on a 1957 car. That was a later feature.

Manyminors have a look in Ray Newells book Original Morris Minor page 56 and 58 Minors 1956 -1962 cream grilles.Taupe is correct if Bendetto is on about the panel behind

irmscher wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 12:11 am Manyminors have a look in Ray Newells book Original Morris Minor page 56 and 58 Minors 1956 -1962 cream grilles.Taupe is correct if Bendetto is on about the panel behind

You're mistaken irmscher. What that book actually says is "this 1957 four door saloon displays the contrasting GREY wheels and grille bars which were the standard colour for black cars." All the other photos on those pages are of a 1961 car which, correctly for that year, does have a cream grille.

Yes, the panel behind the grille should be black.

The wheels and grille were body colour through the Series II. Then only black had Birch Grey for those items and then used on the darker colours. Then in 59 Birch Grey was replaced with Pearl Grey which was used with all colours. In 61 Pearl Grey was replaced by Old English White.

How do you explain my 57 traveller all original from new apart from the wood and exhaust has cream wheels and grille panel from new ?

What colour is the 57 traveler?

Green

Confirming with the book with slight correction, for the first run of 1000 all the dark colours had Birch Grey wheels. It was only the black that had a grey grille. One possibility is it was a special build. Ray Newell's book and the parts books mention single serial numbers for items indicating a unique build for whatever reason. Some may not have been recorded and/or where modified off the line. I know of a traveller here in the States that was built with a 1275 and Series II seats due to a special request.

Bendetto, welcome to the forum, you'll be amazed at how a simple question can generate so much discussion!

If you want to enter the car in a concours competition or as a museum piece then you need to get the colour correct, and I agree with others that it should be black. If you just want to enjoy the car and use it, then choose whatever colour you think looks good. Some people will agree with your choice and for anyone who doesn't then that's their problem, not yours

Ray's books are excellent but a lot of research has to rely on old factory records, and they are not like modern traceable computer data; they are hand written ledgers, and mistakes did occur. Moreover, I have spoken with two ex-production line workers who have both said that they sometimes ran out of a particular part and rather than stop the line, they might fit an equivalent part in a different colour. I doubt that would apply to body parts, but have found examples with trim and wheel colour varying from norm, but with full trace through all owners. Also consider the "transitional" cars where they had some features of earlier models and some of later ones. Morris / BMC / BL would not waste money by throwing away perfectly good parts. It all adds tio the fun oif owning a Minor.

As Simon says a lot of records were lost and the club does not have them .I don't think Lord Nuffield would of thrown anything away as he was known to be very penny conscious

irmscher wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 10:26 pm How do you explain my 57 traveller all original from new apart from the wood and exhaust has cream wheels and grille panel from new ?

I'm very doubtful that it would have been like that from new. It is not the standard colour scheme for that year as can be seen in the late 1950s handbooks and sales brochures. My own 1958 green Traveller always had grey wheels and a body colour green grille and my 1956 Minor 1000 had a cream grille when I bought it secondhand but was body colour beneath the cream - as I would have expected - when I later rubbed it down and repainted it. It is common for owners to "update" their cars over the years and add later features isn't it.

Green was used in 57 and the car has not been touched I can assure you as I knew the last owning family .

Irmscher, I am not doubting that green was available in 1957. In fact two different greens, Sage Green and Dark green were offered, both being carried on from the Series 11 models. However, the cream grille was not used until several years later and both Sage Green and Dark Green Series 11 and Minor 1000 cars left the factory with body colour grilles. Many were subsequently changed of course - as it is natural for owners to prefer a more modern look. I think most owners agree that cream wheels and grilles suit a Minor the best.

Not sure they do suit a Minor best. Later cars with Silver / Ali coloured wheels, IMHO look better with cream wheels esp if the grille is also cream, and cream (OEIW) is better than white. Earlier cars such as sage green and my own Clarendon Grey, again IMHO look better with wheels and grille body coloured. That said, each to their own. Your car, do as you wish with it. We are a broad church and ought to tolerate dissent from absolute purity.

I fully agree that any owner should paint his grille whatever colour he or she wishes. My points were only made because the original question seemed to be to determine what was originally used. Like you Firedrake, I prefer a Minor/Minor 1000 to look broadly original so left the grille of my 1958 car in body colour. However, many 1950s Minors do now sport cream wheels and grilles for a brighter, more modern look

I agree Manyminors it makes the car look brighter .I think it was a special order ? as the company my fathers friend owned there main colour was green .The car also has a travellers badge on the grille not the car but commercial salesmans association .