Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello All. I am a new member. I have been researching MM, and very much interested in owning one when the dust has settled.

Welcome to the MMOC.

Phil

Brian
Welcome to the Forum. Keep the questions , concerns , other peoples preferences ( and why ) etc. coming.
I don't suppose you've got any inside information on " when the dust settles " have you ? Let's hope it's not long.
Bob

Welcome Brian, where abouts in the country are you?

I am based in broxbourne, in Hertfordshire, just outside of North London.
Bob, my optism tells me this situation will be conquered within the year

hi brian
i am also new on here but cant wait to get my minor on the road once we get rid of this horrible virus

stay safe dave

Hello and welcome Brian,
Hopefully there will be a national next year, for you to attend. Always worth noting on the calendar.
You haven't said whether you want a low light MM or actually a Series 2, so to whet your appetite:

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1219657
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1219481
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1192515
https://classicandsportscar.com/feature ... -series-ii
The last link is to a buyers guide, which seemed quite fair. Prices can be all over the place, so bargain hard and don't end up paying too much. No matter what the advert or advertiser says, no Morris Minor is 'that' rare!
Be prepared to walk away, if the car is either not what you want or too much money. Fix a sum in your head on what you think a car is worth and stick to it, there will always be another.
Sorry if it sound like I'm trying to teach you to 'suck eggs' but there are plenty of overpriced cars out there, as well as fairly priced ones.
The one late 40's MM I found for sale, at present, they wanted 20 grand plus for and no-one in there right mind is going to pay that!
Look in the club's 'Minor Matters' magazine, as well. There is usually a good selection in there.
Best wishes,
Mike.

Thank you Mike. At this point I am undecided as to the type of MM I want. They all look interesting. I do intend to drive it very often. I like that old car smell

What is the difference between a series II and a lowlight?

I will go away and do some my home work

Early Series 2: Late Series 2: Lowlight MM: Apart from the visual differences, Lowlights and very early Series 2's will have a sidevalve engine (originally). Later early Series 2's and Late Series 2's (with the slatted grill, as pictured above) got the 'A' seies engine but only in 803cc form, which can't be modified in themselves to produce any more power output and which can struggle to pull the skin off the proverbial rice pudding.....
Which is why it is not uncommon to find a Series 2 with a later engine / running gear fitted for practicality.
It really depends on what you want from your car.
Best wishes,
Mike.

Welcome and good luck in finding the right car.

jagnut66 wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:59 pm
Apart from the visual differences, Lowlights and very early Series 2's will have a sidevalve engine (originally).
It really depends on what you want from your car.
Best wishes,
Mike.

If I might correct one thing:

Early Series 11s did NOT have a sidevalve engine.
The Morris Minor "MM" was the sidevalve car. Early examples had the "lowlight" body panels and later examples had the "highlight" panels but all "MM" models had the sidevalve engine when built and all Series 11s were given the 803cc overhead valve unit.
As Mike says, many earlier cars will have been modified along the way.
Good luck in your search. There are many books available on the subject if you wish to do some reading and research.

Thanks for the info chaps. I had seen mention made of the side valve engine. Is this engine inferior in terms of performance/reliability?

Early Series 11s did NOT have a sidevalve engine.

That's interesting because I'm sure I have seen a Series 2 (highlight) for sale with a sidevalve fitted, I shall have a look and see if I can find it again, though it's probably sold by now, as it was in good condition and fairly priced.

I know there has been some retro fitting of Lowlight panels to later cars recently, out of personal preference because the owner liked the Lowlight stying.
However I thought that originally all MMs were Lowlight models and all Series 2s were highlight models.
I may be mistaken of course, I shall have to take another look at Ray's book.
Best wishes,
Mike.

It all comes down to preference really and not everyone will agree. I would say that a sidevalve engine (918cc) in good condition will have fairly low performance but should be reliable and long-lasting. Based on the experience of owning one many years ago I am of the opinion that the first (803cc) overhead valve engine was a pretty dismal thing with little power and little strength - mated to a gearbox with ill-chosen ratios making for a rather poor driving experience.
The first Minor 1000 (1956 and single piece windscreen fitted with a 948cc overhead valve engine) was a vast improvement in terms of the engine and gearbox - which is why many owners of earlier cars transplanted the mechanicals from a Minor 1000 into their older cars.
Some people prefer the older appearance of the "MM" and "Series 11" cars with their split windscreens. Others would rather have as late a car as possible with the various upgrades they received such as 1098cc engine, larger brakes, larger windscreens, better wipers, heater, lighting, seatbelt mountings etc etc. Most of these later items can be added to earlier cars of course if you wish to. Some owners want to have a car exactly to factory specification and others derive pleasure in modifying their cars to a very high level indeed. The club caters for all and most of us sit somewhere in between!

I would suggest thinking about the use your car is likely to receive and what most appeals to you - and then go and look at some cars and drive some!

I would suggest thinking about the use your car is likely to receive and what most appeals to you - and then go and look at some cars and drive some!

Good advice.
I remember the first time I drove a Series 2, it was quite an eye opener. It seemed so different to the later 1000 models.
I left that one, went away and thought about it / let it sink in.

Then I tried another and just thought, yes! I like these.

Best wishes,
Mike.

Early Series 11s did NOT have a sidevalve engine.

Well that was a unusually short search, I found this (link below):

viewtopic.php?t=52188#p492889

I can't imagine it being a retro-fit, that would be a backwards step......
However I stand corrected about the use of the MM title, as I have also found my advert:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt ... AdAAAAABAW

Hopefully it went to someone who loves originality, as personally I can't imagine living with a sidevalve engine, though the rest of the car is lovely and I would leave 'as is'.
That said, I am going to have to try one at some point now, as I really shouldn't criticise without having sampled an example.
Best wishes,
Mike.

Due to our higher headlamp requirement in the States, even the home market Minors received the higher lights still in the MM era. My understanding is the change to the overhead valve engine is the start of the Series II. The wheel/axles were changed within the Series II.

All MMs, whether high or low headlamps, had the sidevalve engine originally. All SII cars had the OHV engine and correspondingly different transmission details. The early SII cars do, however, look like the raised headlamp MMs until you open the bonnet! Having said that, a closer examination reveals that the SII cars had a different bonnet motif and badge to the MM models.
But, of course, all models of Minors have had a variety of engines fitted since (at minimum), which can confuse the uninitiated.