Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi everyone,

Newbie to the MMOC forums and I am looking for a bit of advice... I would like to buy a Morris Traveller and I have seen a couple that take my fancy but before I take the plunge I had a couple of questions. I do not have indoor storage (a garage) so my question is how would it be fair outside all year round albeit under a cover? Secondly, if it could be kept outdoors all year round what cover/precautions would be recommended? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Q

We might not all agree on this, but personally, having done it, I would not have another Traveller and keep it outside all the time because the timber frame requires so much more attention. I gather that there are some excellent outdoor covers available now but my own experience of covers has not been good and my saloon, which lives quite happily outside, is left uncovered.

Agreed

It all depends on how often you're going to drive it, doesn't it? If you'll be out every day then nothing to worry about, if only once a month or less than that, consideration will differ.

I did spend some time researching inflatable garages with powered blowers to keep them up, then wondered if I could do it with solar energy, rechargable batteries and then just about every option going - until I finally gave up with a brain strain and no real idea what the best solution would truly be.

If I owned a property with the drive or garden, I'd definitely have had a shelter of some kind over the car, and a cover.

When I bought mine it had been ‘restored’ 7 years previous but kept outside most of the time. The wood had been varnished and had started to crack at the joints letting moisture in.

One of my first jobs was to remove all of the varnish and allow the wood to dry out in my de-humidified garage for a month whilst treating it with stabiliser and preservative.

I caught it just in time and the wood is solid and now treated with sikkens. I think treating with sikkens would have allowed better protection from the elements from the outset.

Rather than a 'cover' which are know to cause humidity issues in their own right, have you got room for something else?

I know of a town on the East Coast of England, salt air etc, where someone has limited space in their front garden.
Their cover seems to consist of lattice trellis and plastic sheeting, just to cover their driveway....
Image from Google Earth.

Rocco has covered a good point. How often will the car be used ? If it is used a lot and will get dried and fresh air a lot, it might be ok. If it was to sit under a cover for weeks and months, it would likely suffer from damp. It seems that covers, certainly the cheap ones, will hold moisture against the paint work and this can leading to blistering of the paint.

Do you have any room for a temporary type structure like this ? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke- ... rage---da/ Something like this would keep the elements out but let fresh air and a breeze around the car.

Thanks for your advice so far...

Well, the plan would be to use it as often as possible in dry weather and when it was wet to keep it under a cover!

In an ideal world one like in the link @philipkearney sent but in all probability, it'd be one of good quality, (and in my opinion not a cheap one) from an outfit called Storm or a similar company that does an outdoor waterproof, breathable car cover specifically for Morris Minors.

By no means would I leave it under a cover for weeks and months at a time as I'd want to constantly admire it...

I am guessing and I am not sure if this is the right or wrong way to look at it, if the woodwork was oiled rather than varnished and I kept up the oiling on a regular basis, it would only benefit the longevity of the frame!?

I just really want a Morris Minor and to be quite frank at the moment I'd probably settle for a saloon if keeping a traveler the way I am describing above is not recommended.

I would say that, if keeping the car outside, a saloon is a much better alternative. My own saloon seems quite content outside and doesn't deteriorate visibly if kept clean and looked after. I very much see the appeal of a traveller but you'll get a much better saloon than a traveller for the same money. Travellers are moderately expensive now

With regards Traveller timber, I was given osmo oil with mine. The previous owner recommended an annual rub down with fine sandpaper, to give it a key, and re-oil. It seems to have worked well and unlike varnish doesn’t crack. (The car is out in the rain now and then, but has been kept garaged since restoration ten or so years ago).

I would expect you’d be doing that sort of thing a lot more often if a Traveller was kept outdoors. You also need to pay attention to the sealant between the timber and body panels, so water doesn’t get in there.

That said, I’m in agreement the comments above suggesting a saloon is much better suited to a life outside. You’ll get a “better” car for your money. But ultimately it’s your choice and down to how much time and money you have.

Thanks very much for the advice which I’ve taken on board and as it’s seeming impossible to find somewhere local to store it (ie) a barn or a lock up I’ll start focusing my search for a saloon instead…

You'll certainly find a greater selection of saloons available and probably cheaper than most travellers too. If the car has good glass rubbers all round then it should be nice and watertight. Give the car a good coat of of quality polish, probably a wax, to keep the water beading and it should stand up much better to the elements.

If you do plump for a traveller, you'll find plenty of threads on here covering treatments for the timber. It's a topic that gets raised frequently.

Travellers are very versatile, but more problematic than saloons because, like saloons, rust can attack but, in addition, there is the wood which can - and does - rot. I had one once which had toadstools growing out of the woodwork Then the back doors fell apart

I would not want to keep a Traveller outside permanently, no matter how well tended the wood is, it still gets damp and that does it no good at all.

Opting for a saloon is a good move in my opinion. When I bought mine it had been standing outside for 18-years but was/is surprisingly solid having been under a roof. I suppose having fiberglass/plastic wings helped keep some of the rust away too

As said before, if you just want a classic motor to bimble about in, a Traveller, charming as it is, is a bit less practical when you're unable to keep it dry.

quinners wrote: ↑Thu Oct 13, 2022 5:38 pm Thanks very much for the advice which I’ve taken on board and as it’s seeming impossible to find somewhere local to store it (ie) a barn or a lock up I’ll start focusing my search for a saloon instead…

There are classic car storage facilities around the country, you could check and see if there’s one near you if your heart is set on a Traveller? There’s one near me in West Scotland (exact location not disclosed for obvious reasons) that charges £75 a month. It’s a big climate controlled unit with allocated parking spaces, cars all dust covered etc. All CCTV covered and secure. Not a bad price for what you get, considering how much council lock ups can cost.

If you opt for a saloon you’ll love it just the same.

Would you consider a van instead? You can put glass in the side panels

Here is a van project which already has the windows in the side.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284995267694 ... R5ir4ar7YA

HA, yeah saw that van project on eBay too - would probably be biting off a bit more than I can chew on that one!!

** UPDATE **

So I’ve taken the plunge and have bought a 1967 Trafalgar Blue 2 door saloon - can’t wait to get it home!!

Thanks again for everyone’s advice, but I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions as and when they arise!