Morris Minor Owners Club

Hello all.
I thought I'd show you all my current project, but before I do, please take into account that I'm not a mechanic and sometimes may ask questions which may seem stupid to some.

This is Muriel. I noticed that she appeared on a post on this board back in 2021 (and have PM'd, but appears the user no longer logs on) and since then, has made her way to me, via a number of sellers (due to her registration plate). The registration mark appears to have been a private plate, originating back from the 30's. She came with no log book, and a tax disc that had a hole, right where the registration would have been written!

So, in summary. Her engine is seized solid and I've started taking it apart. I'm now at the bottom end and hoping to get the crank and camshaft out soon, to see if the engineers can save it. Thanks to people on this board, I have found out that the stamping at the front of the engine is a re work number, hence the engine number tag is missing. I'm also in touch with MMOC and currently working on photos, forms etc to get her an age related plate issued.

Anyway, here she is.......................... sorry if there are too many photos, but if you did want more then please use my link in signature (hope that's allowed).

Love the looks of the old car...

The Facebook group you sent to the link to is a private group "A_Lost_Frequency" not sure what that means.

Maybe just post your progress on here.

The folks on here will be able to answer any questions you might have.

You have a humble piece right there...hopefully you can save her.

MikeC

I concur with Mike. If you want to link to farcebook, it needs to be Public, not Private.
Perhaps start a separate Public page for the progress of the car.

No questions are stupid, ....well that's not exactly true, because there's always someone that will disprove a statement like that...
But you get the idea.
Keep the questions honest and factual, you may find supplementary questions being asked to fully understand what you're looking to get an answer about.

mikec4193 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:14 am Love the looks of the old car...

The Facebook group you sent to the link to is a private group "A_Lost_Frequency" not sure what that means.

Maybe just post your progress on here.

The folks on here will be able to answer any questions you might have.

You have a humble piece right there...hopefully you can save her.

MikeC

Hi MikeC

The page in my signature is for those wanting to watch the progress on there, and will be anyone's choice as to weather or not they'd like to follow it. The page is private for the reason that I am a solo female traveller, travelling across Europe on my own in an overland vehicle. At some stage, I may make a sperate page for the Minor rebuild.

As you can see from this link, I also post on here, however I find that it's harder to post photos (and this board has a limit) and that not that many people get involved with the discussion. For those on here wanting to see the progress, then they will, just not in as much detail

I am determined to bring Muriel back to her former glory and I hope you enjoy the updates on here

She is most definitely worth restoring to her former glory - a lovely old 1957 model with a rare unmolested dashboard!

MsRose wrote: ↑Tue Nov 19, 2024 11:44 am Hi MikeC

The page in my signature is for those wanting to watch the progress on there, and will be anyone's choice as to weather or not they'd like to follow it. The page is private for the reason that I am a solo female traveller, travelling across Europe on my own in an overland vehicle. At some stage, I may make a sperate page for the Minor rebuild.

Hi
I think you're missing the point a little.

It's a Private group, totally understandable given the nature of it, but the content can only be seen by those that join it.
So unless you're prepared to let every request your receive have access to the group, how does that fulfil your stated aim of it being for "those wanting to watch the progress on there".
They are opposing aims. Letting your trusted followers/friends keep up to date with your travels, and letting random strangers keep up to date with you car maintenance.

Day 5: Crank removal, Engineer visit and news from Kent County Council!
The day started with removing more parts from the block and having to remove the crank, pistons, cam shaft and cam followers. Dad had also turned up to help which was nice. Little bit of pressure today as I'd been dreading this last bit. The bores had been filled with penetrating fluid, but all bar one piston had refused to let the fluid through and needed to get the parts over to the Engineer over in Brierly Hill. Those pistons weren't going to come out without a battle, but then what would when it'd been stood for 47 years?
Things may have been done a lot faster, but I'm slow and methodical and have to bag and label everything up (I'd be great working in the Police, bagging up evidence). I was really grateful to receive help getting the pistons out, I'd have never have been able to do it..............without causing copious amounts of damage. The pistons were all scrap and I just hoped the same would be said for the crank (they don't come cheap).
It was better news when the crank came out. The journals looked to be in good condition, but the ultimate confirmation would have to come from the Engineer.
By lunch time my ever faithful car was loaded with the engine block, cylinder head, pistons, crank shaft, cam shaft and a few other bits and bobs and I took off on my journey to see Mark at Absolute Engines. What a fab guy he was ! He took the time to measure, explain and answer any questions I had about the engine and, most importantly, he said that on first inspection, things looked good. He was able to tell me that Muriel's engine had had a re work before and that the crank had been ground, she'd had a rebore and had oversized pistons at +40. All of the parts are now going into a hotwash next week, allowing Mark to make his final inspections. Then we move onto what needs doing, what needs ordering and the price.
Some of you will know that Muriel's registration does not appear on the DVLA database and therefore, doesn't exist. I'd been working with the Morris Minor Owners Club to try and get her a new, age related plate. I'd been told that the plate currently on the car was from 1931 and wasn't the correct registration. Turns out the MMOC were mistaken. I'd done a little research and found out that Kent County Council held an archive (Muriel's reg was a Kent registration) and I'd contacted them to see if I could uncover any information.
I got home from delivering the engine parts to the engineers and found a letter from Kent County Council waiting for me. Not only had Kent CC confirmed that the registration belonged to Muriel, but they'd also provided me with a copy from the original vehicle registration ledger, proving everything I needed to provide to DVLA to keep her original registration. It's such a shame that I cannot share the photo of the ledger with you guys, but Kent CC have strict rules on the re production of their ledgers, but it really is wonderful to see that entry, made back in 1957!
From the Heritage Certificate that I'd ordered I was able to see who Muriel first ever went to from the factory, back on 2/3rd September 1956. She was delivered to a Company called Caffyn's, who are still trading to this day. From Caffyn's she was sold to E. Kent Motors Ltd. I did a search for E. Kent Motors Ltd, but the closest name I could find was East Kent Road Car Company which was in fact a bus company. I'm unsure if I have the correct company, but If I do, then can only assume she was a company car. See the link below which gives so much information about East Kent Car Company, it's really interesting. There's also a part two of the document you can link to from the bottom of part one.
https://doverhistorian.com/.../east-kent-road-car.../
Anyway, hope you're all finding this as interesting as I am and I'll give an update as soon as I hear back from the engineer, Mark.

Much more fun and interesting than a lot of our posts.Thanks for the interesting updates

Thank you, that really means a lot.

Fascinating stuff

Like you, I'm doubtful of 'East Kent Motors Ltd' being the '' East Kent Road Car Company Ltd''. I think internet searching is just giving you nearest it can find.
Companies House has nothing for 'East Kent Motors Ltd' other than a couple of recent companies this century.
However, if you search it for '' East Kent Road Car Company Ltd', it still exists and has records back to 1916.
Quite how it works that the company is still active, yet actually part of the Stagecoach group, I've no idea.
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... y/00144585

Unless East Kent Motors Ltd was a subsidiary of the Bus Company for Tax reasons?

Have you tried contacting Caffyn's, in-case they have some sort of archive relating to their past corporate customers?

Replacing E. with East brought up East Kent Motors Ltd, Queen Street, Deal in 1935:
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/east-kent- ... 606952082/
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a5/5c/63/a55c ... c2ce28.jpg)

This site has a lower quality version:
https://davidskardon.wixsite.com/skardo ... d-pictures

The person operating it has dedicated both their site and YouTube channel to Deal's history, maybe they'd be able to give you further information if you asked via the contact form near-ish to the end of the page:
https://davidskardon.wixsite.com/skardons-world

And here it is on Street View in 2023, it used to be a Kwik-Fit but now sells toy cars (and still has a Kiwk-Fit attached behind it, maybe the site of a former bus depot? - or just the works area for the former EKM Ltd, actually you can see the old servicing buildings through the windows in 1935).
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.22271 ... FQAw%3D%3D

Thanks Cheif, this is great

MsRose wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 2:11 pm
From the Heritage Certificate that I'd ordered I was able to see who Muriel first ever went to from the factory, back on 2/3rd September 1956. She was delivered to a Company called Caffyn's, who are still trading to this day. From Caffyn's she was sold to E. Kent Motors Ltd. I did a search for E. Kent Motors Ltd, but the closest name I could find was East Kent Road Car Company which was in fact a bus company. I'm unsure if I have the correct company, but If I do, then can only assume she was a company car.

You're making great progress with this but I think you're barking up the wrong tree with the above thought. Most smaller BMC dealers (Morris was part of BMC) had to purchase their cars from a Distributor. The dealership I worked for had to do this. The distributor generally would have sold the whole range of BMC cars - Austin, Morris, Wolseley, Riley, MG, Austin Healey etc - but a smaller dealer would be more limited.
I have a book from 1956 listing every BMC outlet and, at that time, East Kent Motors Ltd. at Queen Street Garage and New Street, Sandwich, were listed as Morris and Wolseley dealers. On that basis, they probably simply acquired your Morris from Caffyns before selling it on to their customer.

Keep up the good work!

ManyMinors wrote: ↑Sun Nov 24, 2024 10:01 am East Kent Motors Ltd. at Queen Street Garage and New Street, Sandwich,

Reading that makes it look like you mean it's listed in your book as Queen Street and New Street, both being in Sandwich - however, there is no Queen Street in Sandwich.

There is a New Street in both Sandwich and Deal and interestingly enough the The East-Kent Road Car Company had a building in New Street, Sandwich:
https://seearoundbritain.com/venues/the ... dwich-kent

Chief wrote: ↑Sat Nov 23, 2024 8:43 pm East Kent Motors Ltd, Queen Street, Deal in 1935:
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/east-kent- ... 606952082/
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/a5/5c/63/a55c ... c2ce28.jpg)

And here it is on Street View in 2023

I think it had already been established that East Kent Motors Queen Street garage was in Deal. That is why I didn't repeat it

For those who don't read the whole post: The Queen Street Garage was indeed in Deal.
The New Street Garage was in Sandwich

I was just checking as I've seen mistakes in those kinds of books before, so I just wondered if they'd left out the "Deal" and clumped the two together in a Sandwich filling....

Small update as I didn't have much time yesterday and, the block and head are still waiting for inspection by the engineer.

Day 6: I don’t really have a very big update today, but I’m still moving on with Muriel’s engine. I’ve never used a parts washer before, until today and I can actually say I’m obsessed .
I haven’t yet had the call from the engineer and so I thought I’d just degrease and clean the parts I have left. Some of the parts now need the gaskets and sealant removing before I can start priming, ready for paint.
Thank you to all of you who follow, comment and like my posts, it’s much appreciated.

What a great project! What's that red stuff on the rocker cover?

The red stuff is what someone had used to paint on a hose. The stuff doesn’t seem to harden and it’s fine everywhere, including all over my work trousers!

MsRose wrote: ↑Fri Nov 29, 2024 10:42 am The red stuff is what someone had used to paint on a hose. The stuff doesn’t seem to harden and it’s fine everywhere, including all over my work trousers!

Looks like they used Hylomar Red on all the gaskets too, not really necessary if using decent gaskets and soaked them in oil before fitting.
But that red on the Rocker and the Fan Boss looks too bright to be Hylomar