Morris Minor Owners Club

Just for anybody interested.

A video showing the processes involved in restoring a classic car radiator.

The business doing the repairs is fairly local to me and they will be restoring my radiator (which is original and leaks). They also repair fuel tanks.

https://youtu.be/Itxd7kJuEX0?si=ZibvgsJhqKv59CpI

Stephen

Here's my radiator. It's going for refurbishment. It's clearly been repaired before. I love that "Marston Radiator Services" signed their work with a nice plate.

Thanks are due to Berni who noticed that my engine bay corrosion suggested the radiator was leaking, which it was. You can buy an excellent new radiator for the late cars which is made on the original tooling. In fact, it would be slightly cheaper to buy a new radiator rather than have the old one refurbished but then you lose history and originality and it's a waste of resources.

Stephen

svenedin wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2025 9:05 am
Thanks are due to Berni who noticed that my engine bay corrosion suggested the radiator was leaking, which it was.

Stephen

You're welcome.
I totally understand your wish to keep the repair company ID plate.

When I brought Basil, he had a late model Radiator fitted. I was fortunate enough to obtain at a reasonable price, a repaired SII one, that had sat unused for decades in a personal garage. The guy selling it was disposing of his late father's bits and pieces and it still had the hose connections closed off with fabric tap.
A nice brass plate from it's overhaul in the 60s or 70s.
Is there any chance your one is brass under the paint?
.

Very nice! I'm not sure what the ID plate is made of. Aaron Radiators liked seeing it and immediately said don't worry we'll keep that without me asking. They also instantly said "Morris Minor 1000" with the radiator still in my hand. Impressive!

Stephen

Not many good radiator repair people left. I took mine to Bryan & Son in Tunbridge Wells last year. A really lovely guy who had done the job for decades and new exactly what he was doing. I had expected to leave it with him, but when he discovered the repair was a fairly simple one, he did it while I waited. We chatted and put the world to rights and I discovered he is 84 and still working! Get in quick before he retires!

Years ago, a lot of local garages were able to repair a radiator or there would be a local branch of Serck for rebuilds. Good radiator rebuild companies are now few and far between. Sadly it's easier and cheaper to buy a new radiator, usually inferior quality, than it is to refurbish an original one.