What was the best thing you got to help you with your Moggy !

[CMG]

Just got my 1st Minor (1970 saloon) in need of a bit of TLC , just wondered what the best thing you bought / got to make life easier for jobs needed on a Minor . Be it tools , jigs , manuals , something you wished you had got sooner etc and what is was and why ?

I have worked on vehicles all my life doing mechanical and bodywork but never a Classic like the Morris Minor so any Hints or Tips would be appreciated.

[svenedin]

The extending bonnet prop that enables the bonnet to be opened to near vertical. Improves lighting of jobs a great deal and prevents hitting your head on the bonnet. I fitted this a few months ago after 36 years of hitting my head. Should have done it years ago.....

Stephen

[geoberni]

The actual BL/Morris Minor Workshop Manual; it always surprises me, particularly on Farcebook, how many people attempt doing significant jobs, even such as working on their brakes, without having a clue about the topic, because they don't have the Workshop Manual.

You can buy bound, hard copy new reprints, or old loose leaf original ones on ebay, there's even library type websites where you can download pdf versions for free, just search for AKD 530. If buying an old loose leaf one, be careful as some of them are not the final edition so might not go as recent as your car. Final Version was 14th Edition.
**Don't pay for a pdf manual from places like ebay** There's some scammers out there charging £10 or more for pdfs that can be found for free.
This USA website Oklahoma British Car Breakfast Club is quite useful for downloads.
Their Home page seems to have gone down post Covid, but somehow their Library is still available:
https://britishcarbreakfastclubcom.word ... l-library/
It includes several useful publications, including the AKD530 (at item 31) and a Lucas booklet intended to help diagnose Electrical generating problems (item 15). There's some tuning books in the list too if that's of interest.

The pdf of original parts books are useful references to know what standard your particular car was built to, obviously the last version given it's year , but they can also help with other configuration details, even just being able to find original part numbers.
Those can be found as AKD3541 and AKD3542.

[King Kenny]

The best thing I ever got was an SPQR tappet adjuster. It has saved me no end of time and frustration.

SPQR copy.jpg (138.51 KiB) Viewed 564 times

[mike1864]

The extending bonnet prop that enables the bonnet to be opened to near vertical. Improves lighting of jobs a great deal and prevents hitting your head on the bonnet. I fitted this a few months ago after 36 years of hitting my head. Should have done it years ago.....

Stephen

Seconded. They were invented and marketed by the Dorset branch; I don't know the current supplier (if any!)

[geoberni]

The extending bonnet prop that enables the bonnet to be opened to near vertical. Improves lighting of jobs a great deal and prevents hitting your head on the bonnet. I fitted this a few months ago after 36 years of hitting my head. Should have done it years ago.....

Stephen

Seconded. They were invented and marketed by the Dorset branch; I don't know the current supplier (if any!)

ESM carry them, but currently out of stock.
Dorset Branch website says they have them still:
https://dorsetmmoc.co.uk/wordpress/new- ... -photo=121

[svenedin]

The best thing I ever got was an SPQR tappet adjuster. It has saved me no end of time and frustration.SPQR copy.jpg

Agree. A fantastic tool that I use too.

Stephen

[CMG]

The extending bonnet prop that enables the bonnet to be opened to near vertical. Improves lighting of jobs a great deal and prevents hitting your head on the bonnet. I fitted this a few months ago after 36 years of hitting my head. Should have done it years ago.....

Stephen
Definitely will have one of these on the list , I am forever banging my head on bonnets and it nearly always is the corners

[CMG]

The actual BL/Morris Minor Workshop Manual; it always surprises me, particularly on Farcebook, how many people attempt doing significant jobs, even such as working on their brakes, without having a clue about the topic, because they don't have the Workshop Manual.

You can buy bound, hard copy new reprints, or old loose leaf original ones on ebay, there's even library type websites where you can download pdf versions for free, just search for AKD 530. If buying an old loose leaf one, be careful as some of them are not the final edition so might not go as recent as your car. Final Version was 14th Edition.
**Don't pay for a pdf manual from places like ebay** There's some scammers out there charging £10 or more for pdfs that can be found for free.
This USA website Oklahoma British Car Breakfast Club is quite useful for downloads.
Their Home page seems to have gone down post Covid, but somehow their Library is still available:
https://britishcarbreakfastclubcom.word ... l-library/
It includes several useful publications, including the AKD530 (at item 31) and a Lucas booklet intended to help diagnose Electrical generating problems (item 15). There's some tuning books in the list too if that's of interest.

The pdf of original parts books are useful references to know what standard your particular car was built to, obviously the last version given it's year , but they can also help with other configuration details, even just being able to find original part numbers.
Those can be found as AKD3541 and AKD3542.
[ Thankyou , looks very detailed and worth having ]

[svenedin]

The extending bonnet prop that enables the bonnet to be opened to near vertical. Improves lighting of jobs a great deal and prevents hitting your head on the bonnet. I fitted this a few months ago after 36 years of hitting my head. Should have done it years ago.....

Stephen
Definitely will have one of these on the list , I am forever banging my head on bonnets and it nearly always is the corners

Yes at the corners and that usually involves bleeding. Not recommended!

[Wes]

Just got my 1st Minor (1970 saloon) in need of a bit of TLC , just wondered what the best thing you bought / got to make life easier for jobs needed on a Minor . Be it tools , jigs , manuals , something you wished you had got sooner etc and what is was and why ?

Oil absorbent sheets for your garage floor!

[Wes]

Just got my 1st Minor (1970 saloon) in need of a bit of TLC , just wondered what the best thing you bought / got to make life easier for jobs needed on a Minor . Be it tools , jigs , manuals , something you wished you had got sooner etc and what is was and why ?

A Battery cut-off switch to save battery life when car not in use and also easy to disconnect when working on car

[Wes]

original nenette duster

[rocco]

Impact gun. I was full of dread when I was tearing apart the engine because of the crankshaft bolt. I remember having an old mini about 30-years ago of which I wanted to replace the rattling timing chain. I had the thing in gear, nudged up against a wall with a big extension bar and still couldn't loosen the bügger. I used the impact gun on the moggy last year and it spun straight off so it made me feel particularly pleased. Could have just been loose already though, most of the other bolts were!

-

ImpactGun.jpg (45.34 KiB) Viewed 460 times

[mike1864]

The extending bonnet prop that enables the bonnet to be opened to near vertical. Improves lighting of jobs a great deal and prevents hitting your head on the bonnet. I fitted this a few months ago after 36 years of hitting my head. Should have done it years ago.....

Stephen
Definitely will have one of these on the list , I am forever banging my head on bonnets and it nearly always is the corners

Whenever I don't invoke the Dorset extender (thinking the job in hand is a quickie), I find there's a 90% probability of banging my head.
The corners create a triangular dent in it.
The edges create a shallow groove.
And the bonnet catch makes a neat circle!

[moggiethouable]

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A simple beasty, the ratchet wrench goes one end and the socket the other, just a belt drive saves a great deal of literal back ache reaching for the unreachable nut and bolt.

[Bill_qaz]

In a similar idea, handle stowed it a normal ratchet, when released pumping the handle drives the square drive.

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20250604_133758.jpg (1.47 MiB) Viewed 427 times

[svenedin]

On the subject of tools one of the most useful purchases I ever made was a set of Facom AF ratcheting, flexible head, combination spanners. Saved a lot of cursing over the years. Well worth the investment.

Stephen

[philthehill]

Knowledge
And it does not cost a penny to acquire.

Plus
'e' bay and the web of course .

[Classiccars]

Ron as he knows more.