Push me in the right direction ;)

[RustAndMagic]

Hi!
So i am looking for a Morris minor in Sweden, they are not that common here, I have found 3 newer ones, all 2 door (58-61), they are in ok condition, but nothing to jump high about, I also found a 1951, 4 door in great condition (no test drive yet though), body is almost like new, inside, outside and under, chrome like new, engine bay is clean enough to eat in there, nothing leaking more than it should I cannot find any rust besides some small surface rust in a few spots under, new radiator, distributor, interior is worn but original, comes with lots of original documentation, I looked around on spares and the OHV engines has plenty of parts available, the side valve not so much though as far as I can tell, but maybe I am not looking at the correct places.

I will use it for driving, cars should be used, shorter distances most of the time, all year around as long as the roads are dry, so it will be used a lot, small roads, no motor ways or anything so the little weaker engine is no problem, but I do worry a little about parts for it, so not sure if I should go for that one or leave that for the collectors and wait until I find one with an OHV engine in good condition.

As far as I understand the side valve is pretty reliable as long as taken good care of, any huge difference between a side valve and OHV in that area ?

Any input that would push me in either direction is of interest

(I would not want to change the engine to an OHV, that just feels wrong and it's also a mess to do here as it would involve a lot of paperwork, better to wait for a newer car instead).

[Andmurph]

Welcome to the forums! Where about in Sweden are you?
I lived in Stockholm for a few years with work and travelled a lot around Sweden and Norway. There used to be a really strong British Classic car community in Stockholm albeit mor Jaguars and Minis than anything else.
I’d suggest coming over to UK to find a car and drive it back if you are in the south. 250-300 miles a day is comfortable for the 1098 engine in our 71 pickup but I’m sure it’ll do more. The engine, gearbox and brakes are all original and I’d not hesitate to fill it with fuel and head to the ferry.

As for spares, I also look after a 1275 MG Midget and find most parts have been very easy to source in UK from multiple MG, Morris Minor and Mini specialists. Dynamo parts from numerous agricultural tractor parts places.

These cars are great fun to drive, easy to maintain and very reliable. If you find a good one to start with you’ll have a lot of fun.

I have no experience of the side valve engines but understand they are considerably less powerful and harder to get parts for.

The only part I have struggled to find is an interior lamp cover. They are notorious for becoming brittle and falling apart. You can find them at shows and online occasionally for crazy prices.

Good luck with your search!

[les]

The one that you say has a body almost as new, would be my choice, everything else is manageable.

[RustAndMagic]

I live on the west coast of Sweden, a little south of Gothenburg

[Andmurph]

I completely agree with Les. Perfect bodywork would be ideal as the mechanicals are straight forward and parts are reasonably easy to ship from uk or in carry on luggage if you have friends in UK.
Whether you’re looking for completely original or sympathetically modernised with an alternator for example, there are plenty of really nice cars to choose from if you don’t mind RHD. If LHD is required then there are a few nice cars for sale in Holland from time to time especially Travellers.
I’ve driven from South-west England to Gothenburg a fair number of times in my modern BMW and a number of trucks. There are some fantastic driving roads along the way if you do choose to drive one back.

[RustAndMagic]

Thanks for the input, I will take the 1951 for a drive and see how it is, if it drives well and engine is in good condition I might buy that one.

[mrs.smith2012]

I’m new to this myself but have to echo what the others are saying about the body work… when I was looking for my classic the general advice I was given was ‘anything mechanical can be fixed, but try to make sure the bodywork is sound’

I did follow this advice and couldn’t be happier with my little girl! Best of luck with whatever you choose!

[neilmorey]

Although they are in Denmark rather than Sweden I'm sure you could get most parts here. I did wonder if there was a connection to ESM.

https://www.morrisminor.dk/

I found their site a few years ago because they had something none of the UK specialists stocked.

[RustAndMagic]

Oh, I did not know about them, thanks (I just have a 2 hour drive to Denmark)

[Mr Spigot]

The side valve engine is smooth and reliable, but is rather underpowered and you will learn to use the gears more and take a run at steep hills! Having said that, if in good condition and well maintained, it will cruise along happily all day at 40-45mph. However, spares for it can be more difficult to source than for the 948 and larger A Series engines. Bryan Gostling at the MMOC keeps a good stock of parts for these engines and is always worth speaking to.

[RustAndMagic]

I have found a 1958 that is in almost as good condition as the 1951, it's a two door but I don't care about that, the only thing with it, is that the chrome on the bumber's was bad so someone has painted them black but that can be fixed of course, I will think about it for a few more days

[ManyMinors]

In my opinion, having owned Minors from both those years in the past, A 1958 car would be a lot more useable and practical than a 1951 model. Parts will be easier to obtain, it will perform better and have better brakes, better visibility, better lighting, better heating perhaps and numerous other advantages. It does depend on what you plan to use the car for and the little sidevalve cars are great fun to own but there are some downsides to the earlier models and you have to be quite dedicated....

[RustAndMagic]

I went with the 58, picking it up in the weekend, I post some photos when I get it home.

[RustAndMagic]

So here she is, drove it 50 miles home (80km) without any issues so it is looking good so far, transmission works great, engines sounds good, I cannot stand the black bumber's so I have to do something about that ($$$$), but otherwise it is in good nick.

Different fuel pump with a manual toggle switch, no seal in trunk lid, left glove box is a little damaged (the insert), that's what I have found so far.

She was grey in 1958, but the seller said the red is a correct Morris color, no idea if that is true.

red.jpg (350.08 KiB) Viewed 3251 times

[KevinB]

Well done! Striking in red.