Morris Ten Four Thread.

[cros]

Hang around for a bit and there will be a whole (sheddy) car going once Ellie-Mae is finished. Bob isnt keeping the spares car.

Is the spares car going to be available? I can feel stirrings....

[cros]

Back on the Morris today, just found a picture I meant to put on showing the state of the brakes. The rear lining is bonded on, the front is a bit older and seems to be shedding 'hairs' everywhere.

[UltraWomble]

Is the spares car going to be available? I can feel stirrings....

Yes, the spares car will be sold once the resto is complete mainly because there isnt the room to keep it, though bear in mind its going to be fairly well plundered its going to be a rolling chassis and fairly manky shell.

 

Back on the Morris today, just found a picture I meant to put on showing the state of the brakes. The rear lining is bonded on, the front is a bit older and seems to be shedding 'hairs' everywhere.

Asbestos linings? Bob has had his shoes relined with modern friction material.

[cros]

Thats the old linings, new ones are all bonded and non-asbestos- I think they use a special curved hob-nob to be more environmental.

Let me know when the carcass is available.

[cros]

Tonight I finished the 10/4 mods. It now has a heater*, indicators and hazard lights along with the up-gunned trafficators, functioning headlamps and brakes. All the wiring is new though home made.

  I took the car out tonight to try the heater which I've had to squeeze in on its side; its a bit of a disappointment. The device is called a 'Windguard Sahara' but it wasn't desert like in the car. Better than nothing though, I'll do a decent journey tomorrow and see if I warm to it. Brakes are nothing special, I've driven rod-braked cars that are much better, but at least it pulls up straight. The best bit is the improved ride and steering- the car is transformed by the radials.

[cros]

The Morris did two decent trips yesterday and I'm very happy with it. My wife drove home and concurs so all is well. At night we visited friends 25 miles away and though the heater is pitiful with the outside temp below freezing the small amount of heat it wheezes out is better than nothing. The car can keep up 55 which means its not in the way of everyone else- living in the fens is a big advantage in this regard but it wouldn't be the same story if we had proper hills.

The headlamps scatter the light everywhere except where you want it but I think could be improved by focussing the bulbs better. I'm a newcomer to pre-war lighting and as with everything I'll have to learn the ropes, but there's enough light output, its just not in the right place yet. What fun.

[UltraWomble]

Re the lighting - I can't comment on the Ten as we haven't got that far yet, but the Eight's lighting is dreadful and the beam pattern is quite scattered as you have found - that's a standard set up.

Not that the Eight is used at night much, but there is an additional spot lamp that can be clipped to the window surround to throw a more focused beam directly in front of the car.

The lighting on pre-war cars is pretty shite.

 

The Eight runs on 6v but the Ten will be 12v

[mercrocker]

The Morris did two decent trips yesterday and I'm very happy with it. My wife drove home and concurs so all is well. At night we visited friends 25 miles away

 

 

Great stuff, its a real treat seeing old stuff out and about on winter nights. Not always much fun for the driver, admittedly, but there is something special about that yellow glow.

[cros]

^^^ You'll be pleased to know that for part of my journey home last night I was following an enthusiastically driven Morris Minor. I stayed more or less on his tail for 10 miles, not because I enjoy the travelling in convoy bollocks prevalent with old car wankers these days but in an attempt to better see where I was going.

  I've heeded Ultrawomble's words and dug out an old Marchal spotlight- its not from the right era but wouldn't look too silly on the front with its art-deco writing in the glass.. I was surprised that the lamp, with large nipple in the glass, has a halogen bulb and give a decent light.

[LC Torana]

The headlamps scatter the light everywhere except where you want it but I think could be improved by focussing the bulbs better. I'm a newcomer to pre-war lighting and as with everything I'll have to learn the ropes, but there's enough light output, its just not in the right place yet.

 

How are the reflectors?  Do the insides need cleaning or polishing or even resilvering?

 

(I have an inkling that the job of focussing back then was the job of the reflector rather than the lens.)

[martc]

I took the car out tonight to try the heater which I've had to squeeze in on its side; its a bit of a disappointment. The device is called a 'Windguard Sahara' but it wasn't desert like in the car.

Don't forget the Sahara desert can get very cold at night. Did the packaging specify day or night temperature?!

[cros]

^^^ Yep, this is definitely the night version. Nevermind, yesterday the car was put to the test with a trip to south London and back and with all went very well except for incurring this:

 

Receipt Number : CC001102593601
Our Reference : 0000000001
Date and Time:
26 Nov 2015 17:51:58
Payment Channel: Web
Payment
Details - Congestion Charge (CC)
_____________________________________
Doc Number Vehicle Charge Type Start Date End Date
1102593601 Previous Charging Day Wed 25 Nov 2015 Wed 25 Nov 2015
EUO549
Total paid
Amount
£14.00
_______
£14.00
_______

 

I had no idea that the charge increased so much if you left payment til the next day, hiked from £11.50. Doubtless the rest of the world has chewed this over, but I discovered that you can't check whether you've been into the zone, you just have to pay up or risk a fine, jolly unsporting of Boris.

 

With that unpleasant business out of the way, I was amazed how well it coped in today's traffic. My 10/4 is happy at 56 mph  which means you get to overtake Tesco trucks and mobile cranes occasionally. On the way home we went up to 65 according to the sat nav- more was available but I'd rather not explore these regions in a 78 year old car. Fuel consumption was 37mpg overall, excellent for such an brick shaped lump, especially as it includes crossing London twice. The brakes coped OK- nowhere near as good as todays cars, but with a bit of anticipation and a hefty shove there were no nasty moments.

  Cars like this are not to everyone's taste, and I was once warned off an MG Y type as being unsuitable for everyday use. I wish I'd not heeded this, as the more advanced Y is now way beyond my price range, but I'm happy with the Morris 10.

 

 

 

[cros]

How are the reflectors?  Do the insides need cleaning or polishing or even resilvering?

 

(I have an inkling that the job of focussing back then was the job of the reflector rather than the lens.)

Reflectors are very good, I played about with the focussing and achieved a reasonable compromise. With the Marchal spotlamp bolted on and wired to join in with the 'main' beam I can live with the lights. I'm glad that I put hazards in when I rewired the car- I had a couple of occasions where they came in handy yesterday.

[mercrocker]

I also regret not buying the £60 YB saloon dangled in front of me at a tender age. Had Smiths Jack-all in working order, too! You are right to be pleased with that Ten - it looks splendid but I bet the poor old thing never envisaged having to be charged for entering the Capital City. A friend of mine uses his Ten as his only car since retirement it seems quite up to the job.

[Sudsprint]

Cruising along at 65mph...

 

50 mile round trip to see friends one night...

 

To London and back from the fens….

 

 

This is truly magnificent and heart warming stuff

[LC Torana]

I also regret not buying the £60 YB saloon dangled in front of me at a tender age. Had Smiths Jack-all in working order, too!

Ouch.

 

Bet you still lose sleep over that.

[Asimo]

Does 10/4 indicate 10 horsepower and four cylinders?

 

If it does, presumably those are RAC horses and not the real sort.

[LC Torana]

Does 10/4 indicate 10 horsepower and four cylinders?

 

If it does, presumably those are RAC horses and not the real sort.

Yes to all 3 questions.

 

There was also a Ten-Six, which was actually a Twelve, if you know what I mean.

 

Incidentally, Boris' congestion charge ought not apply to small pre-war saloons.

[cros]

Does 10/4 indicate 10 horsepower and four cylinders?

 

If it does, presumably those are RAC horses and not the real sort.

I think thats it, yes. As mentioned, the car came to me with an Ital van engine and gearbox. I think that its original engine would be getting thrashy at more than 50 as it had a very long stroke, though it is bigger than the A+.

[vulgalour]

Really just a post to bump this back to page 1 because it's super.

[UltraWomble]

No pictures as there isnt really anything to show - curry at the weekend with Bob & Sue and at the moment the only real change to the 10-4 is the renewall of woodwork to the frame - all the rotten wood has now been replaced.

 

Next job is some welding of the rear inner arches/wings and then the body can be reunited with the chassis giving more room in the workshop to faff.

 

Interestingly we might have to strip the engine again as the head bolts go into the water jacket and require sealing before being torqued up - guess what wasnt done when the cylinder head was changed?

[jonny69]

On the subject of headlights... In case you didn't know, you can get halogen pre-focus bulbs and they make a MASSIVE difference. Whiter light and brighter: http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/508/category/93

 

Don't bodge in a modern halogen bulb though, the filament is in the wrong place for the old reflectors and the light just goes all over the shop instead of where you want it. Pre-focus bulbs will make sure the beam pattern is good and in the correct place.

[UltraWomble]

You know you are in for a prime morning of AutoShite when you pull up outside a garage and there is a festering Perkins Maestro parked up next to an old truck tyre....

 

So Bob popped round last night to wish my lad a happy birthday and mentioned that if we swang by his workshop this morning he was off to see an old chap who might have some bits for his car and also might know som bits of my wifes family history. So I packed some shortbread and off we set to step back in time some 40 years or so, bare wires and a total lack of 'elf and safety which stretched to the angle poise lamp fitted with a sealed beam headlamp.

 

 

This however, was nothing compared to what awaited out the back...

A Plymouth the size of a house with number 2 cylinder being honed due to an oil consumption issue...

 

But wait, whats back there I hear you ask?

Well, piles of bits..

 

Tyres and wheels for every possible car ever...

 

Something mechanical...

 

Motorised Scythe

 

Then in another shed round the corner...

Willis Jeep and Chevrolet Wrecker

 

Oh and a big fuck off canon...

 

Many cups of tea were drunk and shortbread biscuits eaten. Nob all work was done today.

Result.

[mercrocker]

A day in paradise, then. I could really do with a hermitage like that!

[cros]

Some progress towards making the Morris look a bit less Ital inside. I've rebuilt an A35 gearbox with the earlier lever to give extra vagueness. A Minor engine I got from the scrapyard recently had an 'unleaded' head- it was still shagged in other respects (guides and bores) so someone either put a few miles on it or never changed the oil. The A+ 1275 will be up for grabs soon if anyone wants an easy upgrade for a Minor or A35.

 

 

[Tickman]

 The A+ 1275 will be up for grabs soon if anyone wants an easy upgrade for a Minor or A35.

 

 

I would be interested in this, I think you are about a million miles from me and cash is lacking at the moment but these are just obstacles to overcome.

[cros]

∆∆∆ No hurry, don't want to remove a+ engine until 1098 is ready to go in.

[UltraWomble]

Not a huge update really - progress wise yesterday we went from bare chassis to chassis with prepped body on )four coach bolts each side secure to the chassis) then did some joinery. to replace the woodworm riddled frame using seasoned pine.

 

20160423_140134 by Marty Hopkirk, on Flickr

 

20160423_140127 by Marty Hopkirk, on Flickr

 

20160423_140231 by Marty Hopkirk, on Flickr

 

20160423_140141 by Marty Hopkirk, on Flickr

 

20160423_140219 by Marty Hopkirk, on Flickr

 

Then curry for tea then a quick blezz out in the Eight.

20160423_154048 by Marty Hopkirk, on Flickr

[LC Torana]

Just curious - what was behind your choice of seasoned pine?

[LC Torana]

Back on the Morris today, just found a picture I meant to put on showing the state of the brakes. The rear lining is bonded on, the front is a bit older and seems to be shedding 'hairs' everywhere.

 

Sorry to take 5 months to ask the question, but that wheel cylinder looks completely rusted on to the support plate.  How the heck do you get that off?