Epic Morris Wedge restoration.

[strangeangel]

[Guest Lord Sward]

Staggering.

[Parky]

I remember seeing this in PC and thinking that's far too far gone. Just amazing. it's an entire calendar in one thread!

[AnthonyG]

Cannot add anything to what's just been said, apart I now have a reason to go to the NEC in November.

 

I also love the sheer British hopeless business model of a hearse manufacturer simply hoarding all the new body parts they removed, and never, ever selling them when they might have been worth something, like about 5 minutes after they took them off the cars.

 

I take it that the actual hearse business is long gone and some scavenging hero saved them from the skip?

[Ghosty]

Any excuse...

 

[plasticvandan]

I remember reading when nick Larkin pulled it pulled it out of a scrapyard in around 1998 or there abouts,and a big deal of its fucked but important status was made then,when princess hadn't got the classic status they do now.

[Angrydicky]

IIRC it came from the legendary LC Hughes yard at Bicester. I'm pretty sure his other Morris wedge (KJO 350N) came from there as well.

[Faker]

Astonishing restoration folks.

[rovamota]

Yeah, Nick did rescue it when he found out it was the first of a batch of 99 pilot run 18-22 Series cars built in November 1974 at Cowley. The car was then transported up to Longbridge for assessment and then returned to Cowley where it was used as a site hack, until someone reversed it into a post, where it was then taken to the Cowley pavilion car park, left under a tree and forgotten about.

 

Two years later an employee had seen it had been there for a long time and asked his superiors if he could buy it. He was told the car didn't exist and was scrapped long ago - so he promptly took the manager to the car park and showed him the sorry looking thing. Eventually a price was agreed, the keys were found and the car was his but it needed registering, which is why it's a 1977 R registration despite being a 1974 car.

 

He kept it for over 20 years then sold it to another chap who promised to do it up, but instead took it to the salvage yard some time after where it was found by Nick, who saved it and registered it in his name.

 

Here's a couple of pictures taken when the car was found in the salvage yard back in 1998.

 

 

 

Since that time Nick just didn't have the time to sort it and after 10 years or so sold it to Sam Glover, who was also in the same situation as he also had a lot of cars. Now it's ours and we've given it the attention it has longed for. But it has fought us all the way.

 

Of course, being at Cowley over those 22 years it received some 'enhancements' such as HLS seats and vinyl pillar trim which weren't fitted to the basic 1800, so we are restoring it to original specification, which is fairly basic.

[Skut]

Have been following this on the blue forum.  Inspiring stuff.  One of the reasons I like it so much is that this is the archetypal 80s banger.  Its chances of survival at one stage would be microscopic and yet its survived.  Did it sport that dent in its hindquarters for all those years or was it scrapyard damage?

[rovamota]

That's not the original dent in the back; it was done during its time at the yard, the original damage was repaired.

[Lankytim]

This is just mindblowing. I'm never going to moan about a £15 patch of welding ever again.

[phil_lihp]

As others have said, it's incredible that this car's survived this long, what are the chances?  You're doing a brilliant job, it's looking absolutely fabulous.  Will we see this at Pride of Longbridge next year?

[Asimo]

Your welder is a genius!

[rovamota]

I think our welder Dave is now in therapy. 

 

Here's designer Harris Mann signing the car at the NEC.

 

 

[lisbon_road]

Very impressed with this - helps all of us be inspired to get on with our ordinary projects.

 

We've seen you build almost a new car for the top of it.  Did you have to do any repairs to the underneath?

[rovamota]

All four corners of the floor needed welding but the rear was the worst, and both the sills had to be replaced.

[LC Torana]

I think our welder Dave is now in therapy. 

 

Here's designer Harris Mann signing the car at the NEC.

 

 

 

I assume, when you're respraying the car, that you'll mask off that signature and just spray around it.

[rovamota]

It's gone I'm afraid, but we'll get him to sign the slam panel this year.

[rovamota]

Latest photo of the shell. It's had a few test coats but will soon be getting a final coat once all the blemishes have been removed. As Martin, who's painting it said, I have been using every spare minute preparing bodywork and spraying and fiendishly tedious it has been as well.

 

 

And yes, the sunroof has been refurbished and will be going back in.

[sierraman]

I genuinely take my hat off to you folks. I can remember reading in PC about this car. As others said it looked beyond, makes my day hearing about shit like this.

[Alexg]

Right. So you've discarded my carefully thought-out witty front wing graffiti? Un-flippin'-believable.

 

Amazing effort though.  

[Felly Magic]

Proving that everything is savable. I think you have everyone here doffing their caps over this, especially with the love for the BL wedge on here

[Ben_O]

What a great job.

[vulgalour]

Everything about this is brilliant.  I think it needed the resources you chaps have to hand to make it happen.  Doubt I'll make it to the NEC but I hope to see it in the future at another event.

[brownnova]

This is simply awesome! I'm amazed by the skull and commitment that are going into this resto!

[rovamota]

Latest from the restoration garage, and the front and rear screens are back in as work starts on reassembly.

 

[fordperv]

Looking fap tastic can't wait to see pictures of all around it

[rovamota]

I'll post a few teaser pics of the car but no all around pictures until after the NEC Classic Motor Show in November, where you can see it in the metal.

[Shep Shepherd]

Amazing work! And to think that the car was close to going out forever back in the 1990s.