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A Minor Adventure continues...


17-Coffees

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Nice!   I would be very tempted to leave it like it is, seats and all.   Original Minor seats are very pretty but not a comfortable place to be.   Mine are in the loft and more than likely staying there.    Fibreglass wings are not bad either, even quality steel replacements will rot like fuck and you won't have that damaging transfer of acidic splatter between wing and inner wing.   I have treated underneath mine with Waxoyl initially, followed by Bilt Hamber in recent years because it is so much easier to use.   

 

Didn't stop it rotting, mind, but after 14 years of winter commuting I don't think anything would have completely saved it.   Really missing the little chap at the moment, they are such a hoot to thrash around in.   Mine will get sorted out quite soon but if it had been like this one I would have quite happily left it as it was.....

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Treat surfaces under wings, there is a hollow at the front wing where it joins the A post which traps mud and rots out. Once the wing is back on I put Denso tape over the flange to stop any more muck and water being thrown up by the wheels. The panel fit is not the best as they were cheaply built cars.


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Fibreglass wings are often fitted with some sort of bonding agent type stuff so you may struggle depending on how good it is!

Aye, that'll be it. Probably not just household silicone. It has nice white beads of sealant along the top edges just under the bonnet.

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My first thoughts after setting off was...

"This is crazy, why am I doing this?"

 

After a mile or two of driving that changed to...

"Actually this is alright, I wanted to feel driving from a bygone era and I've got it! And it's great"

 

Then as I headed for the A90, that quickly changed to...

"FUCK WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?"

 

Followed by...

"Actually this handles 50mph rather well."

 

And from then on its been great! A nice steady drive at 50/55mph on a clear sunny day, listening to music and driving a bona fide classic! :D

And as stated in the last post everyone loves it. Had 4 of my neighbors come up and ask/look at it and just pottering around Ellon in it gets alot of approving smiles and stares from people of all ages.

 

Today also tided up some of the wiring under the dash an in the engine bay. And put a blanket in the back...sadly not tartan, but zebra print. I've also found a few niggles I've discovered, but nothing major. A set of wiper blades are ordered and I'll be getting some new tyres soon. Also need to keep an eye on the radiator, as there is a small leak. But so far nothing major. I did fit a new pipe for the air filter breather was properly gubbed, so replaced with with some spare hose... 

post-19988-0-44898300-1526862157_thumb.jpg

Sadly, I could't follow the way the hose originally went without kinking it, so why I've about twice the length needed and fitted as so.

 

Still not 100% on my plans. The good thing is at the moment its a blank canvas. I don't fancy making it a concours example, as lets face it there are plenty of them about. Feel like just making it my own, whatever way I do it. :)

 

Other than do some slight tinkering, I took it out for a drive in the evening, just around the country roads in the area, and still cant stop smiling. Just a joy to cruse about in it. 

post-19988-0-32086000-1526859456_thumb.jpg

post-19988-0-62959800-1526859886_thumb.jpg

 

Sadly, after i gave the windows a clean up I found out that next to none of the windows are waterproof. The seats are all long past it. Thankfully I still have a massive bit of tarp in the shed which was used to cover the LS400 when it was in storage, so got that out and...

post-19988-0-26986000-1526862593_thumb.jpg

That is currently how it's sitting. Can't wait till next weekend to play and driver! :D

 

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A nice steady drive at 50/55mph on a clear sunny day, listening to music and driving a bona fide classic!

 

How did you hear anything?

 

I did fit a new pipe for the air filter breather was properly gubbed, so replaced with with some spare hose... 

Sadly, I could't follow the way the hose originally went without kinking it, so why I've about twice the length needed and fitted as so.

 

 

Sadly, after i gave the windows a clean up I found out that next to none of the windows are waterproof.

Sensible plan with the hose being longer.

 

Side window rubbers are replacements and in brilliant condition. Rear window rubber and windscreen rubber are in good condition but not recently replaced.

Door seal you know and the door windows the felt strips are in the boot for them, you can get an uprated weather strip that helps most of the water stay outside of the door but it is not as designed.

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.

excellent buy ;)

 

I'd paint the bottom of the doors white and otherwise keep it 2-tone, but then I'm always a bit weird :blink2:

 

happy cruisin' to some oldie tunes B)

 

Bfg

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My first thoughts after setting off was...

"This is crazy, why am I doing this?"

 

After a mile or two of driving that changed to...

"Actually this is alright, I wanted to feel driving from a bygone era and I've got it! And it's great"

 

Then as I headed for the A90, that quickly changed to...

"FUCK WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?"

 

Followed by...

"Actually this handles 50mph rather well."

 

And from then on its been great! A nice steady drive at 50/55mph on a clear sunny day, listening to music and driving a bona fide classic! :D

And as stated in the last post everyone loves it. Had 4 of my neighbors come up and ask/look at it and just pottering around Ellon in it gets alot of approving smiles and stares from people of all ages.

 

Today also tided up some of the wiring under the dash an in the engine bay. And put a blanket in the back...sadly not tartan, but zebra print. I've also found a few niggles I've discovered, but nothing major. A set of wiper blades are ordered and I'll be getting some new tyres soon. Also need to keep an eye on the radiator, as there is a small leak. But so far nothing major. I did fit a new pipe for the air filter breather was properly gubbed, so replaced with with some spare hose... 

attachicon.gif33063465_10156260263906132_2303702616556699648_n (1).jpg

Sadly, I could't follow the way the hose originally went without kinking it, so why I've about twice the length needed and fitted as so.

 

Still not 100% on my plans. The good thing is at the moment its a blank canvas. I don't fancy making it a concours example, as lets face it there are plenty of them about. Feel like just making it my own, whatever way I do it. :)

 

Other than do some slight tinkering, I took it out for a drive in the evening, just around the country roads in the area, and still cant stop smiling. Just a joy to cruse about in it. 

attachicon.gif33092226_10156260866471132_1943609582047723520_n.jpg

attachicon.gif32974174_10156261021411132_7029422181356404736_n.jpg

 

Sadly, after i gave the windows a clean up I found out that next to none of the windows are waterproof. The seats are all long past it. Thankfully I still have a massive bit of tarp in the shed which was used to cover the LS400 when it was in storage, so got that out and...

attachicon.gif33032156_10156260585631132_3023896450875523072_n (1).jpg

That is currently how it's sitting. Can't wait till next weekend to play and driver! :D

I know exactly what you mean - same thing happened with me and my recently acquired Cooper. Driving it the 50km or so home - it felt so slow (I was actually wishing I had driven a standard old Mini beforehand to make mine feel fast). I really did second guess myself for a while. But once I had taken out the extra set of wheel and tyres, box of beers and big bag, it was a hell of a lot faster lol

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it seems you've got the right mindset for a 60 year old car, in that it's a 60 year old car!

 

between 50-60 is where they, and you, feel most comfortable, and lets be honest it's the type of car you take out for fun not because you've left yourself 10 mins to do a 15 mins journey.

 

Enjoy it while you can -  and for what it is. A true survivor.
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i need to get another moggie. Sista thestag used to rock about in a 55 splitty 4 door and then a 70s blue 2 door while I fixed them for her back in the late 80s and early 90s

 

Great fun to drive and if memory serves me correctly quiet*er and more civilised than a series Land rover at 50-55

 

oh and the open road is always ahead of you

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Guest Hooli

 if memory serves me correctly quiet*er and more civilised than a series Land rover at 50-55

 

So is cycling downhill!

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Great fun to drive and if memory serves me correctly quiet*er and more civilised than a series Land rover at 50-55

 

That was my observation too. I used to drive a series 3 land rover in 2005, you couldn't hear yourself think in it.

 

In this Minor, you can actually have a conversation relatively easily at 50mph. It's rather nice. Much better than I expected.

 

 

This whole experience has given me a huge desire to get a wee starter classic of my own to bimble about in. I need to sort my life out / get my own place first though.

This Minor isn't even mine but I just want to go out in it again already!

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There is somthing so appealing about bombing about in a rough old car thike this that just, well, appeals!

 

Paintwork should only be conducted in the most half-arsed manner. Buy a tin of grey paint and brush over the non-grey bits, alternatively, buy a tin of white paint and brush over the non-white bits.

 

Does it have a rear bumper?

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There is somthing so appealing about bombing about in a rough old car thike this that just, well, appeals!

 

Paintwork should only be conducted in the most half-arsed manner. Buy a tin of grey paint and brush over the non-grey bits, alternatively, buy a tin of white paint and brush over the non-white bits.

 

Does it have a rear bumper?

 

It does have a rear bumper. It's a tiny bit mangled (really doesn't look too bad to straighten out).

 

It was transported north in the back of my BMW, then dumped in Mr Coffees' garden shed.

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  • 2 weeks later...

As per my Minor update in News 24 yesterday...

 

I got a set of new, radial, tyres , as well as a service kit and wiper blades. :)

 

So today’s job was removing the old tyres to fit the new..

post-19988-0-09564200-1527969762_thumb.jpeg

 

And then taking them to a local commercial tyre services company. Why commercial? Well a friend of mine works there, so got the job done for the price of a coupe beers.

post-19988-0-71401800-1527969922_thumb.jpeg

 

So first impressions with the new tyres? It’s much, MUCH better! :D

 

Other jobs?

 

Well couldn’t decide if I was leaking water or if it was from the overflow from the radiator, so I made a official, period* radiator expansion tank...

post-19988-0-28779600-1527970352_thumb.jpeg

Turns out it was just water from the overflow pipe!

Tidy!

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Guest Hooli

If I remember right those lilac millionth minors got the colour as they mixed every colour used on minors & that's how it came out.

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