project Boris the '59 Minor.

[2flags]

For £350 you have to ask yourself, just how rusty is it. I have just read Captain 70's thread. That was a weldathon and a half! On both cars!

[Joey spud]

It goes without saying you have got to buy a Minor on structural integrity rather than mechanical condition unless you're some kind of cutting, grinding,welding pervert.

Lots of them out there to choose from too.

[High Jetter]

2 minutes ago, Joey spud said:

Lots of them out there to choose from too.

Not just you, then? 😀

[Joey spud]

A pair of 18 month old part worn 175/70 14's arrived this morning.

So I need to unpack my welder from storage and finish off the fourth wheel pronto.

[Joey spud]

A quick up date.

I've still not completed the fourth wheel as I don't fancy the faff of squaring everything up with a dial gauge atm but as mentioned elsewhere all the lights are now fitted and work as intended although I didn't like how I had done the rears as it looked awkward so I did away with the indicator plinths as they didn't sit right and annoyed me greatly and just fitted the lamps flush into the wings instead.

I've got orange lenses coming too as red doesnt look right.

The sound deadening sheets and insulation has been completed.

And the carpets and seats fitted.

I've been watching AC Dodd's A series tuning stuff on YouTube and he was saying Powerspark Distributors were for the money a good improvement over points/condenser ignition as they can run with a 1.4 ohm coil for a fatter spark at the plugs (now gapped at 35 thou) and being variable dwell they can create the big spark at high rpm too.

The one I purchased has an advance curve suitable for my 1275cc engine and slotted in and worked no problem and once timed up to 8 degrees I had to drop the idle speed so that must mean something. My existing coil was a bog standard 3.0 ohm jobby but digging through my Subaru parts stash I found a spare coil that was rated at 1.5ohms.

Obviously I couldn't fit it without smartening it up first...

So it got wrapped with an Atlantic pale ale can (very tasty) instead of the rowdy Stella can which can now go on the Subaru.

I'm showing my age here but when I started driving me and my mates would often decorate our ignition coils with random drinks cans.

The rocker cover gasket was leaking so I changed it and this time used a thin layer of silicone on both faces only to find that hot oil is now leaking through the cork material.

I mean how is that even possible ?

[Joey spud]

So six months later I've finally made some time to get this Minor finished enough to use as my local runaround (although I am hankering after something late thirties/ forties tbh).

It still needs some of its interior remaking/fitting and probably a remote brake servo adding as despite having Midget discs up front they don't inspire confidence and really need a good hard push on the pedal. Maybe the ancient pads need updating to more modern friction material.

First up is the poor running and holding back the ignition system is new and now electronic so I feel fuel delivery is where my troubles lie.

After watching a clip of it in action I purchased this 38mm Hif. I wanted a 44mm one really but couldn't justify the cost.

I stripped and cleaned it inside and out before fitting it but soon realised my Minor throttle cable didn't fit the mounting plate so rather than order/wait for a Metro cable I cut off and welded the stub from the old HS4 mounting plate on to it instead.

The K+N filter was black and gummed up with oily crud and obviously not ideal so I cleaned it with petrol and a tooth brush before bathing it in really hot soapy water and it seems to have come up like new again.

The needle jet already fitted was allegedly suitable for a 1098 engine and with a bit of research a AAM needle was suggested as being suitable for a Hif 38 on a 1275.

Original needle (ACC) versus the new AAM jobby on the right. There's quite a difference in profile.

So with it all back together and the mixture roughly set using the piston lift pin as a guide I went for a trot around the village and can report that Boris is now a happy little Morris Minor who pulls well and idles sweetly.

 

[Matty]

Excellent news @Joey spud. I've chased my arse a few times over needles on a 1098 and a 1310. Thanks to our resident a series guru Tom of here everything worked out great. Im on an inch and 3/4 HS.

If you go with a remote servo please let me know how you get on. I'm on the same midget discs as you. I've got greenstuff pads and a later mini dual circuit master cylinder. Don't get me wrong they work but don't half need a shove. Which is fine if you don't swap from modern stuff to old stuff then back.

[Joey spud]

Due to house things and lazyness the little Morris hasn't been touched much since last summer I didn't even cover him over during the winter months.

It seems theses days that when I have the time and the weather is nice I just can't get motivated. 

I've lost every last drop of fluid from the brake reservoir but strangely I still have a really good brake pedal. I wasn't totally useless as I did take the battery off last year and have kept it hooked up to a charger/conditioner thing.

This year I need to decide if I need a ratty Morris Minor in my life as I keep looking at late pre war/early post war porridge and thinking I fancy a bit of that action.

Anyhow enough feeling sorry for myself and more getting my arse in gear.

 

[Somerset Suffolk]

excellent stuff ! I'm tabbing back to page 1 for a get up to speed with this read @Joey spud

[Joey spud]

1 hour ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

excellent stuff ! I'm tabbing back to page 1 for a get up to speed with this read @Joey spud

Fill your boots 😁 

[junkyarddog]

Get your finger out lad.

I've very much enjoyed this thread and would like to see this finished!😉

[Somerset Suffolk]

3 hours ago, Joey spud said:

Fill your boots 😁 

I'm up to May 2021 - you're making progress ! 👍

[Somerset Suffolk]

Excellent read and a excellent Job you did @Joey spud - yep pre war stuff is very tempting at the mo (its an itch that I need to scratch) 

Maybe get Boris up and running and see how you feel then ? with the amount of structural work, the 1275 and the disc brakes Boris wont be hard to sell on - be a shame though after all that work 

Another Minor saved - some don't make it....  

[Joey spud]

The weather has been kind so I've hoovered off all the detritus from under the bonnet and the cobwebs from inside the car.

A fresh battery and a can of fuel and everything is happy again except the empty brake fluid reservoir.

There's no obvious puddle or wetness that I can see underneath so I lifted the little master cylinder cover on the floor to see if there's anything obvious going on.

This self adhesive insulation I fitted last year wasn't my best idea as it's visible through any gaps or wear holes in the carpet and the shiny silver finish really sticks out like a sore tit. And as I need to get to the m/cylinder in the chassis leg I've had to peel it away to gain access.

Shining a light up the chassis leg surprisingly showed me it was swimming in water and waxoyl but not brake fluid. Then when I lifted the front of the car up all the collected water pissed out of a small drilled hole in the chassis rail under the m/cylinder.

Boris has had new front chassis legs at some point in his life but it doesn't look like they have had any drain holes added to them so I'll add a couple later.

Anyhow I tracked the fluid loss down to this perished hose that goes from the plastic line to the master cylinder.

This hose wasn't that old either but I had some reinforced pcl airline stuff that I've used at the reservoir end (that's been good) to replace it with.

A while back I had this idea of adding extra gauges into the drivers side glove box lid so I butchered it with a grinder then instantly regretted it.

I've cut a bit of aluminium sheet to the right size but I need a way of securing it to the lid and also a way of cutting three 52mm holes in it.

But progress is progress right...

[tooSavvy]

Ah... Gauges 😵

On my ex P O. Phones MM1000 I actually cut a recess in the dash frame, behind the steering wheel, and formed a *box [old filing cabinet steel sheet] and let it in... Moving the centre Speedo across >> I lengthened every wire out of the loom with a piece of either Red/Blue/YGreen stripped from old flex 🫣.

You do these things...... and look back 🫠

The drum brakes on the van were clean but I thought a *good idea to have them skimmed clean... Took them in to my engineering works and a bloke wizzed them up for me 🙂 >> did them in a 4 jaw, resulting in brakes like a thruppney bit 😕.

Scrap yard drum shitters were found and braking returned to somewhat smoother.... Lesson Learned.

Ahh.... MoggieLove 💗

🚙💨

[Matty]

1 hour ago, tooSavvy said:

Ah... Gauges 😵

On my ex P O. Phones MM1000 I actually cut a recess in the dash frame, behind the steering wheel, and formed a *box [old filing cabinet steel sheet] and let it in... Moving the centre Speedo across >> I lengthened every wire out of the loom with a piece of either Red/Blue/YGreen stripped from old flex 🫣.

You do these things...... and look back 🫠

The drum brakes on the van were clean but I thought a *good idea to have them skimmed clean... Took them in to my engineering works and a bloke wizzed them up for me 🙂 >> did them in a 4 jaw, resulting in brakes like a thruppney bit 😕.

Scrap yard drum shitters were found and braking returned to somewhat smoother.... Lesson Learned.

Ahh.... MoggieLove 💗

🚙💨

I had discs on an e39 5 series that were new but warped by a stone getting stuck. Only slightly out of true by dti. I gave them to one of the turners at work for a skim. He wasnt the best at his job. Thats why he was available. The first time i used them in anger, on a motorwy sliproad, resulted in me kneeing myself in the jaw twice a second. New discs and pads then 🤣

[Joey spud]

I bought a scruffy Redex Vacuum gauge a couple of years back and seeing as it doesn't have any wiring faff to contend with I thought I would add it to the dash straight away.

First off I had to evict a couple of squatters who were sunning themselves.

About here seemed as good a place as any and while the drill was handy I bunged a fire extinguisher in as well.

Having a dig through one of my "that'll come in useful" piles I found a length of 3mm diesel injector return pipe that was plenty long enough to go from the back of the gauge to the inlet manifold so the installation was complete.

20 whatevers at idle looks about right to me.

I had a similar TIM branded vac gauge fitted to my Datsun 120A coupe (E10 model) back in the late 80's and I think from memory the idea was to try and lift off the throttle once up to speed to keep the needle in the green band to save fuel.