Morris Minor

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Want some extra fun or usability from your classic? Then here’s our top tips

There’s an army of specialists around to help you to maintain your Moggy and special tools are a swear word in Minor circles being practically non-existent in requirement. Parts interchangability with MG Midgets and Marinas is also good!

Body

Common rot spots include sills, doors, inner front wings (check carefully, regularly under the bonnet). The whole underside needs annual inspection, especially the rear chassis extensions and front chassis legs

Engine

Leaking crankshaft oil seals are common, fit upgraded seals jlhmorrisminors.co.uk has devised a Maestro crank and breather conversion. It’s a good idea to drop the sump and renew shells and bearings every 50,000 miles

Chassis

Rotting Traveller woodwork is an MoT fail point as it’s structural; check for softening. Ideally it needs checking every year and re-varnishing every two years. Renewing is doable, if very involved, as full kits are available

Transmission

Never silent in operation, the synchros are the first thing to go especially on second gear. The only model that has decent parts supply is the 1098cc; sidevalvers now being particularly poor. An MG Midget gearbox is the same unit

Front suspension

Keep trunnions well lubricated or there’s danger of a wheel coming adrift – fit ‘poly’ types for better handling. When replacing dampers ensure you buy good quality as cheap lever arm units don’t last

Brakes

Brake master cylinder lives inside the chassis rail, and it suffers accordingly because it’s out of sight it’s also usually out of mind. If you can find ’em, Riley/ Wolseley 1.5 drums are better and are a straight fit or, better, still use MG Midget types

Tyres

Marina/Spridget wheels fit but being 13inchers will seriously lower the gearing; Riley 1.5 rim best and van wheels are usefully wider – perhaps some A55/A60 too. Longstone Tyres nowmarkets a period Pirelli Cinturato CA67 145R 14 size

Panels

Vans, pick-ups and four-door saloons use the same doors as each other while a different version is fitted to Tourers, Travellers and twodoor saloons. It’s possible to buy a kit to convert a two-door saloon into a drop-top

Rear suspension

Spring hanger repairs due to rust are complicated and labour intensive. Swapping over to telescopic dampers is worthwhile and inexpensive; some owners fit sturdier Marina/Spridget rear axles for better choice of ratios and brakes

Top tip

The Morris Minor is one of the few ‘old’ classics that can cheerfully be used as an urban daily driver in mostly standard trim although we fit an alternator (or Dynalite) conversion for £95, as well as halogen headlamps (£40) and an electric screen washer system (£30) –pricey but well worthwhile are better front seats from Charles Ware’s Morris Minor Centre. After all these years, a complete rewire with a new loom at around £100 is wise and easy enough to fit if you take your time and mark the relevant wires and take lots of digital pics. Many Minors on sale will have had some level of modifying done to them and most updates are well accepted by the MMOC.