A Minor Project
Restoring a 1964 Morris Minor. I don't really know what I'm doing but I'm daft enough to try it anyway
Restoration
Dora is a 1964 Morris Minor 1000, originally owned by my grandmother. I became registered keeper in 1996 and my father and I made it roadworthy (Dad doing the work that required skill and/or knowledge and I making a bodge of everything else). After nearly 10 years of motoring (including a 270 mile journey from Hull to Glastonbury, and then back again) the engine threw a rod in 2004. The car was stored in a tent, where she stayed for 15 years...
August 2020
The journey begins. The engine was removed - to be part-exchanged for a reconditioned one, and the car spent its last night in the tent before travelling to its new home.
Rough plan and priority order for repairs was to firstly fix the rust damage to the chassis. Then replace the brake systems, which had completely seized. Once the car wasn't in danger of falling apart and could stop itself, a like-for-like reconditioned engine would go in.
Engine out
Last night in the tent, after 15 years
On the trailer ready to go
September 2020
Chassis was the priority. I started with the off-side. Rust damage was much less severe here, and this would let me practice before tackling the bigger problems on the near-side. The car was propped up (with some entirely safe 2x6), patches were cut, and Mick from M F Welding did the skilled work of welding it back together. I made lots of mistakes cutting the patches - glad to have made them on the less-critical job.
New home
Ready for rust treatment and chassis repair. This is entirely safe
Off-side front wing removed
Initial coat of rust treatment applied to inner wing, two rusty areas need cutting out
[Aqua Steel]
Cut out the rust and started to sand back to clean metal
More angle grinding
Smaller patches
Cutting out replacement patches - cardboard is easier to cut than metal
Trace around the card and cut with angle grinder
The front bumper mount needed a lot of work
Off-side rear wing removed, the old patches at the rear are still sound, they just need rust treatment
The front of the off-side rear wing needs work
Welding on rear inner wing patches
Front bumper is now mounted to something more substantial than air
Welding on front inner wing patches
Mick from M F Welding put it all together [M F Welding]
With welding complete, I can start on the bitumen paint
One side of the chassis now done
Bumper overriders rust-treated and polished. Overriders are a "deluxe" feature of the Morris Minor 1000
Front bumper chrome rust-treated and polished
Off-side wings rust-treated and painted
October 2020
With the off-side patched up, the car was turned around. Neighbours assembled and propped the car up ready for the (much more significant) near-side chassis repairs. Took a bit of time out and a morale boost to refinish some of the seats, before starting to cut out the damage to the A pillar.
Turned the car back around, ready for near-side chassis repairs. Many thanks to our neighbours for the heavy lifting!
This is also entirely safe
Rear seat back and door cards refinished
55yrs seat looking a little tired
Refinished using BMW Coral Red [ColorBond LVP Refinisher]
Rear seat looking a lot fresher
Seats refinished, now diving back into the rotten chassis
Front and rear wings removed, lots to do on the near-side
Rust issues with tie plate
Tie plate rot cut out
Replacement tie plate cut and fit
Tie plate from below
Rust issues below the passenger door A pillar
Cut out the rot from the passenger door A pillar
Back to bare metal on the passenger door A pillar
First template for the patches
Before...
... and after!
November 2020
The near-side rear wing was ruined. After cutting the rot out, there was more air than chassis, and the replacement spring arm hangar needed a lot of work to fit ready for welding.
Significant rust issues on the near-side rear wing... this will need a lot of cutting and patching
Rust treatment applied to off-side inner wings and chassis
Rust treatment on near-side rear wing
More cutting and prep still needed on the inner wing and hangar
Axle propped. The hole in the rear wing is for easier access
Near-side rear spring hanger removed
Cut out the rest of the rot from the boot apron
Petrol tank removed - looked pretty clean inside
The near-side rear wing and boot apron will need some work
Replacement spring hangar fit
Spring hangar cut to fit
Cutting back the rot, ready for spring hangar fitting
December 2020
Finished preparing and test-fitting the patches for the near-side wing; the worst of the rust damage was ready to be welded up. Good progress!
The off-the-shelf boot apron was too small, so cut and shaped a new one
Cardboard is much easier to work with to get the right fit
New boot apron. It's cold in the garage!
Off-the-shelf vs custom-cut boot apron patches
New spring hangar fit with self-tapping screws
New inner wing ready to go. A lot of the off-the-shelf patches came from Charles Ware parts
[Charles Ware]
January 2021
Final bits of preparation for the near-side chassis. Some improvements to existing patches to improve strength, and then Mick came back for a second run at the welding. Covered everything in another coat of bitumen paint, and the bulk of chassis repairs were finished. Started work on the front panel, grille and valance
Re-cut quarter panel patch so it can be welded to the boxing plate
The new patch is much more structurally sound
Cut out the last of the rot in the inner front wing
Cut and patched the inner front wing where it meets the engine tie plate
Nearside chassis is now ready for welding
Tie plate and inner front wing welded
Welding done on the near side. Great job Mick from M F Welding
Spring hangar and boot apron
Inner rear wing and spring hangar
Bitumen paint near-side front wing
Bitumen paint near-side rear wing
Chassis now in a good state - rear spring hangar has also been reattached
Removed front panel, grille and bumper valance
Holes in front bumper valance
Holes in front bumper valance
Filled with fibreglass
[ISOPON P.40]
More fibreglass on front bumper valance
Sanded and applied filler over the fibreglass
Sanded and applied filler over the fibreglass
[ISOPON P.38]
Rust converter on front panel, bumper valance and iron
Ground the front bumper valance back to bare metal
February 2021
With the chassis complete, I threw a lot of fiberglass, filler and paint onto the front panel, grille and bumper valance. These were all in a sorry state, and while I should have saved them until later, it was a morale boost to get something looking nice after having spent the winter cutting rot out of the chassis and getting it welded back together.
Front bumper valance primed. If I'm honest, the Hycote is cheap, but weak - you need at least three coats to do a decent job
[Hycote White Primer]
Took the grille back to bare metal
Applied basecoat, clearcoat and reassembled the front bumper valance
[Paints4U Basecoat] [Paints4U Clearcoat]
Primer applied to grille
[Hycote White Primer]
Front panel back to bare metal
Some rust issues with the front panel, in need of filler
Filled with fiberglass
Sanded back fiberglass
Applied filler
Basecoat and clearcoat applied to front panel
[Paints4U Basecoat] [Paints4U Clearcoat]
March 2021
The engine bay was the filthiest job on the car - the original engine leaked a lot of oil, and the engine bay had to be degreased and stripped right back. This was a tough, dirty job - the whole garage ended up covered with a layer of old grease, oil and paint. But the engine was out, the reconditioned engine was still on order and it was an opportunity I wouldn't have again. Very happy with the results and glad I did it.
On to the engine bay - slightly grubby
Sanded back grease and old paint
Sanded back grease and old paint
Rust treatment on near-side (wet)
Rust-treatment near-side (drying)
Rust treatment off-side (wet)
Rust treatment off-side (drying)
Fibreglass near-side tie plate welds
Filler on near-side
Filler on near-side
Fibreglass on bumper mount weld
Filler bumper mount weld
Engine bay ready for paint
Engine bay primed
Engine bay fully painted
[Paints4U Basecoat] [Paints4U Clearcoat]
April 2021
After the chassis, on to the brakes - as expected, the master cylinder was difficult. The brake cylinders, pipes and hoses were much easier, but needed a lot of troubleshooting and re-bleeding over time.
Back on four wheels, gave car and garage a clean
Now the brakes - draining the old brake fluid
Pulling down the torsion bar using a jack and a fulcrum to get at the master cylinder bolts. If I did this again I'd use a wider wooden block to better support the load from the jack
Old master cylinder removed - it's a bit grubby in there
Old and new master cylinders side by side
New master cylinder fitted
Good sources for master cylinder replacement: [christran.net][dsnclassics.co.uk]
Not an easy job - very hard to access, danger of contaminating brake pipes and banjo bolts with dirt from chassis and if any of the washers fall in, it's game over. Also very important to fit the inner washer to avoid a lot of rework later on
On to the off-side front brakes
Removed brake shoes
Removed the brake cylinders - all completely seized after 15 years off the road
Dirt and destruction from the old brake assembly
New brake cylinders fitted
New brake shoes fitted
New brake pipes and hoses
Rear brake assembly needs a spring clean
New brake cylinders fitted - the handbrake cable is frayed and due a replacement later on
Cleaned and refitted rear brake shoes
New rear brake hose
May 2021
With the brakes replaced, the next milestone was to get the engine running. I was on the waiting list for a reconditioned A series for a while, and one had just come available. With the old one stripped, we took a day trip to Charles Wares to make the exchange in late May. A lot of the month was spent on other, less fundamental jobs such as cleaning up the interior.
Old engine, back at my parent's house - ready for Dad to strip down
Old engine
Old engine
Engine stripped - ready for exchange.
Engine stripped - ready for exchange. Thanks Dad!
Parts from the engine, will be fitted to the reconditioned engine once collected from Charles Ware parts dep't
While waiting for the engine to be available, I stripped the bonnet down to bare metal
Masked up and primed the inner bonnet
Inner bonnet painted basecoat and clearcoat
Got round to bleeding the brakes. Old vs new brake fluid - a bit of contamination present
Removing the last of the interior carpets
Rust converter on the interior near the gearbox cover
Removing the last of the interior carpets - some dirt underneath the rear seats
Rust converter under the rear seats
All carpets removed and cleaned
Refinishing the seats
Refinishing the drivers' seat and front door cards
Refitted carpets, door cards and seats - interior looking good
Rear car interior
Front of car interior
Bye bye original engine - a solid 110,000 miles on the clock. Stripped down ready to exchange
Dad and I took a day trip to Charles Ware's Morris Minor Center to pick up the reconditioned engine
Reconditioned engine, ready to assemble
Test fit fan and water pump
Gasket sealant for the water pump
[Hylotyte Red]
New gaskets on
Water pump and small hose fitted, bolts torqued up
June 2021
Cleaned and refit all engine ancillaries, and mounted the engine back on the gearbox. This was a satisfying month, seeing everything come together. Not pictured was a lot of work troubleshooting: starter motor and distributor timings. Thank you to Rick and Dad for all the advice and support getting the engine up and running.
Thermostat and alternator fitted
Manifold gasket and engine block drain tap
Manifold fitted and torqued up. My 5yr old daughter helped torque up the manifold, which makes her an engineer
Gasket sealant for manifold
New gaskets and gasket sealant
[Hylotyte Red]
Carburettor to manifold spacer fitted
New top hose
Replaced the filthiest air filter in existence
Carburettor and air filter attached to manifold
Cut a new dowel - the old one wouldn't come out of the original engine!
Fitted the backplate
Set piston 1 to top dead centre (checking valves are level) before fitting flywheel
Ensure flywheel correct position while piston 1 at TDC
Flywheel fitted
Clutch fitted. Must be exact alignment or it will not fit into the gearbox
Ready to go in
On the hoist
Going in
Engine is in!
Radiator in
Radiator housing
Distributor on and new battery in, ran the starter motor - we have oil pressure!
Filled the radiator with water and put the bonnet back on
Bumper and valance
Front panel
Bitumen paint on boot surround
Boot shelf repainted and refitted, frame resprayed
Meanwhile at my father's house - boot lid rot cut out
New frame welded and zinc painted
Fitting the new skin to the frame with temporary rivets
Skin welded on, rivets removed, ground back
Filler, ready for priming
Boot lid primed ready to go - thank you Dad!
Radiator leak, patched with J B Weld
Adaptor for non-standard fuel pump - took a while to source the right adaptor
Manifold to exhaust sealed
208691894_511204906977139_2435979517484196399_n.mp4The engine runs!
July 2021
With the engine running, a test run. It's the end of the beginning! A lot of troubleshooting and setup still to come. The brakes had never been right, and the final fix after months of troubleshooting was a small washer missing from the master cylinder. Got some new front trunions fitted while the wings were off - and a new fuel pump, as the old one died shortly after the first test run.
226192486_591787181827700_1539420734076543408_n.mp4Quick test run, new fuel pump and filter working nicely. Brakes feel encouraging but will need a little more work
The old fuel pump failed, shortly after the engine started running again. New fuel pump and filter fitted
Back in April, I replaced the brake master cylinder. The brakes were terrifying for a while, and there was an air leak somewhere in the system. I'd tracked down a couple loose pipes and hoses, but the final culprit was this missing washer, circled in the picture. It wasn't easy to replace; the brakes have been much better since
Forced the old trunion off and unscrewed it
Removed the nut from the other side of the trunion
Removed seized castle nut from old trunion
Wheels on, trunions greased, ready to go
New trunions in (both sides)
New bolts, castle nut
August 2021
With the chassis patched up, the wings were the final bit of bodywork that still needed work. Both rear wings had whole sections that rusted away - the near-side rear wing was in a pretty bad way. Water had got in and sat underneath the rear light rubbers which is why the surface rust is so extensive.
On to the near-side wings. The water got in underneath the rear light rubbers and sat on the metal
Inner near-side wing - ready for a wire brush
Loose rust brushed off, rust-converter applied
Bitumen paint on both near-side wings. Near-side front wing was in a much better state
Cutting out a cardboard template for the off-side front wing patch
Back to bare metal, patch cut and fit with self-tapping screws
Cardboard cutout for the ruined near-side rear wing
Extra metal to attach to the wing
Testing the fit of the patch to the wing
The cardboard patch is ready to go in
The off-side rear wing also needed some new metal
More cardboard cutouts
The metal patch, from inside the wing
Metal patch, fit with self-tapping screw
Testing the fit of the wing to the chassis
September 2021
The wings came back from the welder and were fitted, plus the rear wing beading and headlights + indicators. Looking like a proper car now!
Beading and patch on the off-side rear wing
Off-side rear wing welded and fitted
Off-side front wing welded and fitted
Headlights and indicators. The indicators are good but headlights need more work
One wing fitted, the others are with the welder
I used rivet nuts on the patches in place of the old captive nuts
October 2021
With working lights and brakes the car was now roadworthy. First time out on a road in 20 years, another huge milestone. Still a huge list of things to do though: The near-side bump stop was missing. As the whole assembly was a rusted mess, this needed a new set of U bolts and judicious use of the universal spanner (cut it to pieces with an angle grinder). Fixed some wiring errors get the headlights and sidelights working, new halogen headlights and a glove box lid to hide the mess of wires inside!
Correct wiring - front and rear sidelights now work!
Troubleshooting the electrics. The headlights and sidelights run on their own circuit. Unfortunately I connected them the wrong side of the starter switch, so they only got juice while the starter was being pulled
244790712_559341285335631_4831317258051558398_n.mp4First trip out in 20 years! Thank you Ruth, Dad and Rick for your help and support! It's the end of the beginning
244579604_861796127812859_7716840585511486781_n.mp4Rear indicators
All wings fitted, headlights and indicators hooked up
244669106_557727251948247_2057696574535003371_n.mp4Front indicators
Headlight assembly
Assembled ready to go in
Halogen headlights fitted and working
Purchased glove box lids in a different colour
Resprayed the (off-side) glove box lid
New glove box lid fitted
Near-side bump stop replaced
New U bolts going in
Needed to use the angle grinder on the old U bolts - they were rusted solid
November 2021
Wheels have been ground back and resprayed, and all new tyres fitted. The speedo was sticking, so I cleaned the cable, discovering that the gearbox oil was overdue a change! Seatbelts fitted, so I can take the kids to school. One of the practical reasons that I wanted a second car was on school run days when the weather is awful, as our main car is in use on those days.
Grind wheels down to bare metal, ready for primer
Wheel primed and resprayed - lots of overspray, but these are 30yr tyres and they're being replaced
New 145 Tyres fitted
[145 - 10 Camac BN313]
Gunky old speedo drive as it meets the gearbox, is this why the speedo needle is sticking?
Removed and cleaned the speedo drive, the oil was pretty grim - gearbox oil change needed
Fitting the cleaned speedo drive
Speedo drive - back in the gearbox
Now to change the gearbox oil: The current oil was not entirely fresh
262301543_215798090701488_4097932531675670919_n.mp4It's supposed to be replaced every 30,000 miles, the fresh 20W50 was about 80,000 miles too late. Better late than not at all
Spark plug after mix adjustment, looking much better now
Readjusted carburettor mix. It was running far too rich, lots of black unburnt fuel on the spark plugs
USB charger, running off the fuel pump circuit. It'll only charge if the ignition's on, so won't drain battery
Fitting rear seatbelts
Rear seatbelt unit mounted on rear shelf
Both seatbelts fitted, the car is child-ready!
December 2021
Ground back and resprayed the inner doors, which were in a poor state. Adjusted and bled the brakes, which feel a lot more responsive now. Lots of other smaller jobs were done: New spark plugs, checked the contacts and that the mix is okay. Reattached the passenger door catch after the respray, which needed drilling and rivet nuts
Original mid-low door section before work started
Mid/low door section, ground back
Mid-low door section after work
Masking tape and dust sheets to stop overspray
Door section before work started, the paint is peeling off and rot has set in underneath
Ground back and rust converted applied
Filler applied and sanded back
Masked and primed
Resprayed, with new door seal and switch fitted
Removing the old interior light switch, rusted solid
Cable attaches to the new switch, which earths the interior light circuit when the door is opened
New switch fitted
265988196_210252964610838_3353406884147457427_n.mp4Interior light switch. Working correctly for the first time in about 30+ years
Air filter sanded back ready for primer
Resprayed the inner door - this is the near-side. Similar story on the off-side door - ground back and resprayed
Resprayed the air filter
New fanbelt ready for fitting
264199012_623081479140272_7076586805885256088_n.mp4New fanbelt in operation
January 2022
Very little work completed this month, but we went out on a few school runs when it got too cold or wet to walk the kids to school. The speedo unit needs to come out; need to fit a new ignition light (so that the alternator charges) and take a look at the fuel gauge and speedo. Then a full respray when it gets a bit warmer!
February 2022
Driver's side door ground back and resprayed, and some smaller jobs got done too: the horn finally works and the ignition light is on again (which in turn fixes the alternator so that it now charges the battery)
Driver's side door before any work was done. Not as bad as the passenger door, but not great
Ground back and filled, ready for respraying
Primed and resprayed. New interior light switch and door seal fitted. Adjusted the striker plate so that it closes a little more easily too
Door catch removed, some screws were very slightly stripped and needed encouragement
Horn fixed. Checked and rewrapped all indicator and horn connectors with electrical tape
Sleeved and tidied the mess of wires
Removed the speedometer, replaced ignition light (so the alternator should now charge)
274602790_687214515653277_2493261300302801741_n.mp4Testing all lights
Resprayed the outer bezel before refitting
March 2022
Handbrake cables finally replaced, and new webbing for the drivers seat. On to speedo diagnosis. The needle wouldn't return to zero, worked fine when horizontal, but fouled when vertical. The drive assembly was being pushed into the magnet/cup which in turn rotates the needle, and some light grease was fouling everything when vertical. It's better, but runs ~5mph too slow now.
Near-side brake cable
Off-side brake cable
New brake cable attached to rear brake cylinders
Old vs new brake cables
Removing the old webbing for the driver's seat
New driver's seat webbing fitted
275952469_1040758036791509_4976078970539876367_n.mp4Attached the speedo cable to a drill to turn at high speed. When the drill stops, the speedo does not return to zero
275790433_501988141500000_8614420019716737426_n.mp4Removed the speedo assembly and took it to pieces. The speedo returns to zero when held horizontal...
275861007_3225523561103133_204904689566579582_n.mp4... but fouls when held vertical
276068940_528638618895166_8923428033264243776_n.mp4Pushing the drive assembly frees the needle. Diagnosis: The drive assembly is being pushed into the magnet and disk which rotates the needle, fouling the assembly
Removed the play by pressing the drive assembly together and filling down the mount points. Cleaned the magnet wheel and drag cup so less chance of sticking
275820572_264241572440020_380121022655067369_n.mp4Reassembled and cleaned the magnet/cup assembly. Speedo unit is now freed off when vertical Ready to go back in, with a new speedo cable
April 2022
Ignition troubleshooting this month - she ran rough one morning, then refused to start. Looked over the ignition system, replacing points, condenser and rotor arm. Replaced fuel float. Removed spark plugs and the sparks were weak - a layer of oil covered everything. Lesson learnt: a few more longer journeys without the choke are needed to keep things running nicely, not just short school runs.
Distributor cap off, showing the points and rotor arm
Rotor arm removed, new condenser and points
Using the feeler gauge to adjust the points
Spark plugs were covered in oil! Diagnosis: Short journeys, not enough time with the choke off
279900057_148198467714789_8509244105680546814_n.mp4Runs a lot nicer after wire brushing the spark plugs
Oil burned off after a long drive
May 2022
With the engine working again and some good weather, started on the repainting. Ground the near-side front wing back to metal, filled, masked and resprayed. Going to try to work through the respray in small, manageable blocks. Looking to do either the off-side front wing or the bonnet in June.
Removed lights and hockey stick
Starting to grind back to metal
Work progresses. I'd originally hoped to paint over the original primer, but a lot of scratches were too deep - so back to metal throughout
Ready for masking
Masked up, ready to paint
Rust converter and filler where the rust had worked its way through the metal
Base and clearcoat applied
Filler primer
White primer ready to sand back - a lot of the primer was sanded back to filler primer for a smoother finish
June 2022
Drove from the south coast to North London and back this weekend, and the fuel gauge started working! Normally things break, so it's a nice change.
My guess is that the arm in the sender unit was seized, and when I fully filled the tank, the float started moving the sender arm again.
July 2022
Removed the bonnet and boot lid, going panel by panel tackling the worst ones first. Taking the bonnet down to bare metal as it is pretty gnarly. Car updates are going to be intermittent in the summer with lots of family things in the calendar for summer holidays! This project started in lockdown and it's good to get out.
The car had an engine fire before I got it, which is why all the wiring is new. The cracked paint is likely a result of that.
Close up on the gnarly spots. Conclusion: take back to bare metal
Half-way through... Taking the layers of paint off is a long and noisy process
August 2022
Stripped back and rust treated the bonnet, primed and sanded back ready for basecoat.
Remaining paint stripped back. Lots of Aqua Steel to make sure any remaining rust had been converted
Aqua Steel dried to a nice black finish. It's been good for rust treatment [Aquasteel]
Layers of primer-filler added, half-way through sanding back. I did a poor job and it was very rough
September 2022
Back to the panels! Aiming to finish the bonnet, deal with the boot, and start on the near-side rear wing, all of which were in a bad way. With the bonnet done, I don't think I need to take anything else back to bare metal now, but there is a lot of filler needed on the boot (after the replacement sill got welded on) and rear wing (where water got under the old taillight gasket)
Basecoat on, difficult to get the quality and coverage with rattle cans. I changed to a new supplier who can match WT03 exactly [Advanced Paints]
Clearcoat covers a multitude of sins. It's not proper cellulose paint, it's a rattle can job... But it's an improvement on what it was
Sanded, primed and painted the bonnet flashes and boot numberplate light
Sanded back the boot lid, ready for filler
Primer-filler, then primer, then filled and sanded back
There was a hard step here that needed smoothing
More primer-filler then primer, then sanded back again
Base and clearcoat to add colour and shine. This was a good job considering it was with rattle cans
Re-fitted the boot and fittings
October 2022
Repaired the near-side rear wing; it was a mess under the old taillamp gasket, which was not fitted correctly, now replaced. Hopefully that will stop water sitting on the metal and rotting the wing.
Rear wing in a poor state after water ingress under the faulty taillight gasket
Sanded back the underlying rot and added a few layers of filler for the worst parts of the near side rear wing
Sanded back to smooth
Couple coats of primer - yellow fillter primer then a layer of white primer on top
Sanded back the white primer
Basecoat and clearcoat, much better than it was
More filler on the front part of the wing
Filler primer and white primer, sanded back
Basecoat and clearcoat
April 2023
Very little work done over winter, finished giving the off-side front wing a sand back and respray in April - it's not a great job, but the car now looks reasonable from a meter or so, if you look straight at it! Some before and after pics:
"Before" image of the front of the car. The front panel had been painted, but bonnet and wings in a poor state
Front wing filled, sanded, taped, primed, basecoat and clearcoat
"After" image of the front of the car, looking reasonable now
May-July 2023
The car had been having some unscheduled stops (losing power intermittently, and occasionally failing completely) and I couldn't find the cause. Ultimately it turned out to be a loose connection to the coil, now tightened - thank you Dad for the fix!
Small jobs: One of the new spark plugs needed replacing, I've bought some new-old stock in case any of the others break. I've also fitted new rubbers to the engine tie-rod.
Top of the list of future jobs is to adjust the clutch cable linkage, replace the fuel filter, then back to the paintwork: driver's door, off-side rear wing and door sills. I'd like to readjust the mix as it's very rich right now.
