tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4370487887730245312024-03-14T01:05:00.426+11:00Tim's Mk1 Morris Mini Traveller RestorationThis blog will document the restoration of my 1961 internal tanked Morris Mini Traveller Mk1Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-40710688717560876742018-04-20T09:44:00.000+10:002018-04-20T09:44:02.090+10:00Rear Seat Belts in Mini EstatesWhat to do about rear seatbelts? In the UK, car manufacturers weren't required to fit rear seatbelts until 1986. Sadly manufacture of all estate variants ended in 1980, so the UK factory never needed to solve the problem for us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap belt catch mounted through wheel arch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lap belts in a Clubman Estate</td></tr>
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Its not too hard to retro-fit lap seat belts. Most jurisdictions allow a metal spreader plate fitted with a standard 7/16 UNF captive nut to be used under the floor, or in the wheel arch. To anchor the two ends of the belts. Here are some pictures I stole from the old Clubman Estate Register forum.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wheel arch is structurally strong, but <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">too low to mount a shoulder sash</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Also the fuel tank is right there in my Traveller.</span></td></tr>
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The bigger challenge is if you want a lap/sash belt. Lap/ sash belts are far safer, something I learned in my short career as a Mini Moke crash test dummy. The problem in the back of a Traveller is the lack of places to solidly attach the shoulder strap. The attachment point needs to be structurally solid and at the correct height relative to the passenger's shoulders. Pictured here is another example of a Clubman Estate, this one fitted with a sash belt. In my opinion this belt is mounted much too low to be safe. When an adult is seated in the back seat their shoulder will be several inches higher than the seatback. In a collision, the belt will pull down and loosen. Its difficult to find any hard data on the correct height but generally between 4 inches below shoulder height to level with shoulder height seems to be accepted.<br />
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Here are two more examples. Both have the reel mounted at a better height. However I have serious doubts about the strength of that section of the seat rest that these are attached to. The red one seems to be reasonably well reinforced, as well as being a few inches higher, but the black one is ugly and the bar which runs right across to the other side will obstruct the load area when the seat is folded down.<br />
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As mentioned previously the UK factory never needed to solve the problem, but the Australian factory did. The Australian factory never put an estate version into production, but they did experiment with a couple of prototypes. The green clubman estate in these photos was one of apparently two prototypes developed in the mid '80s as an experiment. Unfortunately the only pictures I have were taken from a gumtree ad when the one survivor was sold a few years back. There are a couple more photos in "The Mini Experience"magazine, but they are under copyright.<br />
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These pictures show that the the shoulder sash is attached in the rear corners of the roof, each side of the doors. There is a rigid 'droplink' mounted to the body above the side windows at the top and in the seat rest at the bottom. The droplink has a smooth loop that the seatbelt passes through. These keep the sash at a good shoulder height.<br />
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On the face of it this looks like a good solution. I imagine that a metal bracket must be welded into the upper rear corners of the body to provide a mounting point, but that wpuld be a very strong part of the body. The droplinks have comparatively little force on them becasue the belt just slides through, so they should be more than strong enough.<br />
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If I was going to fit lap sash belts, I think that's what I'd work toward. The mounting points should be able to be hidden under the trim in those areas comparatively easily. Choosing belts that complement the trim (not dirty black and flouro orange) would help.<br />
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Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-76931208359966274492017-09-19T12:23:00.002+10:002017-09-19T12:23:30.135+10:00Speedometer and Speedo Cowl<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hKo-SUbG6oo/Wbpz6mufr4I/AAAAAAAAUe8/ooOyGuhR4CIBVWL4kDzTNu20hQChW0xkACKgBGAs/s1600/IMG_20150903_212748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1583" data-original-width="1600" height="395" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hKo-SUbG6oo/Wbpz6mufr4I/AAAAAAAAUe8/ooOyGuhR4CIBVWL4kDzTNu20hQChW0xkACKgBGAs/s400/IMG_20150903_212748.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
The early Minis were fitted with a speedometer cowl made of compressed cardboard. When I got the Traveller it was fitted with a plastic cowl from a later model. Very few Australian minis had the cardboard ones, so I had to get one from overseas. Eventually I sourced one from the USA - postage was horrendous, for a bit of cardboard. It was pretty tatty when it arrived (see the 'before' picture below). Painted black, and with several of the mounting holes torn out. But at least it wasn't water damaged or distorted.<br />
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I did some research to try to work out what these cowls were really made out of. Its not really cardboard or paper mache in texture, its much harder and smooth on the outside like MDF. On the inside it has the texture of the wire mesh mould that it was pressed into. It is some kind of thermoformed fibre. Pulp is pressed into a mould and heated. Apparently its a very old process that has been around since 1898. Waste paper or wood pulp could have been used.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'before' photo</td></tr>
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I patched the holes with paper gauze and glue and repaired it. Then I rubbed it down by hand (it is too fragile to machine sand) prepped it and painted it. The painting did not go well. I don't know what it was originally painted with, but each time I applied topcoat it would react with the layers beneath and "fry up". It happened three times, with hours of hand sanding to take it all back off after each attempt.<br />
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Finally it came out looking pretty good. In fact now its so good, it looks like a plastic one. Oh well at least I know its compressed cardboard.<br />
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All the hand sanding each time was very disheartening and it took me the better part of 8 months to complete the job.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SN4410/00 Early Morris Speedo with Five Digit Odometer. <br />
Back from Howard's it looks great!</td></tr>
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There were two versions of the silver faced Smith's speedometer used in early 850s. The first one (SN4410/00) had a 5 digit odometer. This was replaced later with a SN4480/00, which looked almost identical, but had a 6 digit odometer with an orange 10ths of Mile digit on the odometer. Of course mine was the wrong one. I hunted for ages to find a reasonable early one with a clean face and a good transparent needle. In the end I sourced one from the UK. It was pretty rusty and looked like it had been sitting around for a long time. I thoroughly cleaned it and derusted the rear casing and with a little mixing and matching of parts sent it off to Roger Howard at <a href="http://www.howardinstruments.com.au/" target="_blank">Howard Instruments</a> for a rebuild. Its looking pretty good now!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rear of the speedo. </td></tr>
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I'm told that Mr Howard senior, did the work. He has been servicing Mini speedos since the days of doing them under the factory warranty. The speedo and odometer mechanism have been repaired and serviced and the face has had a clean. The previously rusty rear of the body has been replated and a new chrome bezel fitted. They also rebuilt the fuel gauge and replated its casing. They have gone to the trouble of plating the speedo body in silver with the back of the fuel gauge in gold passivation. This is how they were done from new. It looks absolutely superb, but with a tiny bit of wear on the face and just a little fading on the needle, to give it some patina. Best of all it should work at least as well as the day it was made - but probably better, the early ones didn't have a good reputation!<br />
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Now to get it all back into the car.<br />
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<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-47753987137508573072014-02-25T12:11:00.000+11:002014-02-25T12:11:54.103+11:00Some Nice BitsI started off by trying to clean up the interior trim, and it just kind of snowballed. The wiring loom needed to be replaced, the fuel tank had to come out and then I discovered that the fuel tank sender unit was burnt out.<br />
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The old wiring loom had faded very badly and the cotton braiding had lost almost all of its colour coding, it also had a few nasty amateur repairs, so it had to go. After a bit of discussion on the Early Mini Forum I contacted Autosparks in the UK for a new loom. There was a bit of mucking around (partly my fault for not stressing that this was a rare internal tanked Traveller) but I now have a lovely looking bespoke wiring loom.<br />
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I'm really pleased with the cotton braiding of the loom. The main loom is black with a yellow fleck and the rear loom is black with two blue flecks. This seems to have been standard for Travellers, I think the blue fleck is a kind of colour coding to make it clear that the rear loom is a Traveller one. The sedans had a yellow fleck at the back.</div>
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I'm not quite ready to re-fit it yet but I'm looking forward to it. It will be nice to fit a flexible new wiring loom with clear colour coding.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BEFORE: The charred resistance coil. It can't be a good thing <br />
for something submerged in petrol to be getting that hot!</td></tr>
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The fuel sender unit is also looking pretty good too. When I tested it with a multimeter it was open circuit inside, so I carefully opened it to see if there was anything I could repair - not a hope. The resistance coil was badly burnt and I don't have the patience to try to repair it.So I sent it off to Roger Howard at <a href="http://www.howardinstruments.com.au/" target="_blank">Howard Instruments</a>. Roger specialises in Smiths instruments (amongst many others) and collects old Minis - the ideal combination! <br />
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The sender has come back with a new 80 ohm resistor coil (even the phenolic core of the coil was charred) and the outer plate has been re-plated, just as it would have been when first fitted. Its ready to do another 50 years now! I think Roger might have looked after me a little bit price-wise too. His price was very reasonable, for the work he's done.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AFTER: the original gauge, now looking as good as it would have in 1961.</td></tr>
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I'm so glad that there are businesses like Austosparks and Howard Instruments that can take the time to repair or re-manufacture parts like these. For most modern cars you wouldn't bother, just chuck it and use a modern replacement.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-67629797447854756382013-11-06T15:04:00.000+11:002014-02-19T13:57:59.652+11:00Traveller Jack and Toolkit<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The toolkit from the early Traveller parts manual (AKD3411)</td></tr>
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Like a lot of small bits and pieces, the jack and tool kit is missing from my Traveller. It would be nice to be able to replace it with a reasonable facsimile of the original kit. According to my early Traveller parts manual, the standard tool kit supplied with the vehicle is pretty basic. A jack and jack handle, a cranked wheel nut brace which also doubles as a tool to damage the hubcap, a spark plug tube spanner with its tommy bar and a levelling bracket that fitted on top of the jack when jacking the front of the car. A bag (for the smaller parts) was also supplied.<br />
The smaller tools should be pretty easy to replace, the dodgy wheel brace was used on Mini sedans, and the tube spanner and tommy bar will be common to many BMC cars of the period. Replica bags are available from places like Newton Commercial and some other specialists. Which just leaves the jack as the most difficult item to source.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jack of an Austin Seven Countryman. I think this is in Richard Mortlock's <br />
car, which is a week older than mine. (photo: Bill Bell) </td></tr>
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The tricky part is working out which jack is correct. The parts manual can't be relied on - often they would borrow illustrations they already had from other manuals - or just use a generic drawing of the object. In this case it does look like it should be a screw type jack, and with the help of the British Car Jack Database it looks like the <a href="http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/shelley_jacks.htm#Shelley LJ225 AH" target="_blank">Shelley LJ225</a> which was supplied with some Austin Healeys. Bill Bell from the 1959 Mini Register supplied me with this picture. It shows the jack in the rear of an early Countryman (so an Austin, not a Morris like mine). Again with the help of the British Car Jack Database, this appears to be a different version of the <a href="http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/shelley_jacks.htm#Shelley_LJ225_(Mini)" target="_blank">Shelley LJ225 - for Minis</a> so it looks like it is correct, and probably should be the one I'm looking for. These jacks were never supplied with Australian Minis, so I'll have to get one from the UK.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whDPkDjH968/UwQctQvfPNI/AAAAAAAACQQ/rMCTlBO5-Dg/s1600/woody-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whDPkDjH968/UwQctQvfPNI/AAAAAAAACQQ/rMCTlBO5-Dg/s1600/woody-15.jpg" height="190" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A metallifacture jack in an April 1961 Morris Mini Traveller<br />
(Photo: Sussex Sports Cars)</td></tr>
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Just to throw a spanner in the works, I came across this picture. It is 'borrowed' from the website of Sussex Sports Cars where this <a href="http://www.sussexsportscars.co.uk/cars/1961-morris-mini-minor-traveller-side-tank-model/" target="_blank">1961 Morris Mini Traveller is for sale</a>. It shows a completely different style of jack made by Metallifacture in the UK.This is the type of jack that we refer to as a Mini van jack, in Australia, but I have seen them listed as Mini Estate jacks on ebay in the UK. The British car Jack database also lists <a href="http://www.mgaroadster.co.uk/metallifacture_jacks.htm" target="_blank">Metallifacture jacks</a> for Minis, and suggests that they were supplied from 1962-1968 - however it doesn't claim to be encyclopaedic. This Traveller is approximately three months younger than mine.<br />
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So the question is, which jack is correct? Either or both cars could have lost their original jack during the past 52 years. Maybe both jacks were supplied with 1961 Travellers - which would be nice, because I already have a Metallifacture jack that I managed to source a few years ago.<br />
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Just a final note. BMC offered tool kits as an extra accessory. These were much more comprehensive and contained a range of additional tools including spanners, pliers and screwdrivers. Luckily there is also a small number of unique individuals who spend their time tracking down the minutiae of BMC tool kits, so I hope to be able to source the bits to put together the extra items needed for one of them too.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-55395183712618766382013-06-28T17:08:00.001+10:002013-06-28T17:08:12.522+10:00Press Photos (1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have a small collection of original BMC press photos, from the heyday of the Traveller and Countryman. These photos were produced by BMC and were sent out to the press to be used to illustrate press releases and articles. Sometimes they have the typed press release on the back of the photo. Some just show a plain photo of the vehicle, and I suspect these were often a bit of a rush job to get a picture out there, whereas others are more artfully composed and often show the vehicles in an interesting setting and accompanied by glamorous models. Most of the photos are in black and white but sometimes they are in colour.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5JXg3Dmw6k/UcqStyw2YpI/AAAAAAAABA0/r34G4K6vaKA/s1600/Early+Countryman2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f5JXg3Dmw6k/UcqStyw2YpI/AAAAAAAABA0/r34G4K6vaKA/s400/Early+Countryman2.jpg" width="400" /></a>At present the I only have two prints of early internal tanked cars. There are others available but I haven't found any that are reasonably priced. This picture shows an early Austin Se7en Countryman. You can tell from the picture that it is a light colour and its not white, so it must be speedwell blue. Actually I know it is because this is one of a sequence of pictures taken at the same time, some of the others show a young family in and around the car and at least one of them is in colour.</div>
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The picture below is nice ans shows a tartan red Countryman being loaded by young woman while her husband, helpfully watches on. Of interest are the bags that are being loaded. They look like they could be the bags offered as accessories by BMC in the early sixties. The basket in particular looks like the style that were designed to fit into the side storage bins in the back seat. Identical repro baskets are available from the 1959 Mini register.<br />
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Although its not possible to clearly read the registration number of each car, they both seem to have the UK 3 letter and 3 number type which were used up until August 1962. Both cars are internal tanked, built earlier than October 1961, so the pictures must date from around 1960 or '61.<br />
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<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-27424653234186810192012-10-04T22:51:00.000+10:002012-10-04T22:51:13.677+10:00Metal master Cylinder CapsI've developed a small obsession with the metal master cylinder caps that were used on the earliest Minis up until about mid-1961, when they were replaced with plastic caps. The plastic caps are much more sensible. They don't rust, they don't seize on and they have nice big finger grips to undo them BUT the metal caps are a unique feature of the first Minis and are one of those important details in a restoration.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d-uh8eGFcIM/UG147CDuy5I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/8x45zTWnabk/s640/P1010505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d-uh8eGFcIM/UG147CDuy5I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/8x45zTWnabk/s320/P1010505.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original caps. The least worst one<br /> has had its pinholes soldered up</td></tr>
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The metal caps were never any good and almost invariably end up being damaged by people trying to undo them after they seize on. Typically, they look like the two that were on my Traveller when I got it. The one on the left has been repaired so that I could re-use it, but the one on the right is falling apart and couldn't be re-used. I managed to find one good one on ebay for a price I could live with, but many of them have been selling for such vast sums that I've just stopped bidding on them. The problem is not helped by them having been used on a number of similar aged cars, especially MGs. At the prices that they have been selling for most people just use the plastic caps, although I did once own a Mini that had been fitted with a lid off a sauce bottle.<br />
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When I discovered a couple on ebay recently that looked to be in perfect condition and reasonably priced I got a bit excited and read a bit further. They turned out to be reproductions. I did a bit of googling and sent off an email to <a href="http://www.scarboroughfaire.4mg.com/" target="_blank">Scarborough Faire</a>, an MGA specialist in the US. Sure enough they have had them reproduce, apparently in the UK too. Price $7.95, which was well below the ebay price, even of the replicas. Freight from the US is typically the most expensive part, so I ordered enough caps for this project and the next one (not sure what it will be yet) and they arrived today costing just on $10 each, landed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OAf7TDFUkSo/UG1426wwO2I/AAAAAAAAAv8/wUhJztoqw3k/s1600/P1010500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OAf7TDFUkSo/UG1426wwO2I/AAAAAAAAAv8/wUhJztoqw3k/s640/P1010500.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new repro beside my one good original cap. Pretty bloody close!</td></tr>
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Looking at them closely, they are very good. They have a couple of minute differences, but are way better than the plastic alternative. The inside is pretty well identical too, and they come with a sealing gasket.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrFjgAQrVes/UG145q0toxI/AAAAAAAAAwI/AcOIMqxrANM/s1600/P1010503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrFjgAQrVes/UG145q0toxI/AAAAAAAAAwI/AcOIMqxrANM/s320/P1010503.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Repro cap on the left, genuine on the right.</td></tr>
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Once fitted you'd have to stick your head right into the engine bay to notice the difference, apart from being a bit more brightly plated than the originals.<br />
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You'd have to be pretty happy with that!<br />
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A bit more investigative web surfing suggests that the caps are being made by a company in the UK called TRW who make a lot of brake components and aftermarket automotive parts.<br />
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Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-59596108030111957022012-08-02T22:37:00.000+10:002012-08-02T22:38:54.365+10:00Interior Trim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFX33vWY078/UBpldFdzPCI/AAAAAAAAAm4/-erKmUrObsk/s1600/P1010415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JFX33vWY078/UBpldFdzPCI/AAAAAAAAAm4/-erKmUrObsk/s640/P1010415.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GRjbRvAw7E/UBoR53B7A0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/h0aU0tsgPPE/s1600/Vinyl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2GRjbRvAw7E/UBoR53B7A0I/AAAAAAAAAmM/h0aU0tsgPPE/s400/Vinyl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Vinyl swatches from 1961 - Spanish Red and Grey Fleck.<br />
The red is quite a lot darker in real life</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D86bN3TXbig/UBplaMpNNwI/AAAAAAAAAmw/ebKZQbCRd4w/s1600/P1010412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D86bN3TXbig/UBplaMpNNwI/AAAAAAAAAmw/ebKZQbCRd4w/s320/P1010412.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few bits of trim missing</td></tr>
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At this early stage worrying about interior trim seems a bit premature, but with plans of registering and running the car before finishing the restoration, I'll need to get the trim sorted out soon. The problem is that quite a bit of the original trim is missing, and with very few Travellers or even early English Mini sedans in Australia, its going to take a bit of sorting out. Its not helped by some of the contradictory information published on some of the better known websites. I can be pretty certain about the trim that is present in the car, but there are still a few gaps. The "Colour Finishes and Upholsteries" brochure from 1961 shows clearly the grey fleck and Spanish red used on the seat covers, but doesn't supply any of the minor details or say anything about the other trim apart from saying that the carpet is red. Luckily My seats are still there and although the bases have been re-covered I can tell that they have welded rather than stitched flutes, the flutes are narrow and the seats have white rather than red piping. In a sedan these would be regarded as Austin seats, but I suspect they are really Longbridge seats.<br />
The door cards are missing, but I can tell from the rear quarter panel cards that they would have been Spanish red with welded flutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaaOtlajsqM/UBpljB3L2vI/AAAAAAAAAnI/9uM_bZFEz1Q/s1600/P1010423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vaaOtlajsqM/UBpljB3L2vI/AAAAAAAAAnI/9uM_bZFEz1Q/s320/P1010423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grey headlining material</td></tr>
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The headlining and most of the minor trim is light grey headlining vinyl which is embossed with a sort of square weave pattern. Interestingly this material is still available. It must have been very widely used on British cars as I've found it listed as being for Minis, Morris Minors and MGs with various suppliers. This material is used on most of the small sections of trim around the rear windows and rear doors and on the dash board either side of the speedo. It is quite stained on the headlining and dirty everywhere else, but I scrubbed a bit of it with a nailbrush and hand cleaner and it came up really well. Some of it will need to be replaced, but a lot of it I should be able to reuse.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bg1GlqI7uWY/UBpvoZMjGgI/AAAAAAAAAnY/orN13zrJQtw/s1600/P1010418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bg1GlqI7uWY/UBpvoZMjGgI/AAAAAAAAAnY/orN13zrJQtw/s320/P1010418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What should the dash shelf be lined with?</td></tr>
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One area I really don't know about is the lining on the shelf of the dashboard. Its missing, which is no help. I've read that it should be the same colour as the door trims (red), match the panels either side of the speedo (grey headlining) or be black hardura, a kind of coarse grained stiff vinyl on a fibre felt backing.<br />
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In the load bay at the back most of the trim is missing. There are a couple of bits of the grey headlining stuff, that I'll be able to uses as patterns but the rest is pretty poor. The panelling in the side walls (also around the sides and across the back of the folding rear seat) is flat unfluted Spanish red. Unfortunately the very important tank cover is missing. I guess that it was made of the same material as the dash panel lining, a kind of thick black cardboard, but covered in the flat Spanish red material. Unfortunately I've only been able to find some dodgy photos of one or two and really don't have much detail about the shape or construction of the cover.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16Dd7npBOLg/UBplgE563OI/AAAAAAAAAnA/rn_Fv-KVUZk/s1600/P1010416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-16Dd7npBOLg/UBplgE563OI/AAAAAAAAAnA/rn_Fv-KVUZk/s320/P1010416.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat red vinyl in the load bay</td></tr>
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The final trim question is carpet. the Traveller came with a set, but I'm pretty sure its not original and came out of something else. The rear seat back has been covered in white shaggy wool carpet which looks pretty terrible.<br />
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So all in all there's a bit to do. the seat covers have been extensively repaired in the front and really need replacing. the rear seat is OK but the red part of the base has a big tear in it. I can source repro trim from Newton Commercial in the UK, but the reports are that its good, but not great. Its also quite expensive. so I'm in a bit of a quandary. I've requested some<br />
swatches of repro material from Newton's and a Traveller price list and catalog so I'll see what I'm up for and make a decision.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lq1pzLLBv3g/UBplXQC0sYI/AAAAAAAAAmo/n79QaxXDt4Q/s1600/P1010156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lq1pzLLBv3g/UBplXQC0sYI/AAAAAAAAAmo/n79QaxXDt4Q/s640/P1010156.JPG" width="640" /></a>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-84396055450305913862012-07-16T22:44:00.000+10:002012-07-16T22:44:17.760+10:00Early Mk1 Morris Mini Traveller for Sale in Australia<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tbitc.com/wp-content/gallery/1960-mk1-mini-traveller/mimg_4270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.tbitc.com/wp-content/gallery/1960-mk1-mini-traveller/mimg_4270.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A modern day 'barn find'</td></tr>
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I was really surprised when another early internal tanked Traveller cropped up on the <a href="http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=77546">Ausmini forum</a> last week. The rumours always said that there were more early woodies here, but its nice to get some confirmation. With mine and Garry's in Albury-Wodonga this makes three. This one is in Adelaide and is almost identical to mine. The chassis and FE number are about 1000 later, but the engine number is about 1000 earlier. So the two are almost twins. I've been in touch with the owner and in another coincidence, he's a Tim too. Spooky! <br />
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I've been watching with interest as he tries to work out exactly when it was built, from the numbers I'd guess a couple of weeks after mine, so early February 1961. I'm really curious as to where it was despatched after manufacture. I'd love to learn that it went to Derbyshire Motors with mine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tbitc.com/wp-content/gallery/1960-mk1-mini-traveller/mimg_4481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.tbitc.com/wp-content/gallery/1960-mk1-mini-traveller/mimg_4481.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trim is a bit tatty, especially the seats, but at least <br />
its mostly all there. Its a lot more complete than mine.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Due to his personal circumstances Tim reluctantly has it up for sale, and to me it looks like a great project. Importantly the body is relatively rust free. One door is a perforated and the guttering on one side looks a bit crusty, but the floors look really good. I doubt any panels would need to be replaced (apart from that door). It has lost its engine, but that might be a good excuse to hot it up a bit and the interior and woodwork are a bit scruffy so it looks like the new buyer will be spending some cash with </span><a href="http://www.newtoncomm.co.uk/cars/classic-mini/model-24/" style="background-color: white;">Newton Commercial</a> and one of the Traveller timber suppliers.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">There are heaps more photos on <a href="http://www.tbitc.com/photos-of-my-mini-traveller/">Tim's blog</a>.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.tbitc.com/wp-content/gallery/1960-mk1-mini-traveller/mimg_4553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://www.tbitc.com/wp-content/gallery/1960-mk1-mini-traveller/mimg_4553.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The all important internal tank - car could do with a clean</td></tr>
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So if you fancy a Mini project that is a bit special, get on to Tim through the Ausmini link, or his blog and make him an offer. He has to move it soon so in real estate terms he's a 'motivated vendor'.<br />
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<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-68958814309518891532012-02-21T21:52:00.001+11:002012-02-21T21:52:18.917+11:00Engine Stripdown ProgressI've been making slow but steady progress with stripping the power unit. Its mostly coming apart fairly easily, the fasteners are generally in good condition and most of it looks not to have been abused too heavily. The last time I pulled down an unknown engine just about every part of it was either badly worn, or had been damaged by a ham-fisted amateur who should have left it alone.<br />
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The head came off relatively easily although there was a bit of corrosion around the studs which held it pretty tight. Its a bit odd though, it doesn't seem to match the rest of the engine. It has no green paint on it at all, it appears to have been painted in red oxide. It also shows some marks that appear to have been caused by abuse, and the valve stems look very worn. Examination of the casting numbers just furthers the mystery. No-one on any of the forums I've contacted can identify the head. The best guess is Morris Minor or Austin A30. It doesn't really matter, it looks exactly the same as an 850 head, so for the time being I'll do it up to go back on. I'm actually considering something a bit more special for the head down the track.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZETSIK4Q_o/T0NwWIOxtEI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/COO0aImKRo4/s1600/P1010335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZETSIK4Q_o/T0NwWIOxtEI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/COO0aImKRo4/s640/P1010335.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morris Minor or Austin A30 or A35?</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-go1qgEBPSfw/T0NwDdXwDsI/AAAAAAAAAhg/mjPHOaYyyjw/s1600/P1010324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-go1qgEBPSfw/T0NwDdXwDsI/AAAAAAAAAhg/mjPHOaYyyjw/s320/P1010324.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who or what were BRITMO?</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--g5B0zLv1o4/T0NwGp0P_rI/AAAAAAAAAhk/WmYrWlQLNWQ/s1600/P1010325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--g5B0zLv1o4/T0NwGp0P_rI/AAAAAAAAAhk/WmYrWlQLNWQ/s200/P1010325.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What does 2A3 AF2 AS3 mean?</td></tr>
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I was very careful removing the timing gears, I'm well aware that the sides of the cam timing wheel are brittle and can easily be broken if removed carelessly. Once I'd removed it I discovered that it had been damaged and repaired in the past. Oh well, I thought, and went to find another in my spares pile. While washing the spare one, the side cracked out of it too, it must have been damaged when it was removed many years ago (what was I saying about ham fisted amateurs?). Now I'll need to find a replacement, but the good ones with the rubber chain tensioner rings are no longer available.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZWztakxfkI/T0NwNPKKhxI/AAAAAAAAAh0/3uvl1fCkhiA/s1600/P1010328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zZWztakxfkI/T0NwNPKKhxI/AAAAAAAAAh0/3uvl1fCkhiA/s320/P1010328.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original timing gear, that's what happens <br />
when you lever them off with a screwdriver</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRiSWHFfRDs/T0NwQOj75WI/AAAAAAAAAiA/kJvhn_mdwrg/s1600/P1010332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRiSWHFfRDs/T0NwQOj75WI/AAAAAAAAAiA/kJvhn_mdwrg/s320/P1010332.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My only spare timing gear, the <br />crack was invisible until I washed it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-68791069776871241532012-01-14T22:42:00.000+11:002012-01-14T22:48:36.253+11:00Replacement Engine Found<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POu4qHc6aQk/TxFYSs0aMLI/AAAAAAAAAcM/7hKg5RszxHM/s1600/P1010252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POu4qHc6aQk/TxFYSs0aMLI/AAAAAAAAAcM/7hKg5RszxHM/s640/P1010252.JPG" width="640" /></a>Following from a lead at MiniFest back in November I collected a replacement power unit today. Neither the current engine or gearbox belong to the Traveller. The old engine is a 998cc from an Australian Deluxe, fitted to a gearbox from a later 850. The new engine would have originally been fitted to an Australian assembled (CKD) Morris 850. It has the same 8AM-U-H engine number prefix as the original, and I believe the casting numbers (and hence the casting) are correct.<span style="background-color: beige; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span>Advice from the Early Mini Forum suggests that it dates from around January 1962, so is only 12 months younger than the Traveller, which makes it very close in style to the original one, having the same small tail crank, spring clutch and cone synchromesh. None of these features are actually very good, hence they were all phased out and improved soon after.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uKGTBmnwL_0/TxFX4yjUyCI/AAAAAAAAAbs/5Ou1ozkXsCM/s1600/P1010248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uKGTBmnwL_0/TxFX4yjUyCI/AAAAAAAAAbs/5Ou1ozkXsCM/s400/P1010248.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe that these are the same casting numbers<br />
that the Traveller would have had originally.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEotcX4cenA/TxFYMxxqqpI/AAAAAAAAAcE/SSfNXxdFkZ0/s1600/P1010251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MEotcX4cenA/TxFYMxxqqpI/AAAAAAAAAcE/SSfNXxdFkZ0/s400/P1010251.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">22A363 indicates a late cone synchro gearbox, phased out in 1962</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I pulled the head off in a brief spare moment today and it looks a bit sooty inside, but it doesn't seem to have a noticeable ridge in the cylinder wall and seems to be on the standard bore, which is quite remarkable considering its 50 years old and an 850.<br />
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One nice thing is that this engine has a lot of the original bracketry and hardware missing from the other one, but I have all of the major parts that this one is missing.<br />
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I'm extremely grateful to Don C., who sold me the engine for a very reasonable price, largely because he appreciates the Traveller and what I'm trying to do with it. The engine was stored at Don's friend Rod's place, where I was treated to a display of several very nice Minis in a range of styles and colours, but all in excellent condition, plus a yard full of "spares" in varying states of saveability. Rod is a very friendly bloke, who obviously loves his Minis, so it was a pleasure to spend some time chatting after he'd helped me load the engine. Rod was quite happy for a complete stranger to drive off with his mate's engine without paying for it. I'll fix Don up next week. Its great to have met two excellent Mini men who want to share their passion and help out others, without first thinking of the profit line. I hope to be able to pay the favour forward.<br />
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Having this engine means that I can start the next stage of the restoration. Because I have so little spare time I'm reluctant to fly into stripping down the Traveller, in case I get stuck and have to leave it pulled apart forever. This engine is a bite-sized chunk I can be going on with while leaving the car intact.<br />
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</div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-73204610842893783122011-11-07T21:53:00.003+11:002011-11-07T21:59:09.086+11:00Media Coverage<a 1em;"="" 1em;="" clear:="" float:="" href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/11/07/274601_tasmania-news.html" margin-bottom:="" margin-left:="" right;="" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank; style="><img src="http://www.themercury.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2011/11/06/MINISTHIN_CROP-1_DD178694_215710.JPG" /></a>At MiniFest yesterday, I was summoned to the Traveller by a call over the PA. It was for a brief interview with a local journalist and to pose for a photo. Neither are something that I relish, but I did what I was told. There was quite a big article about MiniFest in the paper today, and on "The Mercury's" website. I think the photographer captured the Traveller's good side. Click on the image to see the full article.<br />
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I should say that I don't always wear loud shirts, but that's my Moke Californian shirt, custom made by the Moke Owners Association of Victoria. I only get it out on special occasions. The orange T-shirt is from Dean Wilhite's <a href="http://dooderwear.com/dooderwear.com/mini_t-shirts_by_dooderwear.html" target="_blank">Dooderwear</a> in the U.S. I have one of his Moke design and a Woody one. Click the buttons below to see the full design.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a 1em;"="" 1em;="" href="http://dooderwear.com/dooderwear.com/woody.html" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" target="_blank; style="><img src="http://dooderwear.com/dooderwear.com/buttons_files/woodygold.png" /></a><a 1em;"="" 1em;="" href="http://dooderwear.com/dooderwear.com/moke.html" margin-left:="" margin-right:="" target="_blank; style="><img src="http://dooderwear.com/dooderwear.com/buttons_files/mokeorange.png" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-86956995099589329962011-11-06T22:12:00.000+11:002011-11-06T22:12:08.233+11:00A Grand Day Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CltKES6nLWo/TrZdcIDWmMI/AAAAAAAAAYU/MyC8oSi6TJ8/s1600/P1010220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CltKES6nLWo/TrZdcIDWmMI/AAAAAAAAAYU/MyC8oSi6TJ8/s400/P1010220.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Traveller holding Sarah's baloon</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I'm pleased to report that the Traveller behaved perfectly for the trip to MiniFest 2011. Barry, my father-in-law, followed me in my Moke as moral support and emergency tow vehicle. But it wasn't needed. The engine ran even better today, and giving it a run seemed to clear some of the cobwebs out. It was haemorrhaging oil, the exhaust was blowing and there's a lot of interior trim missing so it was noisier than it should have been, but I had a beaming smile as I drove it in. There are a few hills and a steep climb over the bridge, and it did get slowed down by them. I also realiased that I'd forgotten how to drive a 3 synchro gearbox, but they're minor issues.<br />
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This was the fifth MiniFest, the Mini Car Club of Tasmania organise the show at the same time every second year, and each time they seem to get bigger and better. The theme for the show is "Any Mini, any condition" but each show seems to have fewer rusty wrecks than the previous one, as they're replaced with shiny restored and original cars. My Traveller scrubbed up OK, but was still one of the worst looking. The paint is an old re-spray and is pretty poor, there are large areas that are flaking off and a lot of visible rust staining (although not much rust).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEmlzS3C86Y/TrZfKWfH5rI/AAAAAAAAAYs/9tx4NclOoSY/s1600/P1010215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEmlzS3C86Y/TrZfKWfH5rI/AAAAAAAAAYs/9tx4NclOoSY/s320/P1010215.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice early 850, in a traditional colour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Its interesting to look at the cars and see how fashions have changed in restorations. A few years ago it was acceptable to paint Minis in lurid metallic colours, fit big wheels and do horrible things to the interior with weird choices in upholstery, but these days there are many more cars being repainted in their original colours and looking well kept rather than over restored. I like it that way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkzHKAhWfyM/TrZd-K_p9EI/AAAAAAAAAYc/uvqhcCXbFyw/s1600/P1010219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDvgprEYGSA/TrZeRdQZEAI/AAAAAAAAAYk/bEmC0opPMEg/s1600/P1010211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SDvgprEYGSA/TrZeRdQZEAI/AAAAAAAAAYk/bEmC0opPMEg/s320/P1010211.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most Travellers ever seen together in Tasmania?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Two other Travellers attended, coincidentally both are green. The woody's owner recently moved to Tasmania from the ACT. It is nominally also a 1961 like mine, although there's precious little left from 1961. It has been re-shelled and fitted with the running gear from a late model injected Rover Cooper. The steel sided Traveller has been converted with all the running gear from an Australian 1275 LS, it seems pretty good mechanically, but I reckon that it really needs to be put right. James, the new owner agrees, but like me probably isn't in a position to rush it!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkzHKAhWfyM/TrZd-K_p9EI/AAAAAAAAAYc/uvqhcCXbFyw/s1600/P1010219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OkzHKAhWfyM/TrZd-K_p9EI/AAAAAAAAAYc/uvqhcCXbFyw/s200/P1010219.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mine's the orange one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The day was unusually hot and being held in a large open area with no shade everyone got lightly toasted. It was great weather for Mokes and about 14 turned out. Barry didn't enjoy driving mine very much. The clutch is almost out of travel and he's not used to cars without power steering anymore.<br />
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The show ended with a ceremony to award a large number of trophies and I was pleased to be awarded "The car with the most potential". The guys presenting the trophies did wonder if this was a consolation prize.<br />
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MiniFest always ends with a cruise in convoy. In previous years it has been through the city, but this year was out of town on the highway. I'm not sure that it worked terribly well, and we all stopped in a very dubious location for a convoy photo, but it was still good fun. Barry and I took went in the moke, the Traveller's temporary permit didn't cover the convoy and it was further than I wanted to risk driving it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D9uVPxTH1qE/TrZfkWOk54I/AAAAAAAAAY0/A7CoY4MhXt4/s1600/P1010231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D9uVPxTH1qE/TrZfkWOk54I/AAAAAAAAAY0/A7CoY4MhXt4/s640/P1010231.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A portion of the convoy at the photo stop. I was too lazy to walk to the front to try to get it all in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> All in all it was a very successful event. I had a ball driving the Traveller and there was a lot of interest in it, I was photographed and interviewed by the local paper and I also got a couple of possible sources for a replacement 850 powerunit from the correct period.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-1564877326928103982011-11-05T22:20:00.000+11:002011-11-05T22:20:01.333+11:00More Brake work and It Lives!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VplKtfiLZYs/TrURn42GfjI/AAAAAAAAAXo/igXvLSLefSc/s1600/P1010180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VplKtfiLZYs/TrURn42GfjI/AAAAAAAAAXo/igXvLSLefSc/s400/P1010180.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that lovely stainless steel gleaming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I got the master cylinders and rear wheel cylinders back from being re-sleeved - the front wheel cylinders had been done previously. The quality of the work is excellent so they should be right to last another 50 years. I sent them off to Leon, whose business is appropriately named <a href="http://www.quickservicebrakes.com.au/">Quick Service Brakes</a>. He apologised about being too busy to get to them immediately but still only took just over a fortnight to do them. We discussed what to do about the reservoirs. The two ports in the side of the master cylinders need to be drilled after the sleeve is inserted. This is usually done by drilling right through the side of the reservoir and soldering the hole up afterwards. The alternative is to un-solder the reservoir and put it back on later, but this is labour intensive and adds considerably to the price. We agreed that I'd take the reservoirs off and put them back on myself. This gave me the chance to clean them up and repair them while they were off.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3EO6SAXdu_E/TrURzxzz1QI/AAAAAAAAAX4/jS283kLpmEE/s1600/P1010199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3EO6SAXdu_E/TrURzxzz1QI/AAAAAAAAAX4/jS283kLpmEE/s400/P1010199.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hexagon top master cylinders - looking a bit better than in the 'before' photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I refinished the master cylinders, not by plating but by tinning them with solder. It may sound odd, but all of my research into how to replicate the original dull tarnished light grey finish drew blanks. Everyone I spoke to said something like, "maybe its zinc", or "perhaps its some kind of cad". I consulted a local plater and he said, "I don't know what it is and I can't replicate it". The breakthrough came when I was heating up the spare one to practice on. As I heated it, little silver beads of molten metal appeared out from under the dull grey finish. Not just on the tin-plate reservoir but from all over the cast iron body as well. I didn't have it hot enough to melt zinc, so It must have been solder. Thinking about it afterwards it does make some sense. Solder typically oxidises to a dull grey white finish over time, and the body would have needed to be tinned in order to solder the reservoir on. After a soak in my derusting bath and a thorough clean, I painted them with Kemtex B916 tinning compound and heated them until it melted. A wipe with a clean cloth and they were looking much better. I just need to work out how to encourage the grey tarnish to re-form quickly now. Soldering the reservoirs back on was a bit tricky but in the end I was pleased with the result. The reservoir from the brake master was pretty bad so I replaced it with one off a spare. As a result its much shinier, whereas the pitted clutch one looks fairly dull. Hopefully they'll even out over time.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Prufe0WjSg/TrURtmFGLdI/AAAAAAAAAXw/83lr32I6h_0/s1600/P1010195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2Prufe0WjSg/TrURtmFGLdI/AAAAAAAAAXw/83lr32I6h_0/s320/P1010195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New pistons, seals, bleed screws, stainless sleeve - better than new.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I had to solder up one of the original tin master cylinder caps. It doesn't look as good as it might, but I had no choice it was badly corroded and pin-holed in several places. Luckily I managed to get a good nearly new cap on ebay, for the brake master cylinder because the one that was on there crumbles when I undid it.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nELo8HTmdV4/TrUR6eFYapI/AAAAAAAAAYA/rVJqKkbff5Y/s1600/P1010208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nELo8HTmdV4/TrUR6eFYapI/AAAAAAAAAYA/rVJqKkbff5Y/s320/P1010208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I figured new clevis were needed after seeing the one that came out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I rebuilt the rear wheel cylinders using new pistons ( a slightly embarrassing story I may reveal one day) and new seals and put the whole lot back together again. The master cylinders went in reasonably easily. I used R clips on the clevis pins which is much easier than messing about with split pins.<br />
<br />
It was when I went to bleed them that the problems started. Firstly I discovered that the thread for the bleed screw in the driver's side front whelle cylinder had stripped out. With some tools loaned to me by the local thread repair specialist, I managed to get it working again by drilling and tapping it for a helicoil. It worked OK but weeps a little unless the bleed screw is really tight. I'm either going to have to replace it with a bleed screw insert, or get a new wheel cylinder. Once that was repaired, I discovered a serious leak where the front brake line meets the brake hose on the passenger side. It meant that the radiator had to come out again in order to tighten it up. The tube nut on the end of the brake line has been abused over the years and is rounded off, which makes it nearly impossible to tighten. When I recondition the subframe the brake line will be replaced so it looks like new tube nuts are needed too.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1aWrmQQokdo/TrUR__seksI/AAAAAAAAAYI/yyEm9ZT1iHc/s1600/P1010209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1aWrmQQokdo/TrUR__seksI/AAAAAAAAAYI/yyEm9ZT1iHc/s400/P1010209.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunson's Eezibleed hooked up - the black hose gets pressure from the spare tyre.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
I eventually got it all bled, I bought a Gunson's Eezibleed, and it was excellent. I bled both the master cylinders on their own first, then connected them up and bled the clutch and brake systems. It was so easy, I could hardly believe it. It took a couple of goes around, firstly before adjusting the brakes, then again afterwards. They'll need adjusting after they've bedded in but are pretty good for now.<br />
<br />
<br />
I spent the afternoon madly working to get the Traveller running well enough to drive to MiniFest 2011 tomorrow. Big Mini shows only come around every two years here so they aren't to be missed. I had a few small problems getting it started and running smoothly, but managed to get it to run well enough to risk the trip. It needs a thorough tune up, but should be OK. The brakes are a little spongey still but aren't as bad as I expected. The Traveller is unregistered so I organised a temporary permit which covers me for the duration of the event. Today's road testing was done on my personal test track, of course.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-6767427439759845112011-10-14T23:24:00.000+11:002011-10-14T23:24:31.959+11:00A Little Bit of Progress<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ug83Ld4uXH4/TpgitNb92XI/AAAAAAAAAVM/imumbXon3Ok/s1600/P1010168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ug83Ld4uXH4/TpgitNb92XI/AAAAAAAAAVM/imumbXon3Ok/s400/P1010168.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single Leading Shoe Wheel Cylinders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've been working on the braking system lately. The master cylinder and the rear wheel cylinders are away having stainless steel sleeves fitted, they were all quite pitted internally. I was lucky with the front wheel cylinders. On these early cars with single leading shoe front brakes, the front wheel cylinders are like a larger version of the rear ones. Naturally, they are an unusual size (15/16") and are quite hard to get now so that means expensive. Fortunately both of mine already had stainless sleeves inserted, so I cleaned them up and ran a hone through them to scrape out the rust staining, then put them back together with new seals sourced from <a href="http://www.somerford-mini.co.uk/">Somerford Mini</a> in the UK.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG-jBkcXyrE/TpgimgpR1yI/AAAAAAAAAVE/5Wjwm9uZmPA/s1600/P1010165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG-jBkcXyrE/TpgimgpR1yI/AAAAAAAAAVE/5Wjwm9uZmPA/s400/P1010165.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice new bits and pieces</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
When I stripped the brakes down I found that the hoses were very old and perished (perhaps they were even the 50 year old originals) and most of the fasteners, springs etc were pretty badly corroded, so Somerford also supplied new brake springs, hoses and a number of the smaller hardware items for the brake system. I managed to source some 'oversize' brake shoes. These are normal brake shoes that have been re-bonded with linings that are thicker than standard. They are a bit old fashioned now so were hard to find, luckily <a href="http://www.minisport.com.au/prod1817.htm">Minisport </a>in South Australia still get them made. The drums are away being skimmed. Hopefully they have enough material left on them to be machined 60 thou over (the maximum legal oversize), so I can keep the date stamped original drums. SLS front brakes are notoriously bad so I want them to be as good as I can get them.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzv4LB69yNI/Tpgi0BMOJbI/AAAAAAAAAVU/qg_9iWHZ5lg/s1600/P1010171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Tzv4LB69yNI/Tpgi0BMOJbI/AAAAAAAAAVU/qg_9iWHZ5lg/s400/P1010171.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pretty, but hopefully functional</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I surprised myself with how quickly I was able to re-assemble the shoes and springs back onto the hub. It has been several years since I did much mechanical work on Minis, but I guess I have put a lot of sets of brakes back together over the years. My fingers seemed to remember the little tricks and techniques even after all this time. The finished hub doesn't look very pretty - its just going to have to wait until later to have the cosmetic stuff done, but hopefully once the drums and master cylinders come back and its all bled and adjusted they should be functional and long lasting.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-55224040410216958672011-08-17T17:21:00.001+10:002011-08-18T13:51:30.190+10:00Mini Estate History - Inception and Launch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>BMC had long wheel base Mini variants in the pipeline even before the Mini sedans were released in 1959. The van, estates and pickup underwent development together. According to the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mini-Definitive-History-Jon-Pressnell/dp/1844254755">Pressnell bible</a> “The design was put together during 1959 in Dick Gallimore’s Longbridge body experimental shop, Doug Adams doing the essential of the work, to the directions of Issigonis, before passing the projects to John Sheppard to be drawn up.” Where the Mini sedan was to be a car for the district nurse, early Traveller advertisements show it as a car for the family man or even businessman. Estates were only to be available in one trim level, to match the more upmarket De-Luxe sedan of the time.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2glWXJ3yDww/Tj_MuCA4SbI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/-XH-dH_uhIk/s1600/PrototypeCountryman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2glWXJ3yDww/Tj_MuCA4SbI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/-XH-dH_uhIk/s400/PrototypeCountryman.jpg" width="400" /></a> Presnell suggests that this may have been the first and only prototype, it is badged as an Austin which was common for most of the Mini prototypes developed at Longbridge. XOJ registration numbers were used in Birmingham between November 1958 and May 1959. At this stage the design is fairly complete. If you ignore the tacky aftermarket hubcaps the main differences are that it has squared off corners to the rear windows and one piece side windows. Photographs of it from the rear show that the doors are solidly framed all around - possibly made of sheet aluminium with a structural timber frame, like the Morris Minor Traveller.<br />
<br />
BMC were of course a mongrel crossbreed of former competitors - primarily Austin and The Nuffield Group (Morris). At that time there was a large number of dealers who held either Morris or Austin concessions and the buying public still held faithfully to the model of car they'd always bought. As a result most BMC cars came in more than one flavour (six in the case of the 1100). The Mini estates escaped the worst of this badge engineering, being marketed as either a Morris Mini Traveller, or an Austin Se7en Countryman (later Austin Mini Countryman). Both names were drawn from previous estates in the Mini's ancestry, most obviously the Morris Minor Traveller and the Austin A30 Countryman.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2MfCe8qO_E/TjfuPU9lPRI/AAAAAAAAAPg/Xn0n7uNQPtg/s1600/Austin_A30_Countryman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f2MfCe8qO_E/TjfuPU9lPRI/AAAAAAAAAPg/Xn0n7uNQPtg/s1600/Austin_A30_Countryman.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1955 Austin A30 Countryman</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VbyDKBO0dcs/TjfuQoGqHdI/AAAAAAAAAPk/OyI3oiylTHE/s1600/Morris_Minor_Traveller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VbyDKBO0dcs/TjfuQoGqHdI/AAAAAAAAAPk/OyI3oiylTHE/s320/Morris_Minor_Traveller.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1955 Morris Minor Traveller</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>For several years, Morris and Austin Mini sedans were built in separate plants, Cowley turned out Morrises while Longbridge turned out Austins. However most of the variant Mini models, including the coopers, pickups, vans and estates were assembled at Longbridge, regardless of marque. The bodies were built, painted and trimmed by Fisher and Ludlow at their factory in Castle Bromwich, then transported to Longbridge by rail to have the mechanicals installed. In other words my Morris was built by Austin.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hlNohsRufeI/Tktoos9wRGI/AAAAAAAAARk/TPG_fTF7xwI/s1600/CutAway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hlNohsRufeI/Tktoos9wRGI/AAAAAAAAARk/TPG_fTF7xwI/s320/CutAway.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theo Page's wonderful cut-away drawing <br />
illustrated the Motorsport road test.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The Countryman and Traveller were both launched on the 16th of September 1960, but had been in production since March that year. They were generally well received by the press. John Bolster in<i> Motorsport, </i>9 December 1960 liked the de luxe interior trim level of the Traveller and praised the smoother gear change and less choppy ride afforded by the longer wheel base, in comparison to his own Mini sedan. <i>The Autocar</i>, 23 September 1960 wrote "<i>Already holding a reputation of being a great little car, this latest version will certainly enhance this assessment. For town use it remains easy to park, and is fast through traffic because of its compact dimensions. On the open road its performance is adequate to transport four people and luggage with considerable economy and ease.". </i>Bolster concluded his road test report with<i> " This new small station wagon is an extremely attractive addition to the B.M.C. range. It is not spectacularly fast, but it keeps up a remarkable average speed over difficult roads. Many families will buy it as a second car, but it will turn out to be the sort of second car that soon takes first place in everybody's affections. At £623 it is more costly than the saloon but represents remarkable value.". </i>I find it interesting that even in 1960 both reviewers tactfully described performance as "adequate" or "not spectacular". Its very common to hear that an 850cc Mini is underpowered for modern traffic conditions, but it looks as though that was the case even 50 years ago. Scanned copies of both road test articles are available from the downloadable documents section, to the left.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15pT4T-E9IA/Tjp-KSw6rxI/AAAAAAAAAPw/ZlScUNyLOvM/s1600/aao018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-15pT4T-E9IA/Tjp-KSw6rxI/AAAAAAAAAPw/ZlScUNyLOvM/s400/aao018.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveller at Earls Court 1960 - Image courtesy <a href="http://www.photoarchives.co.uk/acatalog/1960_London_Motor_Show.html">www.photoarchives.co.uk</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Following the press launch, the next big public display of both the Traveller and Countryman was at the London Motor Show at Earls Court in October 1960. The Traveller was on the Morris stand, mounted at a dramatic angle on a floodlit circular dais. Interestingly, the show car wears white-wall tyres with the paint scheme of white with a contrasting black roof. A two-tone colour scheme was never available from the factory, and anticipated the colour scheme of the Mini Supers and Coopers by almost a year.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etWRkbT3jns/Tjob-97EWKI/AAAAAAAAAPs/Z60BF2JHezI/s1600/aao016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="165" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-etWRkbT3jns/Tjob-97EWKI/AAAAAAAAAPs/Z60BF2JHezI/s200/aao016.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Countryman sans "Miss Austin" <br />
courtesy <a href="http://www.photoarchives.co.uk/acatalog/1960_London_Motor_Show.html">www.photoarchives.co.uk</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The Countryman was displayed less dramatically, but perhaps equally eye catchingly, draped in a young model "Miss Austin", AKA Mandy Rice-Davies who went on to become a showgirl and friend of Christine Keeler of Profumo Affair infamy. Sadly the only picture I can find appears to have been taken after Miss Austin had finished for the day, however I did find a quote in <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Affair-State-Profumo-Framing-Stephen/dp/0224023470/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228841186&sr=1-1">"An Affair of State"</a>:<br />
<br />
"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Mini was the most photographed car that year and many of the photographs show a cheeky, open-faced young girl with bobbed hair, thick black eyebrows, a turned-up nose and an appealing smile. Mandy was also photographed at receptions, cocktail parties, dinners, and on the way to lunch with the Mini's brilliant designer, Alex Issigonis."</i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-61816766888687622772011-08-16T23:00:00.000+10:002011-08-16T23:00:38.398+10:00Restoration has Officially Started<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0Yg3VtZfpM/Tkpf6W5L1ZI/AAAAAAAAARg/Afb4cTeHNEY/s1600/mastaa3.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0Yg3VtZfpM/Tkpf6W5L1ZI/AAAAAAAAARg/Afb4cTeHNEY/s320/mastaa3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The BEFORE photo of the Master Cylinders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My original plan with the Traveller was to spend some time collecting up the missing parts, then embark on a commplete nut and bolt restoration, all done to the highest standards. However there has been a change of plan. I always planned to do as much as possible myself so this was never going to be a checque book restoration - however the realitys of life mean that its going to be more like a shoestring restoration now. I am not prepared to compromise the quality, so things are going to happen more slowly and I will need to make do with what I have for the time being. The plan now is for a rolling restoration. Get the Traveller back on the road and make small changes as time and money become available. Luckily the body is in excellent shape, and the mechanicals are adequate for the time being. The intention now is to address the most pressing issues that will prevent it from being registered, then get it back on the road. The brakes are the biggest problem at the moment. As I mentioned in a previous posting the pedal goes straight to the floor and the master cylinder were pretty crusty - showing signs of leaking and looking a bit tired.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XpDrXUnY_QE/TkpZtGqrI7I/AAAAAAAAARY/yAa9uZLmtm8/s1600/P1010127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XpDrXUnY_QE/TkpZtGqrI7I/AAAAAAAAARY/yAa9uZLmtm8/s320/P1010127.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brake and Clutch Master Cylinders out and cleaned up a bit</td></tr>
</tbody></table> So a few nights ago pulled out the brake master cylinder and stripped it for inspection. It looks pretty good for something that has held brake fluid for 50 yeras and I would probably would have got away with just a hone and a new set of seals, but with the philosophy of not compromising quality I decided that it really should be re-sleeved. Having decided to do the brake m/c, I figured I should do the clutch one as well, so last night I did the old under-dash limbo and pulled it out too. I found that the piston had seized in the bore so it does need doing too. I have found a local brake specialist, named Leon, who will re-sleeve them in stainless steel for a reasonable price, but there is a snag. After the sleeve is inserted the ports from the reservoir need to be drilled through it, but the tin reservoirs cover the ports. The reservoirs can either be sweated off (unsoldered) then replaced afterwards or he can drill through the side of the reservoir then insert a rivet and solder over it afterwards. The problem is that the cost of unsoldering and resoldering more than doubles the overall cost of the work, which is not cheap anyway. These master cylinders are a special feature on the early Minis (see below) so I don't want visible bumps of solder on the side. I have arranged with Leon, that I will remove the reservoirs before sending them to him, then replace them afterwards. I am slightly worried about this, but hey, whats the worst that could happen? Once the cylinders are sleeved and the reservoirs replaced they will need to be replated try to achieve an appearance similar to original.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J0Yg3VtZfpM/Tkpf6W5L1ZI/AAAAAAAAARg/Afb4cTeHNEY/s1600/mastaa3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7gUFeOR2m0w/TkpZ2gmdZCI/AAAAAAAAARc/8fb4UjkYNMA/s1600/P1010130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7gUFeOR2m0w/TkpZ2gmdZCI/AAAAAAAAARc/8fb4UjkYNMA/s400/P1010130.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tapered top and hexagon top master cylinders.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So why don't I just use the reproduction lockheed master cylinders that are available? Well the reason is that these master cylinders are different from the much more common later ones. The 1959ers had a master cylinder with a large threaded sleeve on the very top of the cylinder and a metal cap on the reservoir, these are often called nut top master cylinders. Some time around 1960 - 61, but apparently only for a short period, they changed to this style which has a hexagonal shape which echos the nut, but is just part of the body of the cylinder. These also have the metal cap. After that the style changed again (perhaps when the bore of the cylinders was reduced in size). The top of the cylinder is now tapered and the cap is plastic. The photo on the left shows the cylinder off the Traveller beside a later Mini one. You can easily see the difference. <br />
<br />
Both the clutch and brake cylinders have a bore of 0.75". Later cars had all sorts of variations and swapped bore sizes back and forwards. The same outwards appearance could range from 0.75" through 0.70" to 0.625". There are also two variations in the main seal style. These early ones use a ring seal and a cup seal, but later they converted to two ring seals. Luckily seal kits are still readily available, although the brake one is harder to find in 0.75" than the clutch. I got mine from <a href="http://www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=page&id=57">Somerford Spares</a> in the the UK.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately the metal cap for the brake cylinder is badly corroded and falling apart. These are virtually impossible to find replacements for, but are essential because they are a unique feature of the older Minis. There have been a few sold on ebay in recent times for insane prices, but luckily I managed to 'win' a single one a few years ago, that is in pretty good shape and although it was expensive was way under what some are selling for. The clutch one is a bit corroded but I think it will be servicable.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-41481876659035037072011-08-05T17:36:00.000+10:002011-08-05T17:36:09.423+10:00Documents UploadedI've uploaded some scanned copies of documents that I've collected over the years. The documents are hosted on the Google docs site, clicking the links in the box on the left hand side of the page will take you to the individual document. The documents can be browsed on line, downloaded or printed. Some of them are quite big files so might take a while to download.<br />
<br />
So far I've uploaded two documents:<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ATkZ9RuFcJg/TjtwDAVfXxI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/eqQSIJX3Go8/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ATkZ9RuFcJg/TjtwDAVfXxI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/eqQSIJX3Go8/s200/IMG_1151.JPG" width="200" /></a><i>AKD1431 The Morris Mini - Traveller Service Parts List, January 1961 </i>. This is a really useful document as its a full parts list for early Travellers. If you have a copy of the BMIHT CD of PDF files for the Mk1 Mini that you can still open, you will find that the parts manuals in it are for the van and pickup as well as the Traveller/Countryman and that there are separate books for mechanical parts and body parts. My scan is of a single book just for Travellers which includes mechanical and body parts. It also includes <i>AKD3004 The Morris All-Steel Mini - Traveller Supplement, June 1961.</i> I bought it a few years ago on ebay. It came in its original binder, which is unusual in being a long thin 'landscape' profile rather than the usual 'portrait' shape.<br />
<br />
Parts lists are great for seeing how things go together because they have a lot of exploded diagrams, they also list the correct parts numbers, which can help you locate spare parts.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fuiRXAeR1FA/TjYAU_cwNrI/AAAAAAAAAPY/TECNaMc9t0I/s1600/Paint+and+Trim1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fuiRXAeR1FA/TjYAU_cwNrI/AAAAAAAAAPY/TECNaMc9t0I/s200/Paint+and+Trim1.jpg" width="200" /></a><i>Reference M.7/1 Morris Mini Traveller Finishes and Upholsteries, April 1960</i>. This is the colour cards and swatches mentioned in the previous blog post.<br />
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I will soon be uploading a sales brochure (its huge I have to scan it in pieces and splice it back together) and some original road tests and reports dating from when the Traveller was released.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-82280781047160282222011-08-01T11:59:00.000+10:002011-08-01T11:59:33.965+10:00Colour Finishes and Upholstery<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fuiRXAeR1FA/TjYAU_cwNrI/AAAAAAAAAPY/TECNaMc9t0I/s1600/Paint+and+Trim1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fuiRXAeR1FA/TjYAU_cwNrI/AAAAAAAAAPY/TECNaMc9t0I/s400/Paint+and+Trim1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morris Mini Traveller Colour Finishes and Upholsteries, April 1960</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To my way of thinking the Traveller has three main components that need to be in top order for this to be a first class restoration. The bodywork and paint, the timber and the interior trim. So I was very pleased to pick up a set of cards showing the colour finishes and upholsteries that were available in 1960 when the Traveller was released. These are fabulous, there are three cards (the first one is double sided) the second and third card have nice big swatches of paint and pieces of upholstery vinyl stuck to them. The cards show the three paint colours available at the time of release, curiously they are just labelled white, red and blue, whereas the colours were official known as 'Old English White', 'Cherry Red' and 'Clipper Blue'. Likewise the interior trim is either labelled red or blue, but were called 'Spanish Red' and 'Spanish Blue' elsewhere. My car is old English white (OEW), with grey fleck and Spanish red trim. The cards are dated April 1960, which was well before the September 1960 release, but after production had started.<br />
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The best thing about the cards is that they have been stored in the dark all this time so shouldn't have faded or discoloured. This will be a great help when it comes to matching the original colour, there were at least three variants of OEW used by BMC in the sixties. Likewise I will be able to compare the original vinyl swatches to the reproduction trim available today.<br />
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Once I have worked out how to store the files online, I'll post up a link so that anyone who wants a copy can download them, although the colour reproduction is not terribly good so they may not be much help. I have some parts manuals I'll try to scan and make available too.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-34271237694589552142011-07-26T20:55:00.002+10:002011-07-26T20:59:14.037+10:00Researching some History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6t2HkJkdcq4/Ti5sbelLbeI/AAAAAAAAAO8/xZ1bFeAWp3M/s1600/HeritageCert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6t2HkJkdcq4/Ti5sbelLbeI/AAAAAAAAAO8/xZ1bFeAWp3M/s640/HeritageCert.jpg" width="451" /></a> One of the nice thing about British built minis is that the factory records were retained in an archive and its still possible to have access to the details for your particular car. These come in the form of a heritage certificate supplied (at quite a lot of expense) by the <a href="http://www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/exhibitions/archive-services/">British Motor Industry Heritage Trust</a> archive service. Almost as soon as I got the Traveller I applied for a certificate and received it a few weeks later. It isn't much for the money, but its a fascinating glimpse of the car's early days and provides some clues to its history.</div><br />
The heritage certificate gives me a few useful bits of information. It lists the car/chassis number and the engine number confirming the original numbers on the car and it gives me a date of manufacture, which will help when it comes time to replace missing parts. It also lists the heater as a factory option and describes the original trim and colour scheme.<br />
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The heritage certificate also tells me that the Traveller was built for the UK home market and was despatched to Derbyshire Motors Limited on the 31st of January 1961. Derbyshire Motors were aparently part of a larger company that were Morris dealers in Derbyshire, UK. Thanks to a member of the Mk1 Conversions Forum I've found their <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=derwent+street+derby,+england&hl=en&ll=52.924614,-1.47316&spn=0.000944,0.006539&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&t=h&layer=c&cbll=52.924614,-1.47316&panoid=8YqUfeu8zUewwyinpWpI7w&cbp=11,47.62,,0,-6.93&z=18">showroom</a> in Google maps, unfortunately there's not much to show what it was.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apart from being my father's 19th birthday, the date of despatch is significant in that it is about 8 weeks before the Mini went on sale in Australia. Manufacturing was already underway here at that time, but the Mini was not officially released until 23 March 1961. Assuming my Traveller was exported early in its life, it was one of the first Minis of any body style in Australia.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-62520016227139264032011-07-15T17:12:00.000+10:002011-07-15T17:12:16.563+10:00Home at Last!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kVPOgjq-AaQ/Th_daasIoxI/AAAAAAAAAOs/iPu3ey7mlUk/s1600/Shed+Plans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kVPOgjq-AaQ/Th_daasIoxI/AAAAAAAAAOs/iPu3ey7mlUk/s400/Shed+Plans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plans Finally approved by Council</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Throughout 2009 I'd been working towards having a garage and workshop built. We were having an extension built onto our house and it seemed a good time to build the dream shed. I went through many iterations of plans trying to come to the best compromise between, space and cost whilst trying to preserve as much of our yard as possible and keeping the local council happy.To get as much floor space as I wanted without losing too much yard, I'd need two storeys but the council rules meant that the higher it was, the further it had to be from the boundary, it was going to end up plonked in the centre of the yard. Then I discovered the loophole, wall height is measured at the eaves so a Dutch barn is only the height of a single story building. It may look silly and be inappropriate for our size of yard but its BIG.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq4bUfRjMRY/Th_ePljf23I/AAAAAAAAAOw/Q6nKNMsDhMo/s1600/shedy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bq4bUfRjMRY/Th_ePljf23I/AAAAAAAAAOw/Q6nKNMsDhMo/s320/shedy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveller and Moke about to go away for a few more months</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It took over a year to be ready to occupy. It actually only took about 10 days to be put up, but there were dozens of delays. I could not believe how many excuses the supplier could come up with, but I had a deadline. My work was sending me to Antarctica for most of December, January and February, and I wanted to be able to get the Traveller and all of my other stuff out of the expensive storage sheds I was renting. Even though it still wasn't finished - over one very busy weekend I moved the Traveller and two classic bikes, plus a huge pile of furniture and workshop equipment out of storage and into the shed. The Traveller was at home at last. It was a momentous day!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-al87qzPPS1Y/Th_knmrYLQI/AAAAAAAAAO4/h3ht71SE-p8/s1600/PC180058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Two days later I was in Antarctica.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u_qeUXw22Ok/Th_kAh8xYXI/AAAAAAAAAO0/_GCC_xN2ack/s1600/P1010176.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u_qeUXw22Ok/Th_kAh8xYXI/AAAAAAAAAO0/_GCC_xN2ack/s640/P1010176.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilkins Aerodrome, Wilkes Land, Antarctica</td></tr>
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</a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-85606409805566966192011-07-15T16:25:00.000+10:002011-07-15T16:25:01.178+10:00All of a Sudden ... Nothing HappenedWhen I first brought the Traveller home I didn't yet have a proper garage or anywhere to work, so I had to put it into a rented storage shed. That was in February 2007...and then life got in the way. Its boring but in a nutshell, my wife and I celebrated our first anniversary, sold a house, bought a house, had a child, finished a marathon 13 year renovation of another house, sold that house and another flat then renovated our new house (more on that later). That brings us up to late 2009. During most of this time the Traveller languished in storage. I spent a fair bit of time researching, planning and tracking down elusive parts on ebay, but I didn't do anything to the Traveller for over 2 1/2 years.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_9TAW3NbRg/Th5lOy8zNxI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/1ZAsMIKHM9Y/s1600/LOGO+2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3_9TAW3NbRg/Th5lOy8zNxI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/1ZAsMIKHM9Y/s200/LOGO+2009.JPG" width="200" /></a> In November 2009 there was going to be a big Mini show "MiniFest 2009", for the 50th anniversary. I decided that I wanted to have the Traveller there and that I was going to try to drive it. I had pieced together many of the missing parts I would need to get the car running. At that stage it had an engine, but that was just sitting in the engine bay, without any of its ancillaries fitted. The radiator and most of the cooling system was missing as were a number of smaller mechanical parts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rn7Y57eX744/Th5mRcZiwzI/AAAAAAAAAOU/bfocFYjJmPk/s1600/P1010136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rn7Y57eX744/Th5mRcZiwzI/AAAAAAAAAOU/bfocFYjJmPk/s320/P1010136.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini Fans not Admiring Eddie<br />
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Over a period of several weeks I took my lunch break at the storage shed, which was just near my work. I bought an engine crane and used it to lift the engine out, I fitted a replacement radiator and cooling system, dropped it back in and connected everything up, using bits and pieces I already had plus some I borrowed and scrounged. Finally on the Friday before MiniFest I had it all re-assembled with a new battery fitted. I just needed to get it to start. It took a huge effort- there were at least half a dozen things preventing it from running, ranging from a wrongly aligned distributor drive, through to a cockroach egg blocking the fuel line. My lunch hour ran a bit over time that day - in fact I ended up spending nearly all afternoon lying on the floor in a pool of leaking petrol - but eventually it fired up, filling my storage shed with black smoke. It even settled down to a reasonable idle. Unfortunately the brakes were completely stuffed, and with no time to fix them, I had to trailer it to MiniFest.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuZjfDkJ3QY/Th5nGZ2Ax3I/AAAAAAAAAOc/R0owtt1HLyY/s1600/P1010160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JuZjfDkJ3QY/Th5nGZ2Ax3I/AAAAAAAAAOc/R0owtt1HLyY/s200/P1010160.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasmania's answer to Monty Watkins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5ltgdoeweM/Th5nKBZGAmI/AAAAAAAAAOg/7fNzXl1xiNo/s1600/P1010162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D5ltgdoeweM/Th5nKBZGAmI/AAAAAAAAAOg/7fNzXl1xiNo/s200/P1010162.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Sister's old 1971 Mini K</td></tr>
</tbody></table>MiniFest was a huge success, the Traveller got a lot of attention, particularly from the real mini aficionados. I was surprised, and very pleased, to be awarded a trophy for "The Car with the Most Potential", I'm glad the judges could see it the same way I do.<br />
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To cap it off I was asked to be lead car for the parade of Minis through town - only driving my Moke, not the Traveller. Unfortunately once the show was over, I still didn't have anywhere for the Traveller to live at my house, so back into storage it went for just a little longer.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-1837821199919836382011-07-13T16:32:00.001+10:002011-07-13T21:49:14.376+10:00Getting Eddie to Tasmania<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qzsz19yGOTI/Th02b4zVumI/AAAAAAAAANE/IrQ6t_knHWU/s1600/10030545kn.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qzsz19yGOTI/Th02b4zVumI/AAAAAAAAANE/IrQ6t_knHWU/s400/10030545kn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being collected in Sydney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Getting my Traveller from Steve and Mikey's place in Sydney back to Hobart was a lot more difficult than I expected. Tasmania is an island off the south eastern corner of mainland Australia. There's about 1200km of road plus a 450km sea crossing between here and Sydney. The Traveller was up there, with its engine out, no radiator and no brakes. All I needed was a transport company prepared to move a non-running car from Sydney to Hobart. There weren't any. I could find a few companies that would ship a running car to Tasmania, but I could find only one company prepared to transport a non-runner, and they wouldn't bring it across the strait. I would have to go across on the ferry and tow it home from Melbourne. The transport company wouldn't hold it in their depot for me, but luckily Brett (who first pointed me to the ad) generously offered to store the Traveller at his place near Melbourne until I could get over to collect it. After a lot of mucking about (and a substantial up-front payment) it was collected from Steve and Mikey's place. Steve sent me some pictures of it on the back of the truck.<br />
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...Then it disappeared...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-62UIkqT5gY4/Th0lnil12zI/AAAAAAAAAM4/YmlZDaiTTwA/s1600/20070205032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-62UIkqT5gY4/Th0lnil12zI/AAAAAAAAAM4/YmlZDaiTTwA/s400/20070205032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literally 'dropped off' at Brett's</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Brett would have liked to have been home when it was delivered, he would have liked to have known which day it was arriving. He would like to have had it delivered into his driveway. However the transport company went very quiet. They wouldn't return phone calls, and they couldn't be specific about when it would be delivered,even more ominously they didn't seem to know where it was. After many days of both Brett and I trying to get information out of them it turned up at Brett's, without much warning. Brett wasn't home, it didn't arrive when they said it would and it wasn't in his driveway. Instead they seemed to have thrown it off the back of the truck as they drove past his house. They left it where it landed, with one wheel on the footpath. Brett had to push it out into the road and use his 4WD to tow it up his driveway, but at least it was safe again (although it was filthy!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rpTGTBE1hvA/Thwulc6zqHI/AAAAAAAAAMk/mwbp2lEYr7I/s1600/P1010130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rpTGTBE1hvA/Thwulc6zqHI/AAAAAAAAAMk/mwbp2lEYr7I/s400/P1010130.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Rod's Trailer behind the Mighty RAV4</td></tr>
</tbody></table>All that was left was for me to make the road trip and the two overnight ferry crossings, over and back, to bring it home. I took a day off work, accompanied by my brother-in-law, James and we headed north. I stopped off at Rod's place near the ferry port to borrow his trailer, which was a very important part of the equation. Rod's trailer is the perfect size for a Mini, its built to exactly fit a Moke which is important on the ferry because the trailer is charged (a great deal) by length, and this whole process was becoming very expensive. Apart from a terrible sleepless night in the cheapest accommodation on the "Spirit of Tasmania" (a cinema seat) the rest of the trip to Brett's house was uneventful. Rod's trailer is so compact that towing through an unfamiliar city was a dream. After buying half of Ikea (a compulsory stop for Tasmanians visiting the big city) we arrived at Brett's. My Traveller looked great sitting in the shed next to Brett's. It was the most Travellers I've ever seen in the same place at once! With Brett's help we soon had Eddie snugly tied down and ready to head home.<br />
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The return trip was not so great. I got sick - really sick - on the ferry, I'm not certain whether it was the Swedish meatballs for lunch or the fish and chips for dinner. Another sleepless night (spent mostly on the toilet) didn't help. Back on land Faye, Rod's wife, came to my rescue with some good drugs and after another few hundred kilometres with James driving while I tried to maintain control of my bodily functions we rolled Eddie into my hired storage shed.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-90756767632067603742011-07-12T22:02:00.003+10:002011-07-13T21:35:24.491+10:00Finding a Traveller<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lhViyMEAJgw/ThwuRmLH83I/AAAAAAAAAMc/7RkhwaypwrQ/s1600/P1010079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lhViyMEAJgw/ThwuRmLH83I/AAAAAAAAAMc/7RkhwaypwrQ/s400/P1010079.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Clubman that got away - later saved by an enthusiast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've wanted a Mini estate for years. I've owned Minis since I started to drive and have had several different versions, sedans, Mokes and a Mini Van. The van was great, it could fit a fridge in the back, but it was bit limited for seating. The estates seemed to have the perfect compromise of seats and practicality. Over the years I'd checked out a couple, a slightly rough red Austin Countryman (with steel sides, no wood), which was around 5 times the cost of a comparable sedan, and a Clubman Estate that needed a bit more work than I was capable of at the time - it was only about 3 times the price of a comparable sedan. In hindsight I should have bought either of them. The thing was, I really wanted a woody.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XkuYlGwzQKU/ThwyJtObEXI/AAAAAAAAAMs/hUQRvys-ZgI/s1600/10007967mp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XkuYlGwzQKU/ThwyJtObEXI/AAAAAAAAAMs/hUQRvys-ZgI/s400/10007967mp.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the photos from the original ad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There's probably only a dozen or so woodies in Australia so I'd more or less given up on the idea of finding one locally and was toying with the idea of having a holiday in the UK and bringing one home with me. I mentioned this on the old yahoo Minilist Forum, and quickly got a reply from Brett (bnicho) to say that one was listed for sale on the Ausmini forum (<a href="http://www.ausmini.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=26415">link to original ad</a>). As it turned out it was a nice early woody, I knew these were a bit more special so that really sparked my interest. The sellers, Steve and Mikey, were well known on Ausmini for their fabulous collection of early Minis. The only problem was that they were in Sydney, 1200km by road plus a 450km sea crossing away. I spent a long time studying all the detailed pictures they had in their ad and it looked to be in remarkable condition for its age so I eventually decided that it was worth the punt. I won't tell you what I paid, but several friends told me I was mad to have paid so much for a mini that was nearly 50 years old, and didn't even run.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-437048788773024531.post-19165486262367459982011-07-12T21:07:00.001+10:002011-07-13T21:34:09.197+10:00Getting the Ball RollingThis blog has been around nearly as long as I've had the Traveller, so its time to get it started I think. I've owned my Traveller since January 2007, but am only now starting the restoration - I don't like to rush these things.<br />
<br />
An introduction:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5691/p1010136bz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/5691/p1010136bz.jpg" /></a></div>This is my 1961 Morris Mini Traveller, he's a woody so is affectionately known as Eddie, after Edward Woodward. Eddie rolled off the Longbridge production line on the 31st of January 1961 (my Dad's 19th birthday).<br />
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The heritage certificate shows that he is still in his original colours and he still has the optional extra heater fitted, when he was delivered to Derbyshire Motors Ltd, in Derwent Street, Derby.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWGGn6QvUpE/Thu_BMgts1I/AAAAAAAAAMY/uIVjoNMxwkU/s1600/TravellerRear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TWGGn6QvUpE/Thu_BMgts1I/AAAAAAAAAMY/uIVjoNMxwkU/s640/TravellerRear.JPG" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fuel tank on the left and spare wheel well and battery in the same location as the sedan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Travellers are very rare in Australia, they were never built here and only a handful came in as private imports. Mine is even more unusual in being an early 'internal tank' model. For the first year of production Morris Travellers and the similar Austin Countryman had the fuel tank in the rear, in a similar position to that of the sedans, with a filler cap protruding from the left hand side rear panel. A year later the under floor tank of the Mini van was adopted, with its filler recessed into the right hand side rear panel.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03301525222459757137noreply@blogger.com0