Complete Beginners!!

[scotwood59]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place to put this.

I have been reading the restoration books, manuals etc for George and have realised that most of the time I have no idea what the author is talking about. They all seem to assume that the reader has a good knowledge of the car (this is not a criticism).

So, my question is, does anyone know of anything that will give me (preferably with photos) a blow by blow description of everything that is in my car, where it is, what it looks like, what it does etc etc? I went in to a well known bookstore looking for something but they just directed me to the Haynes Manual!! The Workshop Manual does give diagrams of various sections of the car but it has just helped to confuse me.

I was hoping the local college would do a basic course but they only run a certificated course for professional technicians.

My brothers know what they are talking about but unfortunately they are 260 miles away!!

If you all think I am expecting too much please say so. I am a practical person and need to "see" something rather than read about it.

Do the Club ever run any courses at the National or any time for people like me (the more mature lady and learning about the car lateish in life, never having looked under the bonnet apart from checking the oil and filling the washer bottle!!!)

[MColes]

What is it you need to know? Name a part and I'm sure someone can post a picture of it and tell you where it is located

[scotwood59]

Hi M,

I just need a visual reference to everything in the car, where it is and what it does. That is why I was hoping to find a book that shows me everything

e.g. I have heard of trunions and the big end but I have no idea where or what they are or what they do!

I am a complete beginner when it comes to anything car related though I have learned a couple of things so far (I know where and what the carburretor is now)

Oh, I already knew where the dipstick was!!!

Julie

[Neil MG]

Hmmm. I thought a Haines manual might be a good place to start, but even that goes straight into specifics. The parts manual identifies every bit, but not what they do and not necessarily what they look like fitted in the flesh so to speak. Another problem is that many parts are known by lots of different names and not all correct!

I think the best thing to do is to pick one part and understand what it and its system does and build up gradually. For instance the radiator and the cooling system. The radiator is easy to recognise, but how its pressure cap works and where the hoses attach and where the coolant goes etc. That takes you to the heater and the water pump and so on.

After that pick another like the distributer, a bit trickier with a few more parts but that will lead you into the ignition or low tension circuit and the HT circuit etc.

Once you feel comfortable with one system move to another. It will take a long time to work around the whole car, but it might be more interesting than trying to get a complete picture in one go.

Some of your local club members will be very happy to help you. Maybe they also run a local "mechanics day" like we do, where everyone is helped and encouraged to work on their own cars.

[mogbob]

Julie

Finding specific related Morris Minor, with full basic explanations ( assuming absolutely no knowledge ) is probably a fruitless search
Your local Charity shops' book shelves are a good place to start.
http://www.abebooks.co.uk is a collection of book sellers that specialise in old books.
You are looking for general car maintainance books published in 1960/ 70/80's.
Marshall Cavendish published some good ones with colour photos.

For example
Car Manual ISBN 1 85435 325 X ( smaller book )
Car Repair and Maintainance ISBN 1 85435 540 6 ( larger book )
AA Money-Saving Motoring ISBN ( not quoted ) ( larger book )
I have no connection with Abebooks other than as a satisfied customer.Compare the total costs , i.e. including postage before buying.The descriptions are usually quite accurate as to their "condition " and there may be more than one supplier
for the same book.

Some local authorties run basic Adult Education car maintainance courses.Police forces use to run women's car safety/ maintance courses ( but of a general nature and not much more than daily and weekly checking over of the car ).

Google is another good source of info, factual and video's on repair. "Ask Jeeves UK " is another source, simply type in the question.

Bob

[LouiseM]

Hi Julie,

I started off with the Haynes manual - the 'trouble shooting' guide at the end of each chapter is useful - then progressed to the workshop manual. Going through the manual and looking at the photos whilst looking at your car at the same time might help. As stated though, I don't think there is a book that shows pictures of everything in a Minor and explains what each part does.

I've got a copy of this Haynes 'Owners handbook & Servicing guide' which explains servicing in a fairly simple way, with photos, but still doesn't explain where everything is:[frame][/frame]

If you prefer to visualise where things are, the servicing DVD which is available from club regalia might be useful:

[frame][/frame]

And reading through the posts on this messageboard is a bit of an education. If you use the 'search' facility to find a particular part of the car you might find a thread with some photos in.

And if you're coming to the National talk to other owners as we're a friendly bunch and I'm sure most will be happy to explain what the various parts are. Just rummaging through the parts in the autojumble and asking the stall holder "where does this go & what does it do?" might help too (although maybe not for every part as they may get a bit weary!)

[james.ed]

i've got the workshop manual.. and starting with no car knowledge i sturggled to know what all the parts did and how they worked. I was donated the aa book of the car (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Marcus-Amr ... 528&sr=8-3). its a really basic description of all the bits of the eingine and steering, and even includes a section on filling a rusty panel patch (explained on a morris minor.. you'd think they're prone to rust or something?!) in really basic but detail steps. really helped me when i put the knowledge together with the workshop manual

[simmitc]

Join your local branch. They will be a friendly bunch, and at least one will be happy to walk you round the car. If you're coming to the National then there are technical tips seminars, and hundreds of people who will be glad to chew over the various bits.

[DaisyMayFozz]

ive got the owners handbook thing that louisem has got, quite good, sounds stupid, but will the original handbook be of any use? if you haven't got one, there is normally a few on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Morris-Minor-1000 ... 500wt_1156
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MORRIS-MINOR-1000 ... 1329wt_905
either are good, they will show you what all the switches do, cover all little bit of servicing, what oil is required,bulbs etc.

i found this quite useful, isn't as specific as the haynes manual, but a little bit eaiser to read, and covers most things:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HAYNES-MORRIS-MIN ... 302wt_1139
just been re-doing my seats following this manual, so far so good

[irmscher]

Maybe the morris minor centre catalogue its always on ebay it has part numbers diagrams and exploded views and its cheap

[scotwood59]

Lovely thankyou. Between all your ideas if I can't work it out I think there is no hope for me

[webby11]

do you know, i have been totally thinking the same thing. i have no knowledge of cars except how to put petrol in and even then iv been known to have to do a double take
and i realise that if you go the events there are people very kindly, being friendly and offering help and info, but if like me you dont go, or dont have the time to go, or in my case its a bit far out to get to and then back again without the whole household falling apart (their words not mine) then it all seems like its such a huge effort when glancing in a book/manual would be so quick and easy. well one would like to think it would be . i think i will have to read through the response's again to filter through the information good luck to you and the rest of us who are not mechanically minded

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place to put this.

I have been reading the restoration books, manuals etc for George and have realised that most of the time I have no idea what the author is talking about. They all seem to assume that the reader has a good knowledge of the car (this is not a criticism).

So, my question is, does anyone know of anything that will give me (preferably with photos) a blow by blow description of everything that is in my car, where it is, what it looks like, what it does etc etc? I went in to a well known bookstore looking for something but they just directed me to the Haynes Manual!! The Workshop Manual does give diagrams of various sections of the car but it has just helped to confuse me.

I was hoping the local college would do a basic course but they only run a certificated course for professional technicians.

My brothers know what they are talking about but unfortunately they are 260 miles away!!

If you all think I am expecting too much please say so. I am a practical person and need to "see" something rather than read about it.

Do the Club ever run any courses at the National or any time for people like me (the more mature lady and learning about the car lateish in life, never having looked under the bonnet apart from checking the oil and filling the washer bottle!!!)

[MarkyB]

Try this one before anything bigger;
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s?ie=UTF8&field ... efox-uk-21

Covers everything in simple terms without being intimidating.
Then move on to the AA book of the car which goes into more detail and has scarier looking pictures

We all started off as Complete Beginners once upon a time.

[bmcecosse]

The basic Handbook that came with the car is the place to start - then the official Workshop Manual... Mini lads refer to 'Haynes' as HBOL = Haynes Book of Lies and there may be good reasons for that........

[dp]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place to put this.

I have been reading the restoration books, manuals etc for George and have realised that most of the time I have no idea what the author is talking about. They all seem to assume that the reader has a good knowledge of the car (this is not a criticism).

So, my question is, does anyone know of anything that will give me (preferably with photos) a blow by blow description of everything that is in my car, where it is, what it looks like, what it does etc etc? I went in to a well known bookstore looking for something but they just directed me to the Haynes Manual!! The Workshop Manual does give diagrams of various sections of the car but it has just helped to confuse me.

I was hoping the local college would do a basic course but they only run a certificated course for professional technicians.

My brothers know what they are talking about but unfortunately they are 260 miles away!!

If you all think I am expecting too much please say so. I am a practical person and need to "see" something rather than read about it.

Do the Club ever run any courses at the National or any time for people like me (the more mature lady and learning about the car lateish in life, never having looked under the bonnet apart from checking the oil and filling the washer bottle!!!)

Yes it's the right place to ask, you're asking questions about Morris Minors and lots of people here enjoy answering.

I would start by asking what you hope to achieve as an end result? For example is it just curiosity about how it all works or would you like to start doing your own servicing? Or would you like to eventually do things that are even more involved?

You've already looked under the bonnet which is more than many drivers of modern cars do. You know how to check the oil. Can you take photographs of things that you want to know about put them up here and ask?

If you come to the National, someone will answer your questions if you ask or give you an impromptu tour of your engine bay I'm sure.

Also if you poke about on Youtube you can find explanations of things, some good, some bad. For example here is an explanation of the back axle works and how it can drive one wheel faster than another when going around a corner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJY9SxDOTog

This is how to change oil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2KDbTx9gVo
(not quite right if you don't have a spin-off oil filter but the oil change part is correct for a Minor)

This is how a gearbox works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7W7XMJauns

You don't need to know these things but if you're interested it's all out there.

[lambrettalad]

it's a bit like building the great wall of China

One piece at a time,

and you have to start somewhere,

no one on here understood it all at once

I suggest a visit to a friendly garage ,or knowledgeable person and ask the to point things out etc ,good luck

[margriff]

I'm a complete newbie myself and am eager to learn. Great advice here especially from Neil mg...just like learning anything, pick one thing and understand it fully,,,then the next. Who knows in 20 years i'll be stripping engine.
I've already learnt loads on here, looking in my workshop manual and pecking the father-in-laws head.
When I get all my alloy chrome bits back I'll be out and about.

[simmitc]

!'ve already learnt loads on here, looking in my workshop manual and pecking the father-in-laws head.

Well that's an interesting family arrangement you have there Still, if it works for you...

At Cornbury anyone who wants advice can talk to the club's technical adviser (we have got him a radio so that we can track him down and with over 1,000 Minors booked in, there will be plenty of owners happy to share their knowledge.

[ASL642]

You might have him on a radio .... but is it switched on!!