Morris Minor Owners Club

I am looking for some advice.

Have any of you ever got to the moment of realisation on a project where you think you may have poured too much money into something that isn't improving....

Having restored my drivers door, I turned my attention to the frame, I've done a patch for the A post bottom and B post bottom and they are ok, at the very top of the door frame under the gutter is a hole and I spent a good while making a decent patch for that last night. Very chuffed with my work.

I then decided to turn my attention to the passenger side door frame. A post ok, B post needs a bit at the bottom but I knew that. So out comes the wire wheel on my grinder. Much to my horror I begin to see dust. Filler dust.

Halfway up the B post at the bend where the join is under the rear window frame is a gaping hole, nothing attaching the bottom of the b post to the top, the top of the frame is full of holes also, to point where I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to do it.

The drivers side boxing panel is not done properly, as in it needs opening up under the b post and welding properly along, I know it isn't because I rushed it and made one that goes from a post to b post welded to one another which is bad structurally I'm sure, I did for the wedding rush as you've probably seen.

I've just become filled with regret that I've barely driven this car and I think in my rush to get it ready for the wedding, I've become a bodger, not due to wanting to be, just down to lack of skill, not for want of enthusiasm.

I just look at it and don't know what I've done and I'm not sure where to go from here and if poring money into something I won't drive is silly at my time of life (saving for first house in May with wife). I miss driving him and I think I got swept away and arrogant with my skills.

Oh dear, sorry for the ramble ladies and gents, it's just one of those days and it's the first time I've had this overwhelming feeling of stopping this project here.

Thanks for your time
Edd

I find when im stuck with the fabrication side that if start making mot type plates this normally gives me ideas on how to do the repairs properly. Normally it's cutting the plates iv just made or I remake something different. This sounds stupid but if i look at the project as a whole I think it's to much for me. But I just do a thing at a time. You seem really good at this. The repair panels that you've fitted, can you just make the bits stronger that your not happy with? Everybody views a bodge differently it would be near impossible for me to everything perfect. Aslong as its strong and safe. I would never fill rust holes but my drivers door has a dent in it that I couldn't push out so iv stripped the paint back, fibreglass fillered and finished it off with body filler. Looks really good sanded back but I know it's there. But I would have to get a replacement door otherwise.
Hope you feel better about it soon. These forums are great for asking questions even if you just want a second opinion.

Steve

Thanks Steve,

I'm going to take a load of pictures this afternoon and I'll post them up then.

One of those days I guess!

There are always low points when you wonder what you have taken on. I think you are best to stick to one area and get it sorted and work your way round the car. A car of this age is always going to have hidden surprises, like perhaps newspaper, card and rags covered over with filler or chicken wire to form a shape then filler! Nothing would surprise me just disappoint! James Wylie who has a resto thread on here found a lovely big bit of oak shaped and hammered into the chassis leg for the eyebolt to fit in.........

I would go back to the drivers side and finish that bit you started first, then begin the new area with fresh eyes and when you get disheartened look at the good bits!

Don't loose faith in yourself - you CAN do it - it'll just take a bit of time. We've all been there. If it's getting you down take a few days away from this project. Don't look at the whole thing - sort out a section and work on that bit.

My best advise is to stop for a while and go in and switch on the TV. I can guarantee within half an hour you will want to get back out there again filled with renewed enthusiasm - Strictly or work on the Minor - no brainer

These are uploaded in an illogical manner, just my style.

LH Upper door frame holes
[frame][/frame]

[frame][/frame]
RH Boxing panel, one end.
[frame][/frame]
LH A post
[frame][/frame]
LH B post and upper B post rot
[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
LH upper frame rot
[frame][/frame]
RH boxing panel A post
[frame][/frame]
RH Frame rot repair (neat little panel cut to fit this nicely)
[frame][/frame]

Take some time to evaluate how the sections were originally put together before trying to decide the best way to repair.

For example the top of the door frame. You can see the spot welds that hold the gutter rail to the frame. Corrosion seems to extend under and past these. In order to repair you will need to drill out the spot welds that hold the gutter and carefully remove a section longer than the repair required. A spot weld drill and a few 1mm wide cutting discs are all that's required to do this. With a gutter section removed you can cut out and repair the frame as required before plug welding the gutter back into place.

Rod

Thanks Rod, great tip. Yeh i was trying to bend the gutter panel up and out the way to no avail.

Any pictures of such a repair from anyone would be hugely valued here.

Feeling better about things. Baby steps!

Edd

Edit

There are a couple of pictures here, although it is sometime tricky to always see exactly where the camera is pointing as the car is on a spit and mainly upside down.

http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f= ... &start=160

Looking at your pictures I can well understand your dilemma. On the positive side, the car is in fact in (relatively) really good condition. Not many restorations have such a good solid base to work from. At the same time it requires major cutting and removing of parts to do the fairly small areas of repair. That can be a very daunting prospect.

My main advice is try to keep the car on the road as much as possible, work on one small area at a time. Do not worry about doing a short term bodge if it means you can still use the car. The reason for this is simple. Once the car becomes a project it is too easy for it to take a back seat and gradually get forgotten. It then turns into a pipe dream and a burden as it gets in the way, literally, of everyday life. To sentimental to sell and too busy to finish - like thousands upon thousands of others...

Repairs can always be carried out to a higher standard in the future if necessary. I was absolutely amazed that you had it ready in time for the wedding, I really thought you had bitten off more than you could chew. You proved you have the commitment to get the job done, way more than most on here. I am sure you will see your way through the next steps!

Keep it running, keep it MoTed, keep smiling!

And the very best of luck!

Thank you Neil,

You know what, that feels like a great idea, get it back together for driving after winter and then turn it into the rolling restoration I so desperately want.

It's like a light bulb just came on.

Can someone cast their opinion on my boxing panel repair, does it seem safe?


Many thanks all again.

Looks ok to me stand on it and if it holds your weight without movement its fine

Fairly standard procedure on a traveller is to poke the back end of the boxing panel behind the b pillar, and worry about the connection to the boxing plate extension some time in the future when the wood is replaced. It must be OK 'cos the Haynes resto manual says so! Can't see that what you have done is fundamentally any different structurally. And the sill structure is a lot less stressed on a saloon than a trav.


I like Neil's suggestion. Get it back on the road, enjoy driving it and concentrate on being young, enjoying your family and getting your house. Plenty of time to waste on making the car perfect when you're old and grey! And you've nothing to prove on here after meeting last year's deadline....

You, have all once again. Come to my rescue.

I will, I'm excited to get it back together and get things moving again. I've just made friends with a good mechanic as well, so the MOT shouldn't be too painful....

The new updates will be the reassembly and hopefully the first outing to a pub for sunday lunch with my wife and my scruffy but working morris.


You lot are ace.

Edd

First question though,

How shall I protect primer/filler from the elements? Blast it over with a can of spray paint? I don't mind a patchwork morris, there's a respray planned soon.

Cheers
Edd

Yes, a good few coats of aerosol are needed together with a wax polish. Otherwise humidity will slowly work its way through to the steel, and wait, ready for a grand entrance shortly after the full expensive respray in the future!

Brilliant, yeh I thought it would need sealing as to avoid problems. Got a lovely orbital sander for christmas so flatting for the respray should be fine!

Thank you

If you saw earlier I've been rubuilding the carb, I got an SU rebuild kit from Santa this year and have replaced the spindle, throttle disk, jet, needle and the gaskets, giving it a good clean as I go.

In regards to jet centring, I tried following the Haynes, but that confused me and I also found a few online tutorials but they were just making my head spin, I'm going to try and explain what I've done on here.

Firstly, I have achieved the soft metallic 'clunk' described when lifting the piston and allowing it fall freely but I don't think I've done it right. I have achieved by adjusting (see photo) nut B, which is for the mixture if I'm right? So when I tighten it up, the piston catches but if I back it off a flat at a time I can get it to clunk.



Am I supposed to be obtaining my clunk using nut A with nut B removed? the problem with that is I couldn't get nut A to move at all, either it doesn't and i'm a fool or it's stuck solid.

Could someone explain to me in laymans using my diagram of nut A and nut B, I think that's where I am getting confused.

Thanks in advance.[frame][/frame]

The jet in which the needle rides has some clearance. Nut A clamps it tight. With the piston down and the needle fully inserted into the jet, so now the clearance between the needle and jet are the smallest the jet is now centered to the needle and can be clamped in that location by nut A. Of course all surfaces have to be square (as machined) with no burrs or foreign material causing the jet to cock a doodle diddley to one side and the needle must be straight as well.