Morris Minor Owners Club

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Millers-Octane-Booster-Additive-Treatment/dp/B07M5HBD34/ref=asc_df_B07M5HBD34/?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=&hvpos=&hvnetw=o&hvrand=&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583451671516265&psc=1 I've been using MillersVSPe Powe...

I've always fancied a manual advance/retard control on the dashboard, as fitted to many pre-war cars. It could be used to find the timing "sweet spot" while climbing a moderate hill in top gear, then locked until next needed - eg after an overhaul, or change of petrol grade. Alas not - it needs to ...

I've always fancied a manual advance/retard control on the dashboard, as fitted to many pre-war cars. It could be used to find the timing "sweet spot" while climbing a moderate hill in top gear, then locked until next needed - eg after an overhaul, or change of petrol grade.

You can now get a bike rack that fits onto a tow ball there very good and really secure I have used one on my motorhome for a few years with no problems. You obviously need a tow bar fitting and the racks aren't cheap https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOWBAR-TOW-BALL-MOUNTED-BIKE-CYCLES-BICYCLE-CARRIER-RA...

Good advice above.
Could also be buzz from exhaust contacting underbody upon deceleration. This would fit with the noise disappearing under acceleration.

I read somewhere that fresh water does its worst to the innards of the block and then becomes effectively neutral. In other words, fresh water is the enemy and breeds rust; old, used water is good. It was suggested that old coolant water should be retained when draining the system for maintenance, a...

Also, could be something else completely random. You say it's only under acceleration. This changes the engine position in its mountings, sometimes enough to allow contact by, say, the exhaust against bodywork.
Do the easier checks before taking things apart !

In fairness to Minors, they were one of the bangers of choice for the typical young buyer 50 years ago. Friends and I were quite canny about what was available at the bottom end of the market. Among Ford Prefects/Populars/Anglias, Standard Eights/Tens etc the Minor stood out for its handling, econom...

What on earth makes you think that :-? According to Wikipedia: "For a short time in 1968, the thickness of the steel used in the bonnet and doors was decreased from 1.2 mm to 1.0 mm to act as a form of crumple zone, but as the wings continued to be made of 1.4 mm mild steel, the modification was po...

Excellent article. Some of the readers' comments are especially interesting, particularly by ex-BL insiders.

Follow-up report: yesterday we needed to use a car for the first time since lockdown. As anticipated the Morris fired up instantly and the Toyota failed to start - tried until the starter would no longer turn. Connected my 25 year-old charger (having disconnected battery earth lead from car) and kep...

Local optician commutes in this (only in dry weather, methinks):

Just bought a new battery. My Minor has the old lead "helmet" or "cup" type negative clamp. Clamp has a hole in the top for a self-tapping screw to insert into the post, as on the old battery. But the new battery post doesn't have the necessary hole. Am I OK to drill a suitable hole in the post (not...

Our Diesel Toyota Avensis has been idle during Coronavus lockdown. Never a great starter, I anticipate difficulty when the time comes to use it (unlike the Morris which bursts into life after weeks lying dormant) so I'd like to charge the battery. Internet is full of dire warnings and contradictory ...

Assuming he means he wants lower revs at a given cruising speed he should be looking for a numerically lower diff ratio, eg a standard 1098 car uses a 4.22, so a 3.9 or 3.73 will provide lower revs at a given road speed. A 4.8 diff could be useful for a laden van used in hilly areas, but the engine ...

I use Millers VSPe additive . In addition to providing a lead substitute it claims to protect classic car fuel systems from the adverse effects of up to 10% Ethanol. It also claims to enhance the octane rating of fuel by up to two points. I've been using it for quite a while and I do feel that the c...

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 19, 2020 6:06 pm

Were there ever any cars with a cable operated trafficator? That sounds even more eccentric than the trafficators we know and love on the earlier Minors!

Don't know. But some prewar cars had single filament headlamps dipped by being tilted mechanically by levers or cables.

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 19, 2020 2:05 pm

Whilst we wait for the OP to come back (if he does), I have a question - would the mechanism which operates the trafficators be described as a solenoid?

Yes And if the semaphore was operated by a mechanical cable, "no". Same difference as early v late starter switch method.

Thanks for this post.
Nice to see the clap-hands wipers doing their best!

This has always been an issue when driving anything perceived as low-powered. You can drive a big Jag at a gentle 45 - 50mph along a B road without harassment from following drivers. Do the same speed in old car and many motorists get this irresistible urge to risk a pass. When I'm cycling I can tel...