Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi, my names Dan and I'm 16. I have recently purchased a Morris minor 1000 for when I can drive. I have a love for classic cars and have always wanted one since my dad told me about owning a Morris minor when he was 17. So I was just wondering what are the basics for maintaining and keeping a Morris minor running as I have little knowledge. The car itself at the minute is mechanically fine as the guy u bought it from restored it for his dad who unfortunately is no longer able to drive and I have a wad of receipts a inch thick as well as the original manual and I just want to keep it in running order so any tips and advice will be greatly appreciated.

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Welcome ! Hope you get the car back on it's wheels soon..... The main problem is RUST - so carefully inspect every inch of the underside and eliminate any rust - and make sure it is all well protected. If you don't have an official Workshop Manual - google has several which you can down load FREE.. Otherwise - just the usual annual oil and filter changes - and a grease gun over the front suspension and the handbrake cables every few months. Clean and adjust the brakes at the same time.

Thank you for advice and the quick response and I will be sure to keep an eye out for rust.

Hi Dan - you may also want to join the Young Members on Facebook too. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MMOCYM/

Welcome! The minor is a great first car, I got my first when I was 15 and still have it 22 years later......... A great car to learn to drive in and also nice and easy to maintain, your Dad and you should have great fun with it

As the car is currently in good condition, the thing is to not let it deteriorate before you start driving. When parked for long periods, leave it in gear and/or with the wheels chocked, but the hand brake off - this will help prevent the rear cylinders from seizing. Pump the brakes a dew times every couple of months anyway. For really prolonged storage, put on blocks so that the tyres are not taking the weight. Keep the battery charged - a trickle charger is ideal as it can be left on all the time. Turn the engine regularly to keep oil moving. If you start it to run round the garden, then make sure that the engine gets really warm, don't turn off after just a couple of minutes. Best of all, get someone else to drive it regularly until you can.

Maintenance is very straightforward and covered in all the manuals, plus ny questions you have, just ask here.

Hopefully someone will drive it and you to the National Rally in June.

I'm 14 and have a minor too! They're great cars, have fun

Super car, looks just like mine but i suspect yours is in better condition.

Welcome aboard. The only things I can add are:-
1) Get a decent workshop manual and read it rom cover to cover several times.
2) invest in a decent imperial socket set and some spanners.
3) buy a grease gun, and make a note of what needs greasing and how often.

I realise that at 16 you're probably still at school and not earning. Well, that's what birthday money's for! The Minor is probably the best car for someone with limited funds. A lot of the components are adjustable/ rebuildable to compensate for wear, whereas more modern (post 1970) cars don't have this option. Just keep the rust at bay and you'll be OK. The mechanical bits are simple and straightforward, it's just like a big meccano set! The only vehicle that comes close to the Minor in this respect is a Land-Rover.

Congratulations! Some brilliant advice. I would add, get along to your local meeting/ local events - Minor owners are a friendly lot and will be there to help.
Your Minor will make you a better driver as you will learn to anticipate and plan ahead more than in a modern car.
I started with a 35 year old Austin 7 at 15, my son with a 33 year old A40 at 16 and it we learned to leave a good gap in front!
Good Luck!

Welcome! Well done for choosing the best small car ever made and not following the usual saxo/corsa crowd! A Minor will teach you so much about car maintenance, skills which you will never forget. None of it is difficult and it is all very satisfying to do. There is always plenty of advice on here, no matter what problems you may have, someone will have had it before!

Minors are great to drive, cheap to run, reliable and fun!! (An added bonus is the fairer sex love them...!)

Enjoy!

I can only second what a great car the Minor is and what you will learn from it. I started with a Morris Marina at 17 which I still think was a great car, we did thousands of miles and it was reliable.

My car skills were mainly learnt on that, and it stood me very well for a Minor, then moving on to Cavaliers and the like or the era.

26 years later and the dream of owning a Minor has been fulfilled and I feel so at home with it, helps that I have been an engineer since I left school, but its a great car to learn how a car works, you can see and understand everything. Open the bonnet of my 12 plate VW Touran and its a different story!, fortunately its a company car and someone elses problem.

Happy tinkering and learning.