Buying a traveller

[cameronhenderson]

I am considering buying a Traveller. The car would be not quite my daily driver but would certainly be used several times per week. So I'm wondering what modifications if any would be useful (sorry to all you purists out there!).
I'm thinking about a brake servo or even disc brakes,
an alternator,
negative earth,
power steering?
uprated or replacement engine and gearbox?
uprated suspension.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Servo+discs can be done but expensive if done professionally, standard drums lock up the wheels and are highly effective if well-maintained; alternator beware of cheapo modern items, dynamo sufficient if the car is not being subject to high electrical demands i.e. short journeys with lights and wipers on (I have to trickle charge my battery now and again); negative earth easily done; power steering I've not heard of before on a Minor except maybe the heavily modified cars, steering is generally light on standard cars; uprated running gear most go for BL 1275 engine but these are expensive now and Ford gearbox; uprated suspension I think you are limited to Traveller rear springs.

Overall you can easily spend thousands on the car.

[irmscher]

You can use electronic power steering off a corsa

[Hubert]

My suggestion for a modification is to fit an electronic ignition. From my own experience I can recommend the 123-ignition, but there are several cheaper ones which will do it as well. An electronic ingnition will avoid any further problems with points etc. as the quality of these parts has decreased dramatically, and new old stock is no more easily available.

I wish you lots of pleasure finding and driving your traveller.

[simmitc]

I've been driving Travellers as my only car for around forty years, when I was younger I was keen on all sorts of mods, but I've realised that for most normal driving the standard car is more than adequate, and arguably more usable than one that's been fiddled with. That said, my every day Traveller has front discs with servo all round, mainly to reduce maintenance intervals and also because I tow trailers. More useful for winter driving are halogen lamps and heated front and rear screens.

[SteveClem]

We all have our favourite modifications-or lack of! I've used my trav as a main car for about 5 yrs now and for all sorts of journeys. I think the main thing to decide is how you intend to use the car.
For motorway use the 1275 mated to the Ford type 9 box is excellent in my opinion, but for general pottering about a standard box with a 948 or 1098 is quite ok.
I find standard drum brakes more than adequate but a servo helps if you have dodgy knees. Alternator upgrade useful if you want heated screen and power draining stuff. No need for power steering with standard skinny tyres..they are brilliant for steering when well sorted!
After many years of driving 'posh' company cars (all the usual suspects) it's been great going back to basics.
Do consider how much you are capable of doing yourself and how much you need to outsource and the inevitable fact that you will need to do more of the latter as time goes on!

[NOEL]

some good suggestions regarding previously post`s , halogen headlights are worthwhile and fitting a hazard warning light switch just in case , but, otherwise if it is in good order I would just use it as it is, you need to see if it suits your driving style first then upgrade what you think may be more important, for instance the seats may need an upgrade but this is more about comfort and amount of use, I use my Minor each week but not daily, its fine for the journeys I want to make which will include work at the weekends, as many of us have found some motorists think the car will only go at 30MPH and think nothing of pulling out in front of you at a junction so if you do get one you also need to drive with a certain amount of caution regarding others ability. the other point is it will need to be checked over more frequently than a more modern car, this for most of us is not a chore but it does take up some of your time

[Blaketon]

Great car and my advice is buy the best one you can afford. Structure is most important, both metal and wood. If it has a lead free head, so much the better.

As to mods, I think the most useful is better brakes (I've used standard, servo drums and servo discs and the latter are the best). Unless you plan long trips, on fast roads, a 1098 engine and standard gearbox is OK; how are you at double de clutching for bottom gear? A 1275 engine and five speed box (Frontline do a kit with a shorter remote) are very nice, though as has been said, other road users assume a Minor is a mobile chicane (I have proved to some that they are not; embarrassing BMW drivers can be a laugh). I think this reflects their own experience of old cars as old bangers, which makes them assume all old cars are about to fall apart. I get the same sort of thing with my MGB GT V8, despite the fact that it's only done 50000 from new (Fewer than most other cars on the road I expect). They don't seem to be able to assess condition and go by the number plate alone. Riding a bicycle is the same; most people are not that fit and assume that all bikes travel at 5 - 10 mph. This causes them to pull out or overtake when it's inappropriate (If you ride a lot at night, as I do, with potent lights, you are treated with more care; perhaps they then assume you to be a motorcyclist, doing 100mph everywhere).

Radius arms on the back axle help keep the back end in check and these aren't costly. I have a limited slip differential, that is expensive but it improves traction no end, especially in bad weather. I have the same unit in my MG Midget and it was an experience I had with that car, which brought it home to me. Since 1985, the Midget has been a "Toy". When it was my only car, it was standard. Many years later, I happened to need the car, when the other car was being worked on and there was snow down. Years before, the Midget wasn't that good in the snow (Me having been used to Minis) but with the diff, it was transformed (Though snow use wasn't why I fitted it to the Midget) and the lesson was still in my mind, when I became a Minor Owner, a year or two later.

I have fitted heated rear windows (Switched on via a relay), electric screen wash, halogen lights and the car came with Newton Commercial front seats (Or at least the drivers side and I intend to get a passenger seat like it), which are more comfortable than the standard series 5 seats. The car came with 155 X 14 tyres and these seem to be up to the 77bhp of my engine and it seems to handle well. East Sussex Minors sell new LCV wheels, which are tubeless ready and will take up to a 165 x 14. I have a set but have yet to fit them. My car also had an anti roll bar prior to purchase. I am still on a dynamo, which is all in good order and the control box is new OE and correctly set up. At tick over, if the rear screens are switched on, the windscreen wipers slow a tad. On the subject of wipers, ESM do an intermittent wipe kit (Others may do to?) and I think this will be worth fitting.

With any long term car, looking after it is essential and to this end, a good garage, in which to keep the car, is essential. For those, who may live somewhere where a garage cannot be built, these look interesting - http://www.gazebox.net/ .

[James k]

I have owned a Traveller for just over two years now. It's all standard with a 1098 engine and is perfectly satisfactory to drive. It is a little low on power and what I've found is that you really need every bit of power available. If something is slightly out, you really notice. As has been mentioned, electronic ignition is a good buy. I've had it fitted for almost as long as I've owned the car and it's been a great investment. In terms of disc brakes, I can't see what improvement they'd make. In my experience, the problem with the Morris Minor is not its ability to stop the wheels from turning but rather the ability of the tyres to stop the car. Any attempt at braking hard results in the wheels locking up and the car skidding, even on dry roads. Disc brakes will only increase the cars ability to slow the wheels down, not necessarily to slow the car down. Thicker wheels would, of course, solve this problem. A brake servo won't increase the braking power but will reduce the effort needed to press the brake pedal.

By far the biggest improvement I've made to my car is rebuilding the engine. The difference in power and all round performance was huge.

[Blaketon]

Twin carbs off a Midget would be a way of getting a little more out of a 1098.

[moggiethouable]

Engine servicing will be every 6000 miles anyway, so points can be replaced then, quality of points is good if you use the right supplier, i.e. specialists such as the distributor doctor.
You will be replacing the plugs every 6000 miles anyway, personally I enjoy setting the points, but each to his own.
Grease points in most cases are serviced at greater intervals, unless you change the suspension and steering geometry which is pretty radical.
If your mileage is around 6000 a year then the traditional annual service is probably all that will be required, apart from as mentioned the grease points.
When I retire, 6 years and counting, the Minor will apart from the bus pass be my main mode, but mileage will still be low, a lot depends on how many miles you propose to do.