Dean's 1971 Traveller Fiat/Lancia Twin Cam Project

[oldromrider]

Hello, I'm Dean from Washinton Tyne and Wear and I have owned TMJ 887K Morris Traveller since 1990. It was my first car. I bought it from a lady in Leytonstone London E11. I took it to the Morris Traveller Centre for it's MOT and failed miserably. I borrowed some money from my parents to have lots of welding carried out. I spent a small fortune with them. I put myself a on a course to learn how to weld and got going with the cutting out and replacing old for new. What I have now is solid.
However I moved to the Northeast a few years later and started stripping the moggy down. Then I dragged it around to various places of storage while I messed around doing other things as one does in their early 20's.
I settled down in 1999 and got married and bought a house with a garage so the very sorry looking trav was close by . Then kids came along and this offered more excuses for not cracking on with the rebuild. I would go to Santa Pod with an old car nut friend of mine and every time I'd come home and do a bit on the car. But I'd do some and get stuck and leave it again. Some of you may know what I mean.
I bought it standard but always loved the shape of the Traveller and the idea of a half wooden car going too fast so decided fairly early on to drop in a Fiat twin cam as was the swap of the day. I was of course inspired by those Beardmore bros and a regular reader of Minor Matters and Street Machine so the Morris had it coming really. And it did get a Fiat Twin Cam 1592cc, rebuilt from a Regatta or so I was told - it would turn out to be Lancia block with a inline 5 speed box from a 131. I got going with the conversion and just really dropped it in and got onto uprating the running gear.

Tele's all round.
3 leaves removed - lowering blocks
Marina Torsion Bars - Adjustable
Split prop with a centre bearing
poly bushes all round
RS2000 rear axle
Twin 40 Delloto's on a Guy Croft intake
Bosch Electronic Ignition
New head gasket and cam belt.

That was all done ages ago now and as I and the Morris approach 40 we have decided to make a promise to get this car on the road once and for all.

I have a new wood frame which looks great having several applications of Cuprinol and layers of Varnish - I'll not turn to body work, I have all the wings without paint stored. I really need to get this the engine fired up and think I may need some help with that.
I bought new leads the other day - a new battery is on it way. Today I sourced some 4star. I have a electronic petrol pump from a Land Rover I think, that needs feeding to the carbs. I have new fuel line. The ignition is not linked up so that the next goal.

I have enough enthusiasm but could use some guidance. I have a couple of questions but I'll post them up later. I just thought I'd introduce myself and my new old project.
Thanks for reading, here are a few photos I took this morning to maybe prompt some discussion. Thanks for having me on board.

Dean[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[mmjosh]

that looks really good i like the vents in the bonnet

[oldromrider]

yeah I got them punched in Aylesbury years ago. Nice job. I don't think they're there now though.

[Jefftav]

Thanks very much for the photos of the oil filter housing and now you have re-started keep working on it a few hours a weeks soon adds up.

[MarkyB]

Glad to hear you are carrying on, I thought the punch line was going to be anyone want an unfinished project.

The cam pulleys look a little rusty, I'd suggest getting it off before you start the engine in case it develops a taste for cam belts.

[oldromrider]

Hi all thanks for the encouraging comments.
As you can see from the photos the alternator is currently mounted on the oil filter housing on the right. It's somewhat cramped over there with the carb flutes and dizzy and really could do with mounting it on the left as seems to be the more common place at least from images I have seen. The problem I have is that I don't have the the mounting bracket and tension arm. There are studs in the block as you can see. I had a good nosey round the local scrappy for something that could be pursuaded to fit but came away with nothing. Anyone know where I could source one. I guess I'm appealing to those of you running TC's. The alternator is a Marelli item.
Buy the way - a few items have arrived in prep for an intended fire up - New battery - an MG thermostat to (i need to get the t-joint welded) - and new dizzy cap the one I have has a chip on one of the sockets might cause arcing - oh and some engine oil and 4**** fuel at £1.64 litre.....ouch..

[irmscher]

hi lovely job you are doing why not try on the fiat and lancia forums they always seem to help out with bits as i had a twin cam running twin 45 s about 5 years ago and they are very helpful good luck and would love to see this finished

[oldromrider]

Thanks irmsher I'll check them out. I've been waiting to be registered on the guy croft forum for about 4 days now. Those guys might be able to help too. I forget to search for Lancia when looking about for parts so thanks for reminding me. Yeah I hope the carbs work out. I was advised when I got them that they might need rejetting other than that they look and feel like they are ok. At the moment they sit right up against the bulkhead. So something was amiss. I noticed that the crank pulley was sat above the cross member and thought it should be behind it otherwise there would be no point in fitting the slimmer front cross member. The problem was that the engine mounts I have appear to raise the engine too high. I took them off today and lowered the engine which pulled the carbs away from the bulkhead. So now I need to either alter the existing one by extending the box section piece from the block or see if anyone has they type in need which would speed things up a little. Check new photos:[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[oldromrider]

Underneath - featuring RS2000 with LSD - and capri prop made by Reco-prop - Gas spax and lowering blocks - Notice strips of polypropylene placed between the leaves for a slippier more responsive spring. There is little in the way of axle location yet, I'll get to that later.[frame][/frame]

[oldromrider]

Wood frame - ends where the frame meets the chassis have a coating of Hammerite[frame][/frame]

[oldromrider]

MG Midget Thermostat arrived today in position on the head, fits perfectly. Should take care the problem of the remote thermostat has of not cooling cylinder 4. Far cheaper too at 99p[frame][/frame]

[oldromrider]

This Bosch cap has a chip - I'm waiting on a new one in the post.[frame][/frame]

[oldromrider]

Coil and ECU - it looks to be all there - The blue an white wire from the ECU has nothing on the end - Can't be sure what it should connect to. Though it might be earth but the green one looks like the earth??? earth.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[oldromrider]

This is me -[frame][/frame]

[irmscher]

i thought it was ronnie kray with ghandi s flip flops on

[irmscher]

dean what are you using for fuel delivery and have you installed a baffled tank ?

[twincamman]

Dean
You have PM

[oldromrider]

irmscher, I've still got the minor tank in place. Are you saying the minor tank is not baffled. If not then I am.
I have a fuel pump that I was given some time ago from a friend who used to restore old buses and well known on the classic car scene in the north east. He told me it was from a 2.2 landrover so figured it should be upto the job. Tell me if I've misunderstood.

[irmscher]

hi dean as the minor tank doesnt hold that much and a performance engine maybe a larger stainless tank .the baffled tank stops petrol surging through sloshing about and you can get second hand stainless ones pretty cheap .i had problems with a pump years ago and changed to a facet red top again can be bought quite cheap they run at 30 -40 psi where normal ones are 4 -8 . i was recomended to vent the tank outside of car and put the pump as close to tank as possible check the ford rs forums some good things going on there and bits.i am only trying to help and not being critical as you are doing a great job and i cant wait to see it finished

[oldromrider]

No not at all, it's great to have a perspective on things that I hav'nt yet thought through. This is exactly why I signed up to the forum so others could look at what I've done so far and comment on anything I've overlooked.If I look out for a tank would I have to do any cutting an shutting to the floor? I always have an image of an alloy fuel cell as being quite boxy rather than the oblong shape of the moggy's. It's not easy for someone to send or post up a photo as the tank is under the boot floor. I guess for the purpose of getting this engine fired up I don't need to put in a baffled tank just yet but could hang fire until the rebuild starts proper.
Thanks again. If you have any thoughts on anything else just add it onto the end of the restoration site. I'm, hard to offend so it's ok to consider me a bit of a novice. I've read a lot over the years but yet to put into practice what I know. I can't tell you how excited I am at the minute about the prospect of getting it going. For the first time in ages I really feel like it will actually get finished. So the encouragement is in now way lost on me I can tell you.
Jobs in hand right now are to build a custom alternator bracket and get the water elbow ali welded.
Thanks again.
Dean (aka ronnie the flip flop)[frame][/frame]