An American Moggie ~ My '59 Morris Minor 1000 2-door saloon

[DaisyMayFozz]

Looks Excellent Fin, love the contrasting black and ivory interior.

[Fingolfin]

Thanks Daisy May, Mog will be pleased to hear it.

You may recall, before all the engine hullabaloo, it was recommended to me that I take Mog for a nice long drive. Well...how's fourteen miles?
Leaving the driveway:[frame][/frame]
On the actual road once more![frame][/frame]
Up and down the lovely country roads...[frame][/frame]
Curves were a breeze with that excellent steering:[frame][/frame]
Without license plates, we didn't want to run a risk of hassle with the fuzz, so right around I went when I reached a highway:[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
And back through cattle country![frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
Images credit to my mother and father, who were kind enough to follow behind in case Mog ran into trouble!

I had practically no trouble, and it was VERY informative (and enjoyable!). Here are some insights:

• The engine chugged along happily enough. I've not got the mixture and timing set well enough, so it wouldn't go much above 50 mph, but it was quite happy around 40 (which is sufficient on these back roads). Maximum revs were around 3000, even when flooring the pedal. There were no strange vibrations or odd noises.
  
  It was pretty loud, especially in first gear, and the upper half of third gear. I shall have to relocate the flasher can to under the dash, because I can't hear the clicking while the engine is revving. Could be I need to have the muffler looked at.
  
  Mog doesn't care for hills, but it never failed to ascend them, though it did get down around 15 mph on an especially tall hill.
  
  The coolant temperature never rose above 60 degC, which is a tad curious (air temp was about 15 degC); possibly my thermostat is stuck open.
  
  Shifting from second to third gear is a little difficult, but that could be down to me being a novice. First to second and third to fourth, and fourth to third, are easy and smooth.
  
  The footbrakes were firm and responsive, but (being new to Minor motoring as I am) I found them a bit lacking when coming to a complete stop. They were more than adequate for slowing from higher speeds to lower ones. I had no brake lights, which I knew prior to setting off on the voyage; the switch has failed, I determined.
  
  The trip was fourteen miles in total, said the odometer (which may or may not be correct, but seemed to be); I started at 01388, and ended at 01402. In that short trip, the fuel gauge said I used about 1/8 tank, which is either an indication of the inaccuracy of the gauge or of the bad mixture setting, or both.
  
  Mog was, all in all, easy and pleasant to drive. I am quite pleased.

I am now back at Westminster and can no longer work on Mog for the next three weeks, but that particular break is a long one (a week, with both weekends), and I have a small hope of getting Mog licensed and insured then. Stay tuned!

[Trickydicky]

Hi Fin,

Bet you had the broadest grin in town on your drive
As for the temp, I wouldnt worry too much, mine is the same,the minors are good when it comes to cooling. Once the timing is set the difference will be imense. You will get used to the gear changes and the brakes the more you drive her, my wife has the same problem in ours with third gear, the more she drives it the better she gets.

Pleased your efforts have been finally rewarded

[Romek]

Hi - great work, looking good.

[Fingolfin]

Thanks folks. I did indeed have a very broad grin! Here's me after the trip:[frame][/frame]

Good to know that Mog's not overcooled, but I think I shall still investigate the thermostat and maybe upgrade it to a higher temperature 'stat (140 degF water isn't going to cause the heater to put out much heat in the wintertime!).

On to another, less important, topic...I've been pondering fitting a radio in Mog, as I will undertake long journeys in the car. Setting aside the fact that the engine is so loud it'll be difficult to hear any radio, I'm curious as to where to mount the antenna (aerial), and I was wondering if perhaps one could drill a hole in the triangular capping at the front end of the door window frame, and mount the antenna there with a right-angle piece so it points upward. What do you think?

[Romek]

My favourite arrangement is an iphone with itunes and the 'tune-in radio' app. You can fit a 100watt amp under the rear seat with a small mini jack in the glovebox. Invisible ICE.

Gives you the choice of radio or music and its unlikely to get pinched as there's no unsightly radio on view.Also allows you to have a wifi hotspot to give your passengers internet access!

[jagnut66]

Hi,
I've fitted one of these car windscreen aerials to the top of my rear screen, see link below, the reception is just as good as any other aerial, you don't have the bother of putting it up / down every time and best of all you don't have to drill holes in your metal panels, which in time could become rust traps / damage the panel.
Also it's very discreet, I hid the wiring by tucking it under part of the rear screen rubber, under the headlining and down the front screen pillar (into the dash area) and onto the radio, so people won't realise you have a radio fitted.
How you fit your speakers is down to personal preference and is covered in a past topic.
Best wishes,
Mike.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INTERNAL-GLAS ... 3a6397aeff

[ASL642]

Fin - lovely to see Mog on the road. Well done!

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Go for the classic wing mounted telescopic aerial and run the antennae through the bulkhead.

[Fingolfin]

Oh, no, I won't do that. I'm loathe to drill any more holes in my brand-new wings -- putting in the wing mirrors was painful enough.

[lambrettalad]

i also use one on the back window ,works very very well

[ASL642]

Mine runs along the lower part of the front windscreen and through the heater vent into the glovebox. It's also one of the antenae ones so no drilling and hardly noticed.

[thecount]

Congratulations on the first run, bet that makes it worth all the effort, great work getting it all done it's looking great!! Bet you can't wait to be street legal and clocking up the miles

[ignatzcatz]

Just a very small thought, I rarely have very large ones, with all the welding and panel replacement that you have superbly carried out, have you measured the door openings and or fitted any cross-bracing? Any welding can have serious consequences for panel fit and I would hate you have big problems when you come to hang the doors back on.
Maybe you have already compensated for this but as I said before just a thought worth mentioning.

[Fingolfin]

Any and all thoughts appreciated, 'Catz. ;) The doors fit almost perfectly (they're only "out" a bit because I'm using large fluffy draft seals; it's nothing to do with the structure), and the suspension is nice and square. I was very careful to ensure the structure was adequately braced before removing any panels, and I was diligent about checking the measurements after any panels went in.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions on antenna location, but I can't help but notice nobody told me why my idea wasn't preferable...

Thanks to everybody for all your well-wishes. It is a wondrous feeling, having it back on the road! Street-legality is only a stone's throw away!

[Fingolfin]

I thought maybe I should throw this in: the list of remaining jobs. It's short!

• -Replace brake light switch
  -Make headrests and mount them
  -Relocate flasher unit under dash
  -Get and mount a wider rear-view mirror
  -Test and, if necessary, replace thermostat
  -Replace cork gasket under fuel filler cap
  -Replace left headlight outer bezel
  -Grommet remaining underside holes
  -Fix taillight height issue
  -Do maintenance tasks (there are seven remaining)
  -Get engine running perfectly and sweetly
  -Get car title transferred, pay sales tax
  -Get Mog inspected, insured, and licensed

There are a few that come afterward, and a few optional ones, but these are the only ones necessary to make Mog street-legal and roadworthy.

[Fingolfin]

Well folks, spring break has come and gone, and I had some fun tinkering while I was home. Mog didn't go for any further drives, but I did make some worthwhile improvements, I think.

The first thing is I replaced the secret switch, which had been a long toggle which had been visible from the driver's seat. Instead I went for a flat rocker switch, which is only visible if you look underneath the dash (won't tell you where though!). Hopefully that'll deter any vagabonds.

I also received a spare alternator, same model as the one on Mog (I BELIEVE 16ACR, but I really don't know; definitely an ACR though). It does not function very well, meaning a rebuild, but since the one on Mog works I'm not worried.

How about some photos now?
I was unable to hear the indicators clicking when on my test drive, so I relocated the flasher unit from the engine bay to under the dash.[frame][/frame]
I took the taillights off to try and fix the positioning problem, but it's more complex than I expected, so I didn't. But I did replace the brake light switch:[frame][/frame]And the brake lights work![frame][/frame]
I added a second LED lamp in the boot, because I felt it wasn't quite bright enough:[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
Next I did a very good, necessary job: replaced both doors' quarterlight window seals. It was easier than I expected -- didn't have to disassemble the doors![frame][/frame]
Finally I attempted to wash Mog. This failed because 1) it was far dirtier, and the dirt was far more ground-in, than I expected, and 2) because I had no chamois cloth with which to dry the car, leaving dirty water spots. But anyway, I tried. And the chrome polish worked a treat.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
Don't worry -- I got a haircut shortly after. And a longer shirt.

[Fingolfin]

My significant other, who currently has rather more money than I have, was kind enough to buy me a two-speed wiper motor for Mog for our anniversary. Quite pleased about that. It's this one here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/271169358299?ss ... 1439.l2649

I'm also purchasing some headrests, for which I will construct brackets (the seats in Mog have mounting points for headrests, but I don't know what the seats came out of, so I can't just order the correct headrests). All this should take place come summer break.

[Fingolfin]

I had a free weekend, so I went home and did some work on Mog.

Mog now has a lovely wide interior mirror, as opposed to the tiny old one. I can now see the whole rear window from the driver's seat! [frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

The only other thing I accomplished was installing the new two-speed wiper motor.
I made a nice mounting bracket out of some really thick steel from a mid-'90s Chevrolet van bumper mount:[frame][/frame]
The strap took a try or two to get the correct length, but as you can see, I got it:[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]
You can see in the images that I'm using a relay to operate the self-park mechanism, so that I can use a standard pre-'62 three-position pull-switch. The directions for the circuit I've made are here: http://www.vitessesteve.co.uk/LucasStuf ... tuff2.html

It ended up (as I'm sure some of you knew) that this type of motor doesn't accept the earlier 100-degree gears for the "square" wiper motor, as those are too tall, so I've had to order a new gear (which is 100 deg.). Technically, therefore, the new wiper motor is not hooked up to the wipers. But I tested the circuit, and the motor happily runs in both speeds, and the self-park faculty works (I pushed the plunger down with my finger, since the gear wasn't in it). Quite pleased!

[foghorn14]

Just a quick note to let you know how proud of you I am with what you have done with your Morris Minor!! Well done.
Your fellow local Morris owner