So here is my Morrie as it was when I first saw it, sitting under a tree. I bought it for $500.
[frame]
The bonuses of the deal:
*It drove - I took it for a test drive and then drove it back to a friends place (about 30 km on the open road) after I bought it. No brakes or electrical accessories, but who needs those? A lot of gearbox noise but no smoke.
*4 new tryres, although one had a puncture
*Spare set of wheels (with rather average tyres on them)
*Spare engine (condition unknown).
*The Registration (road tax) was behind but hadn't lapsed. That is great because under our system, if it lapses, you have to pay a big fee to get it re-registered. Since it is still current I have put it on-hold indefinitely and it doesn't cost anything until I get it back on the road. Also, the seller has to pay the amount owing up to the time of sale (I don't think he realised that...).
*The body is pretty tidy apart from a few rust patches in the corners, bits of the chassis, and the bottom of the doors. Not bad for 47 years old.
I have now totally stripped it and I've been scraping the rusty bits and treating them. I am also learning to weld...
Rather than re-post everything, here's a link to a blog which has pictures and info about my progress:
Blog: (most recent post at the top): http://bubblestheminor.livejournal.com/
Image gallery: http://pics.livejournal.com/bubblestheminor
Progress has been steady and I've learned a lot already (like British spanner sizes...)!