Teak framed traveller

[Sparkymorgan]

Hi, I'm been recently restoring a moggy minor traveller, the car has been sat in Cyprus for 40 years, got it exported over. Been working on it for a month, doing internals. Engine brakes etc. Just moved onto the wood frame at the back, which was on really good condition. Started sanding the wood back down to remove years of grease and muck. After taking care to remove the muck, and first layers of wood, the wood underneath is teak. I'm a carpenter so that's why I chose the traveller. And I've never heard of a traveller with teak wood frames, don't know if it was done over in Cyprus or over here. The wood has come out really good. Anybody heard of teak back?

[svenedin]

I've never heard of a teak traveller. As a carpenter you will know that ash was used for the frame (and in Morgans) for a good reason. Ash is strong, relatively lightweight and absorbs shock well. For those reasons ash is always used for bell stays (I am a bellringer and do maintenance in the tower including making and fitting new stays). However, HMS Trincomalee is made of teak so it is obviously strong timber and far more rot resistant than ash!

Stephen

[Steve Phillips]

Many years ago...... that's always a good start isn't it...

Many years ago about 1997-8 we were asked to build an automatic Morris traveller for the Minor centre at West malling in Kent, although they were connected to Charles ware's in some ways neither company had the ability to build an auto, especially one that could also be easily adapted to hand controls,

They provided us with a traveller and we converted it to run completely on a Honda Civic platform, using the Honda 1.5L engine and auto box, Honda suspension, steering brakes etc etc,

Anyway that car had teak woodwork, now as far as I can remember the woodwork had been commisioned by either West malling or Bath (but I can not remember by which one)

Now your wood may have been produced totally independently of any company but Bath and West malling both used to ship pretty much anywhere as I understand it, so possibly a connection...... and possibly not.

Steve

[Keith 66]

As a boatbuilder I would regard finding a Traveller with a teak frame a major bonus! Ash was used because it is strong & flexible, Teak less so.
However Ash is classed as Non durable & if water gets in will start rotting with alacrity. Once it starts rotting it wont stop & its strength is compromised anyway.
The design of the window drainage holes is a disaster, running right through the middle of the waist rail they are simply designed to rot from the minute the car encounters rain. A Teak frame will resist it far better.
Saying this teak can & does rot but is in a different league as far as durability is concerned.