REPORT ON THE ALTERNATE CLASSICS CLUB NIGHT – 16 JULY
This popular event invariably produces surprises. Ten classics attended, crewed by about 20 members of the Club.
Steve H demonstrated a breath-taking lack of originality by bringing along the boring old 2001 Morgan +8, 3.9l V8 – again.
The big surprise on the night was Chrissie C’s 1986 Bedford campervan. Decked out appropriately in retro style, it certainly drew attention. Chrissie views the campervan in both practical and aesthetic terms and regularly goes camping in her in the summer months.
Another surprise was the absence of the Austin 7 Club, who had been invited to join us; as they did last year. At least more Moggies attended this year. Last year we only saw two Minors, one of which belonged to a member of the Austin 7 Club!
Stephen P and Chris M were flag bearers for the modern classics. Stephen attended in his 28-year-old (1996) VW Polo. He displayed the paperwork from Footman James, which confirmed both his Minor and his Polo are insured as classics – proof to the doubters that a VW Polo is a classic. The car continues to be used as a trouble-free everyday car.
Chris M's Citroen Saxo, has been in the family for 20 years. Purchased with 4000 miles on the clock, she has now covered 108,000 miles and is also in reliable everyday use.
Last year, John H arrived on a Harley Davidson. This year he leapt off a 1981 CM400T “Honda hybrid”. It was imported from the US in 1991, disassembled, by someone who couldn’t reassemble it and given to John in boxes in 2015. John took from May to September 2015 to put it back together and has ridden it pretty much every day since. “Honda hybrid” because like most box projects not all the bits were in the box. However, with a bit of ingenuity; some welding; scavenged Kawasaki forks and wheels and a tractor seat find at Netley Marsh Steam Rally - it’s better than a regular Honda.
REPORT ON MINORS ON TOUR – UK (MOT UK) 6 – 13 JULY – WEST WALES
Just in case you didn’t know – Wales is wet.
MOT UK was based at Kidwelly, on the banks of the River Gwendraeth near Llanelli in Carmarthenshire. It was organised and run by Dennis & Sharon Saupe from North Devon MMOC. Around 30 cars attended crewed by approximately 50 Minor enthusiasts. The accommodation comprised two sites; a static caravan site and a campsite catering for both tents and caravans/motorhomes. Participants were split evenly between the two sites. A relaxed programme had been arranged which participants could dip into as they wished.
The big event of the week was the trip, on Tuesday, to Amgueddfa Cyflymder, the Museum of Land Speed at Pendine Sands.
BABS, the 27 litre, V12, 600bhp, Liberty aero-engine car, in which John Parry-Thomas broke the land speed record was on display. In April 1926, Parry-Thomas, the great rival to Campbell, set a new land speed record of 171.02 mph on Pendine Sands, breaking Malcolm Campbell’s “Bluebird” record set in March 1926. During a subsequent attempt in 1927, Parry-Thomas crashed BABS and was killed. The car was buried in the sand until 1962, when it was salvaged for recovery, rebuilt and is now the centrepiece of the museum. BABS started life as “Chitty 4”, one of Count Louis Zborowski’s series of aero engine cars named “Chitty Bang Bang”. MOT UK was joined at the museum by a Harley Davidson motor cycle club.
West Wales MMOC organised a road run on the Wednesday, which culminated in Aberaeron on Cardigan Bay. The event encompassed all the foibles of road runs – lost vehicles, uncertainty about timings and destinations, frantic WhatsApp messages and confused Minor enthusiasts who just followed the nearest Moggie – wherever it was going.
The final dinner on the Thursday evening was held at the Ashburnham Hotel in Burry Port. A fun evening of good food, “feely bags”, Heads or Tails game and the opportunity to catch up with old acquaintances.
The Saupe’s did not intend to organise another MOT UK, but seem to have been persuaded to run one more. Support has been provided by MMOC members based in Norfolk.
HAMMOC has some members notorious for their reluctance to cross the borders of Hampshire County in their Moggie. But why not join in next year?
Lubrication, Lubrication, Lubrication!
What is this all about? The following three points are often overlooked when Minors are serviced.
Fig 1.
The steering rack is a device which just goes on working without complaint, on account of which its occasional lubrication may be forgotten. In the nearside front footwell there is a hole (Fig 1) usually filled by a rubber grommet, the removal of which will reveal the oil nipple for the rack.
A level tablespoon of oil every twelve months is plenty, even for a vehicle in daily use.
Fig 2
Moving a short distance back from the rack we come to the gearbox. Remember, this should be filled with engine oil - not gear oil. Using gear oil won't do any real harm but the ‘box will perform better with any 20/50, 10/40 or straight 30 grade engine oil. When 90 grade gear oil is cold it is a little thicker than engine oil and may slightly impair the gearchange process. Engine oil is rather less ‘slippery’ and will help the synchromesh cones to grip.
A degree of caution is needed when replacing the filling/level bung in the gearbox; it is difficult to see what's going on via that hole in the floor and it's easy to get the bung cross-threaded. In (Fig 2) we see that the aluminium shell of the gearbox has only five turns of thread which can rapidly become damaged.
It is good practice to enter the bung carefully into its threaded hole and make the first few turns by hand to avoid damage. This can be done simply by using paper or perhaps Blu-tack to lightly jam the bung into the socket. Spanner size for the bung is normally 3/8" BSW. It has a tapered thread which only requires moderate tightening.
Crossing over to the offside of the gearbox we find the clutch linkage. Difficult to see and even more difficult to get at. A good clean, preferably with an old paintbrush and some grease solvent will be advantageous. Careful examination may reveal wear which, if left to its own devices will eventually lead to a breakage - usually of the rod which joins cross shaft to clutch operating arm.
A worm’s eye view of the entire linkage assembly is seen in (Fig 3)
Fig 3
After a satisfactory inspection, apply oil or grease to the points arrowed. Whilst there, ensure that the return spring is present and the pedal adjustment is correct. The offside end of the clutch/ brake pedal shaft is seen in (Fig 4);
Fig 4
That’s the torsion bar immediately below it. A drop or two of oil as shown will go some way toward lubricating this end of the shaft.
These three jobs are good preventive maintenance practice.
Answers to July’s Challenge - the mathematical one!
Take the answers to the statements and then do the maths.
A The year the first Morris Minor made its debut at Earl’s Court Motor Show. 1948
B The size (in ccs) of the MM engine. 918
C The cost (in £s) of booking a weekday driving test in the UK in 2024. 62
D The number of forward gears on a Morris Minor. 4
E The year in which the production of Morris Minors ended. 1971
F The number of cylinders in a Morris Minor engine. 4
G The price (in £s) of the first Morris Minor MM. 358
H The cost today (in £s) of a UK provisional driving licence (on-line). 34
I The length (in inches) of the original Morris Minor MM. 148
(A – B + C) ÷ D = ( + E) ÷ F = **
** – G – H – I = 21
Word Challenge for August
Use the numbers to find words associated with cars. Letters in red are not used.
9 25 19 15 12 22 5
4 15 21 15 4 9
26 9 5 21 18 10
22 5 9 9 21 17 24 4 2 19 9 9 10
20 9 23
16 15 24 7 9 10 5
6 15 13 20
21 9 14 9 21 22 17 24 4 10 17 4 19 5
8 18 18 21 1 17 21 21 18 21
WANTED
Wanted - 1098cc rear axle casing. Must be rust free with good spring mounts.
Contact Phil Jones Tel: 01794388599. Email: mrpjjones@btinternet.com
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