1968 Morris Minor convertible

[Chickenjohn]

Next, having the car on solid rear spring hangers, i decided to restore the RHS front wheelarch/inner wing before tackling RHS sill structure and floors.

Unbolting the outer wing revealed the rear of the wheelarch/ a pillar area was in a bad way. It will need a lot of re-construction. I did exactly this type of work on my Traveller some years ago.

 

[Finalreminder]

Thanks for that John. I've never done car panel repairs. Land Rover chassis are more my thing but I've just bought a ****reon Saxo for my wife that needs a couple of patches.

Is this a full on nut and bolt restoration for the MMOC show's that you're doing?

 

[Chickenjohn]

Hello eggman, that was the plan but the repairs have taken longer than planned. I kept finding more and more rust that needed to be cut out. I'm just trying to get to the point where I can paint the body before the weather gets too bad/cold/damp to paint cellulose in my garage.

We're going to take "Dibble" as he was named, to the local Morris Minor shows, use him daily during nice days and maybe even do a few weddings. (the previous owners did quite a few weddings, where car and driver were hired to deliver the bride).

 

[Stuggi]

How's it going mate?

 

[Chickenjohn]

That is so weird you should ask today, because "Dibble" as he is known passed the MOT yesterday!!!!! I'm chuffed to bits, just need to get a tax disc and then sort out the various niggles.
cheers
John

 

[Stuggi]

Post some pics!

 

[Chickenjohn]

Post some pics!

Ok, here is one of the rotten N/S rear spring hanger leg partially cut away. It was just rust and plate upon plate.

 

[Chickenjohn]

I decided to remove the petrol tank before welding in the new rear spring hanger leg and inner wing repair section.
here is a view from below of the rear hanger leg held in place with a few panel screws. (I took lots of measurements before cutting the old leg out to make sure the new one went in the right place)- the car does drive straight so I must have got it right. Bottom pic shows inner wing repair panel tacked/clamped in place to close off the rear spring hanger box section.

 

[Chickenjohn]

Inner wing panel fully butt and plug welded in place and all welds dressed in preparation for painting.

 

[Chickenjohn]

The wing mounting flange was rusted through, so i replaced most of it in sections.

 

[Chickenjohn]

More repairs to wing mounting flange.

 

[Chickenjohn]

Parts of the sharply curved part of inner wing next to the mounting flange also needed replacing. I fabricated these by hammering small pieces of 0.9mm steel over the Morris Minor starting handle, which just happened to form a perfect radius needed for the repair section! Welded in, a bit of seam sealer and paint and you'd never know!

 

[Chickenjohn]

On stripping down the rear axle, I found the bump stop rubber was in perfect condition, but the metal mounting flange it was mounted to was rotten. So, "for fun" I decided to make a new one from 0.9MM steel and only using simple tools in my garage, like this:-

 

[Chickenjohn]

Two pieces were bonded together, if it falls off then fair enough, I'll buy a new one! The objective in this restoration is to use as much of the original car as possible. Restoring rather than replacing.

 

[Chickenjohn]

The axle was also stripped, cleaned and painted, first wire brushed, rust cleaned off with phosphoric acid, then zinc primer followed by chassis black paint. Seemed a shame to put a dirty rusty axle back onto clean rust free painted rear of the car! The axle was overhauled, one new rear bearing and new oil seals and gaskets. half shafts were pulled out to check for wear- splines were perfect. On driving the car, the diff is fine- no noise, but the front seal is leaking, so thats another job on the snag list to do.

 

[Chickenjohn]

More rust found at the base of the inner wing, where it meets boot floor, between the bump stop and spring hanger. This was cut out, a piece made up and welded in.

 

[Chickenjohn]

That horrible patch to the left of the picture, was i believe (s)lapped over rust crudely by a Morris Minor specialist!!!! I later cut it out and properly butt welded/ plug welded a piece in.

 

[Chickenjohn]

Yet more rust found near the spring hanger! The floor section was replaced, the section will be closed after the sill/floor edge sections are replaced.- to make sure it all fits!

 

[Chickenjohn]

All horrid underseal was scraped off the underside, any rust wire brushed off, then given a couple of coats zinc primer, then chassis black.

 

[Chickenjohn]

The rear wing to fit that inner wing was rotten at the bottom rear flange and re-enforcing strip. Repair sections were fabricated at Oakwood park college (Vehicle body restoration course) and gas welded/ spot welded in. next area to be repaired was front O/S inner wing.