Car restoration advice sought...

UKworkshop.co.uk

Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

morrisminordriver

Established Member
Joined
17 Dec 2002
Messages
167
Reaction score
17
Location
Seaton, Torpoint, Cornwall
Hi - Ive not been around for a while - been a bit busy with the day job and parenting...
Anyhow, Ive got myself a new car and need some advice on a restoration problem. And before you think "What is this post doing here - we not a motor vehicle forum :? "
Well my new car is a 1967 Morris Minor Traveller and the problems areb with the wood frame.
Problem no 1 - I need to cut out about 12" length of the waist rail and scarf in some new timber (Ash) -

100_0511.jpg


I need to make a precise angled cut though the waist rail at about 30 degrees and remove the rotten piece then make a replacemnet piece and glue (Cascamite) in place. I am not confident of doing this accurately with a handsaw, any suggestions to jigs / methods etc to do this?.

And if you think this bit of wood is rotten - you should see the back doors :shock:

100_0512.jpg


Many thanks, MMD.
 
Hi MMD,

I assume that the timber comes off the car for you to work on it?

You could use a mitre saw to make the cut. These are available in both hand and wiggery amp powered. You could make a mitre box to suit that cut and use it with one of you current hand saws.

I have got to ask, does the MOT include a check for woodworm? :roll: :wink:
 
Hi Dave,

No the wood doesnt come off the car - I'll remove the windows and aluminium panels but the rail will need to be cut off / worked on in situ.

Your suggestion of a home made mitre box might just do the trick.

There was no woodworm in the frame, just a bit of wet rot, the woodwork on a Traveller is structural and therefor "MOTable", however, this rot has not damaged the structural integrity of the car......yet :roll: !!

Regards, MMD.
 
Hi MMD, I am sure that you already have, but if not, have you tried the Morris Minor Owners Club?

Hampshire Branch, http://www.hockeym.freeserve.co.uk/

National Branch,
http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/articles ... ers50.html

They are a friendly lot and if anyone can help they can. The Morris Minor have fans and club world wide, and I seem to remember that they produce a lot of there own parts.
Also, because this job would have been carried out hundreds of times over the years, you may even find someone who has made a template.

Good luck with your project, and post some photos when you are finished.

Regards

Woody
 
I used to own a Traveler of about the same age, and faced exactly the same problem. The conclusion that I came to is that the correct procedure was to buy the pieces ready shaped from a specialist supplier. The main reason being that the shapes are actually quite tricky to reproduce, and that in any case a scarfed-in repair is going to be very visible and look exactly that, a repair, and not a replacement

John
 
Hi Woody,
Thanks for the tought - I am a member of the MMOC and have been discussing this issue with quite a number of them. I though I'd also try the good folk of UKW to get the widest view.

Hi John - You make some good points and i still might get a complete waistrail (and probably some wheelarch which also needs repairing) but this 'll cost around £100 for the ash pieces whereas the piece of ash for the scarfed joint is a few £'s. The other thing I am concerened about is taking out whole pieces might start to destabilize the whole side.... :( .
Ive seen one or two really good scarfed joints over the years on Travellers, Im not bothered about the join showing - just bothered about getting the best fit as I can. If I go the scarfed route I will use the piece I cut out as a template ref shape / size / window channel depth etc, the waistrail is straight as opposed to the A and B posts which I agree would be more difficult to fabricate.

I could go down the scarfed road and if it looks hideous can go further and get a complete waistrail.

Still, it could be months before i have time to get on with this as childcare and other domestic jobs takeup most of the days currently!.

Thanks again MMD.
 
MMD wrote,

Hi Woody,
Thanks for the tought - I am a member of the MMOC and have been discussing this issue with quite a number of them. I though I'd also try the good folk of UKW to get the widest view.

I thought so, but heh, sometimes the most obvious are overlooked.

Let us know when you sort it out.

Regards

Woody
 
Back
Top