Morris Minor 1000

I am now onto my third minor ( although my second was not roadworthy) and am looking to purchase a project as this one is in pretty good condition.

Excellent points about the car:

-Very easy to maintain- although the trunnions need greasing every 1000/3000 miles ( some books differ on the subject)

-Reliable-Properly Maintained, these cars will go on and on and on

-Excellent parts availability-nearly all of the parts can be purchased, new and used. A rebuilt engine ( with exchange of your old one) is around the £1000 mark

-Free tax and cheap to insure

-Fun car!!-

Bad points-

-Like most cars of the era, the engines are underpowered for motorway use. The 1098cc engine is the best, the 948cc the smoothest, but lacking in the horses department and the 803cc a bit wimpy. the 918cc sidevalve I have not experienced so cannot comment

-Rust-sills, floors, doors, wings are all rust areas. However repair panels can be bought for all of those things, so a tatty £700 minor with good mechanicals but poor bodywork is not a problem for someone who is handy with a welder.

-Can only really do about 100,000 miles between rebuilds, although a set of big ends and frequent oil changes can make an engine last a long time even after it starts knocking. My friends split screen is on its 3rd 803cc, the last 2 lasting 60,000 each. The 948cc is like the 1098cc, and if driven carefully can last longer.

A OK minor can be picked up for a grand to £1500, with better saloons fetching upto £5000! Traveller and van prices are on the rise and convertibles are averaging £3500 for an OK with nice examples at £10,000-Prices are on the rise, get your bargain now!!!

I recommend one of these to anyone. There are plenty around and a couple of hours servicing it every now and then works wonders. There is not alot of kit with these, but you might get one with a temperature gauge or even a radio!!!!- none of which are standard.

So go out and buy one today!

I learnt to drive in a Morris Minor and have owned and driven one ever since - over 20 years now.

The Minor 1000 (948cc or 1098cc) are great for city travel but doesn't have the performance required for long distance motorway work. Top speed in a standard Minor 1000 is realistically around 65mph but at that speed there is very little acceleration potential left. It's happiest at around 45-60mph.

With some simple bolt-on modifications the performance can be improved to make motorway driving much more pleasant - extractors/headers and a larger SU carburettor (1.5" from the Marina works well) make a big difference to engine performance, radial tyres and telescopic shocks for road holding, brake booster for stopping and if you can find one, a 3.9:1 diff head (e.g from a Wolseley 1500) makes cruising at speed much more comfortable.

Drum brakes are perfectly useable. There's no need for disc brakes if you keep the drums, pads and master/wheel cylinders up to scratch.

The Minor 1000 is easy to drive, nimble around town, easy to park, and stands out from the crowd of Jappas and Euro-boxes.