November Part 2

Well the good news is that I am off to visit the family for a long weekend at the start of December and as such that will involve being in the same place as the Count for the same length of time. Whilst I know that it really isn’t all that long of a break, as I don’t sleep much and as there is electricity in the garage (read: this means there are lights as opposed to the single dim bulb in the machinery shed it used to reside in!) so I should be able to get some decent family time in and also get some work done on the car as well. 

 So far I have the wheels booked in for new set of Nankang 155/80 R14 on the Saturday, so I will have to find/borrow/hire 4 axel stands so that I can get all the wheels off at once to get them into the tyre shop. I have also sourced and should have in the next couple of days the correct (so I am told) type of inner tube to install in the tyres, as the original Morris rims don’t have a beaded edge to seal the radial tyres against properly. 

Further I have purchased a brand spanking new radiator that should be on it’s was to location by Friday this week so will be waiting ready when I get there. Plan of attack will then have to be get a level to check if the wheels are straight or if they are toe-ing in, then get the Count onto the 4 axel stands and all the wheels off and cleaned up a wee bit so they aren’t too messy for the installation of tyres on Saturday morning. While the wheels are all off, if necessary, install the spacing washers on the eye bolt to true the wheels back to straight. Then it is replace all of the brake slaves, front and back, and the master cylinder, fill and bleed the system and adjust the hand brake and refit the wheels. Next is to drain the coolant, flush some fresh water through the system and whip the old radiator out and while I am at it and as I have a new one, remove and replace the water pump, drop a new fan belt in and then fit the new radiator. 

At this stage best bet will be to remove the heater core and also remove the 1000/Mini heater tap, flush through the heater core and if it is ok refit (if not ok then bypass till later), mount the correct type brass screw heater tap and then fill with coolant. From that point it will be best to fit the new locking petrol cap, which is a shame as I like the wee chrome original cap, fill the petrol tank with fresh fuel and then I should be well out of time and be on a flight back home. 

I think I will take the voltmeter with me so that I can see that the alternator is still producing power and I will need to make sure all the lights are working and shining and flashing as they need to be. The current train of thought is that I will head beck to Queensland later in January (due to school holidays and high airfares) and then I will drive the Count back to Melbourne, via the Wide Bay - Burnett, Newell, Olympic and Hume highways, already comprehensively insured as it will be, with a unregistered vehicle permit and compulsory third party. 

I am sure it will be interesting to see (1) if the car makes it, though I see no reason why it wouldn’t, (2) how many times I get pulled over for not having any number plates, hopefully none. I guess one thing I should not have to worry about is getting stopped for speeding! As a result of all this there will be pictures to follow of the work done and then of the trip down to Melbourne in the relatively near future. Actually quite looking forward to getting some work done and getting the car down to Melbourne, finally going to be getting somewhere with it and getting it ready for it’s trip around Australia.

Hopefully will be back to looking this good in the near future

Nov 2013

So starts November and still more delays getting my hands on the car. Looks like there is no doubt now, the Count won't be in Melbourne this year, it is going to be late January or early February before it appears in town, actually may have to consider waiting until the kids go back to school after the christmas break just so there won't be so much traffic on the roads, thus the mention of February, very tiresome as I want it here now! It is hardly fair I think really, but our trip to Europe and then my parents European cruise have not left great amounts of time available between now and christmas / end of year to be able to head up north and sort things out, such trials haha. I am visiting though in early December and as such will be able to get some work done, though probably limited for a short visit. 

There is quite a deal of small fiddly things that need to be done before I can get it running and one of the first items has to be the brakes, if for nothing else other than that the garage is at the top of a quite steep driveway and there is no chance that the car can leave the garage unless the brakes work. So on this December visit I have to take such parts as are necessary to ensure I can get it running, any of the nice to have parts can stay in Melbourne to be fitted / replaced once the car is down here. I am going to have to sort out the front wheel geometry as I have said before I don't want to be destroying a set of new tyres just getting back to Melbourne (27 hour drive from my parents house!) as they will certainly scrub out over the return distance otherwise. 

I have been in contact with a local tyre seller, well local to where the car is currently, and everything seemed good as he had found the inner tubes I will need are available, though I have not heard from him in a couple of weeks so I must chase that up and see if he can supply and fit tyres as well. I will be getting the Nankang CX-668 Tourer 155/80R14 81T, and yes I know that 145/80/14 would be a much better option, but they just aren't available in that size here in Australia, well not anywhere that can locate anyway, and I don't want "antique" items. The 155 are only 10mm wider than the 145 and if they are maintained and the pressures checked regularly they should be just the ticket. If he can't supply the tyres as well as the tubes then I will just get the tyres direct from a supplier on the internet and then see if he will fit the tyres and tubes for a reasonable price, hopefully all will work to satisfaction. 

Items I have to replace that I can think of at the moment are: Master Cylinder Front and Rear Slave Cylinders,  Front and Rear Brake Shoes, Flexible Brake Lines, Radiator, Heater and Fuel Rubber Hoses, Water-pump, Thermostat Housing and Thermostat. 

I think that is the total of the absolutely must do items, that I currently have, just to get it ready for the trip to Melbourne, so as such hopefully I will be able to get that done in December. Further I still need to decide on what I am going to be doing in relation to the radiator, it has to definitely have something done as it is just past its best really. I have had a quote from a reconditioner and the price could be either $350ish or $450ish, depending on what type of core my radiator has. It seems that the Radiator man has been informed by his supplier that there are two different types of core used in the Morris Minor (really? there are?) and until the core is removed and measured up he can't tell which it would be. If this is so you can bet without shadow of a doubt that mine would be the most expensive kind as most anything always seem to be so if there is a cheaper option available. That being said I can also buy a brand new radiator to just drop straight in and bolt up and not even have to worry about it at all having old top and bottom tanks, that would cost more though technically it would be the best option I think, mind brand new isn't a guarantee of quality and longevity is it! The brand new beastie would cost $500ish but to be honest given the approximate quotes for the re-core it would probably be better to spend just that bit more and get new, radiator bling, haha! 

I am also still throwing around ideas about the gear box, I have found some very helpful people that quotes me about $660 to recondition a box for me, using a later 948 box, though then taking the remote leave housing off the box and fitting the earlier 803 box tail. This of course would require them to swap the reverse gear selector rod so there is a lock out as a straight swap out with out changing the selector rod means that reverse would be able to be selected at anytime due to differing lock out systems between the two boxes. I think it would not be necessary to swap the 803 speedo drive with the 948 one in the 948 box as the car currently has a 948 speedo in it and it doesn't read correctly with the 803 box anyway. Maybe this all need some more thought and advice from the rebuilders. I'll have to get back to you on that I think....

Back when it was on the farm, keeping the Humber company