1959 Morris Minor aka William Leo Columbus

[mikec4193]

Hi Rat Rodders


I am still bumming about the sale of my 1940 Ford coupe Jalopy...after it got sold I took sometime and I was able to put some fresh insulation board in the shop while I waited for something to pop up...My dad always told me to stay away from English cars...So I had until Nov of 2021 when I found this little gem from Columbus Ohio....been in the same family for over 40 years between the brothers named William and Leo...I had joined the stateside Morris Minor club and the UK one as well...

I love the patina a lot...bought it site unseen...

Bottom side is rather crusty...but I love to cut and weld so off we go again...

I love little cars...always have...I am hoping the prince of darkness wont bit me in the back side...I know it is light enough that I can push the car around alone...

 

[mikec4193]

The brothers had done a lot of upgrades to it...front disc brakes...subby seats...3.9 gears in the rear end...a couple boxes of new parts too...like new wiring harness all new brake lines...a couple three books to help with the maintenance and repair...

WD40 was sprayed liberally on the outside finish...made the old man shiny again...

first thing I did was pull the fuel tank and fuel line...then I started to patching process....I wont be doing a resto but a repair and get running again...

I might even drive it...

I have given myself 1 year to get it done as I am moving to Kansas I hope in 2023 when I retire from my govt job...

 

[Bamamav]

Do like the dude on the HAMB and put a small block in it![ddd[ddd[ddd

 

[Couper]

Cool looking buggy!

 

[Old Iron]

[P[P[P

 

[bob w]

Looks likes a car I would own. I like little cars too. Put 300 horses in it and have an economical tire fryer. (Turbo 3800 V6 for instance).

 

[Torchie]

Good looking car.
I used to love little British cars. But then I out grew them.
Torchie

 

[Tripper]

Kool! My girlfriend in 4th grade's parents had a Morris station wagon! Thing was as cute as they come but a real rarity in the States at that time! Nice catch!

BoB

 

[soltz]

Sweet

<<<[P>>>

 

[mikec4193]

I had a Sunday off and I got a early start on the old man...

I made the old man groan not sure if it was ecstasy or pain...but I was putting some patches on the underside of it...I replaced the outer sill or part of it at least...

I got some scrap metal from work when they were throwing out a set of metal shelves...I snagged them so now I had a couple of 18-16 gauges pieces that I can cut and fit and weld onto this old car...

He is crusty old Englishman...we get along too...not sure where they get the original metal from but I can actually weld new 18-16 gauge to rusty dusty UK sheet metal...

Sunday was a good day...even tho I had to weld on my back...not fun but I am getting it done...

MikeC

 

[mikec4193]

Still diggin on the old heap...

One of the reasons I bought the ole man is I could just about all the patch panels that I would ever need...

This is the left rear frame rail...comes in two pieces too...tac tac tac...grind grind grind...

I hated having to cut the OEM quarter off but I had to to get to some inner steel structure that was rotted...but have no fear...we welded him back on...

A little cut cut cut...then some tac tac tac....then we grind grind grind...

I think in the UK they call this a sill...I call it an inner rocker...well it was toasted...

ESM Morris Minor parts to the rescue again...

I am totally amazed at the quality of these replacement parts...and the sheet metal on this little car is so thin but it welds so nice...

This is a B pillar patch panel...

The old man had been sitting for years...it had brand new radials on it but they were dry rotted...so the internet to the rescue again...

I try to work on this old guy 4 to 5 nights a week....even if it is for 1 hour...

It might not seem like much but the end of the week...less rust...more patch panels installed...

MikeC

 

[Torchie]

[cl[[
[P[P[P[P
Torchie

 

[bob w]

You are saving a cool little car.

 

[kenny c]

Great work![cl.[P[P My buddy had a 4 door Austin Somerset Here for a while We had it running but had too many projects and it was really rotted. It got sold. Hopefully the new owner will bring it back to roadworthy.

 

[Old Stuff]

I love those. Saw one last year on craig's list that I would've snatched in a heartbeat if the cash was available. Agree with you on the patina. That will make a slick little rat/hot rod. Carry on! [P

 

[Old Iron]

[cl[cl[cl
[P[P[P

 

[mikec4193]

Lots of stuff going on for sure...ran out of argon again...second bottle on this build...kicked another box of .023 welding wire...

Super stoked...got the other side of the car back up into the frame...new poly bushings too...

Bought a new b pillar patch panel...looks like it is gonna fit for sure...

the car had a newer set of Subaru seats in it and the mounts were bolted to a paper thin floor pan that was cracked...

So I cut up some 14 gauge plates...welded them in and ground them up nice...

got most of the floor pan patched and looking rather stout all by them selves

I have never ever had an English car before and I have to say those Englishman have a strange way of bolting stuff together...

This is the upper spindle mount...and it mounts to a big square shock and then there is this arm that sticks thru the fenderwell...

the new bushings appeared to be too fat...well I learned something....

I cranked down on the top mount and they make everything with fine British threads...well they stripped...

I ordered a new pair from the fine folks at ESM in the UK...parts are super cheap...shipping isnt a killer either...

the killer is the dollar exchange rate at about 60% of what the UK has for money...so these 2 top bolts ran me $54.00 for them...

All the carnage I took out...

 

[Old Stuff]

[P[P[P

 

[bob w]

Makes me tired just looking at all the work you are pouring into your Morris. But keep going, it's fun.

Also, I'm curious about your aka name for the car.[S

 

[mikec4193]

Makes me tired just looking at all the work you are pouring into your Morris. But keep going, it's fun.

Also, I'm curious about your aka name for the car.[S

Hey Bob

I bought the car from a fellow named Leo and he bought it from his brother named William and they both lived in Columbus Ohio...

It was too ugly to be a girlie car...so I thought hey what the heck...

He is a smelly old heap for sure...