MODIFIED 1969 MORRIS TRAVELLER
A major appeal of the Morris Minor is that it takes as well to being modified as a German Shepherd dog does to rump steak. How far you wish to go probably depends only on your imagination and bank balance. There are enough around to enable anyone to modify without guilt, particularly if it is one of the many sitting around awaiting salvation that would otherwise probably never come.
Mike Dean’s 1969 Morris Traveller would probably be more likely to make you gasp in surprise rather than purr with nostalgic joy, but here is a Moggie that could bite the head off today’s traffic.
‘I had wanted a Minor but my wife, Michelle, thought standard cars were too slow, so I ended up with this one,’ Mike says. ‘I must emphasise that once I’d decided to go ahead, I was determined to start with a rotted-out car. I would never do this to an original example.’
It’s quite some ‘this’! The car has a 1275cc MG Midget engine, overbored, a five-speed Ford Sierra gearbox and a rear axle from a Wolseley. The suspension has been lowered by an inch, though standard front shock absorbers remain, and Minilite wheels have been fitted. The car has also been resprayed in Land Rover Tomb Raider Bonatti Grey. Inside, Newton Commercial upgraded seat frames and upholstery are fitted.
Mike has taken the car on a dozen or so trips to France and even negotiated the Alps without problems. ‘It’s designed to keep up with modern traffic and tackle any conditions,’ Mike said. ‘It’s used frequently and it’s not garaged. I sand the timber framework down once a year and revarnish it, but that’s about it.’
‘Once the car was finished I haven’t had to pay a fortune in depreciation as I would with a modern car. The Traveller always attracts a lot of interest and I get asked a lot of questions’ adds Mike.
Coming from Essex, Mike admits to having been born and brought up around Fords, though the Morris, and the Morris Minor Owners’ Club has changed his viewpoint. ‘ To be honest, it’s really the club that has really got me into the cars. The people in it are great.’