Morris Minor
Ben boosts his Minor with 48bhp of A-series muscle
For most people, a 1098cc A-series engine is hardly the stuff of high-octane, adrenalin-fuelled daydreams. But for me? It’s a powerhouse of an engine, capable of adding zest to my newly-recommissioned Minor. In fact, compared to the old 803cc lump that used to live in the engine bay, it’s a rorty revelation.
Perhaps I’m getting a bit carried away, but there’s no denying that over two busy days, I have managed to transform the car into something far more eager – and hopefully more usable – with the addition of later Minor running gear. You can thank BMC for that; with minimal modifications, any split screen Series II like mine can be given the mighty power of a Minor 1000.
To recap, my car’s 803cc engine started knocking loudly on the way home from the Beaulieu International Autojumble. I already had a 1098cc engine sitting on the garage floor, along with its matching gearbox and 4.22:1 differential, so there really was only one way forward. Of course, for maximum parts-swapping performance, a 1275cc engine is an even better bet, but high demand has pushed prices beyond my pocket-money budget.
Give me a lift
Having borrowed chum Carlo Pegoraro’s engine crane, I embarked upon the transplant with much zeal. Fortunately, Morris Minors really are like giant Meccano kits; the front panels, radiator, bonnet and gearbox cover were swiftly removed, before the propshaft was unbolted and slid free of the gearbox tail-housing. After a handful of bolts were undone, the old engine and gearbox were lifted free as one compete unit.
Known to be good runner, I had already prepared the replacement engine for its new home with a new head gasket, water pump and a lick of BMC green paint. The engine backplate was whipped off and a new oil pump tickled into place, before the whole lot was carefully reassembled with a flywheel fitted
with new ring gear, followed by a brand-new Borg & Beck clutch kit.
I had believed the rib-case gearbox to be a 1098cc Minor item when I bought it, but it has turned out to be a stronger 1275cc MG Midget unit. Despite different ratios, it should still be suitable for service in my car. The slave cylinder for the MG’S clutch hydraulics was binned and the clutch release fork swapped for one compatible with the Minor’s mechanical linkage. Finally, more BMC green paint was slapped on.
The gearbox is actually the most radical departure from originality for my Series II. Originally, the gear lever was a long, spindly thing that emerged from the floor close to the bulkhead. However, the slick remote-control change of the later gearbox is positioned close to the front seats. A larger Minor 1000 bolt-in gearbox cover was sourced to suit, but this required several inches trimming from the transmission tunnel to fit. So, after some serious hacksaw action, the engine and gearbox were swung into place. With the bolts of the engine mounts and gearbox crossmember nipped up, it was time to connect everything up, pull the starter switch, and cross my fingers.
Finishing touches
After a couple of tries, the engine exploded into life. Maybe it was my sense of jubilation at the end of a weekend of spannering, but the 1098cc engine seemed a lot louder than its predecessor, bellowing down its standard pea-shooter exhaust system. Driving it back into its cramped garage, the livelier Minor felt like a different car.
There are plenty of finishing touches still to do. Top of the list is fitting the 4.22 differential – the ultra-low gearing of the original axle may be capable of inducing whiplash up to 10mph, but will ruin open-road cruising. The speedometer cable also needs to be hooked up and the badly worn clutch mechanism renovated.
In all this excitement, I’ve been cherry-picking more components from the Morris Minor’s long production life to fit to my car. I’ve always had a soft spot for the cheese grater-style front grille used up until 1954. Pre-dating the ‘smiley face’ grille that became a Minor trademark, the older grille has a pleasing Forties-esque look to it.
An early front panel, beaten-up and rusty, was tracked down. Its squashed grille was pressed back into shape and reinforced with extra steel, while sections from a later front panel were cannibalised and welded in, before finishing with a skim of filler. The front bumper valance is a different shape on early cars, so modifying mine to mimic this is next on the list.
I love my car’s gold central speedometer and simple switchgear, but I also admire the art decostyle fascia of the earliest Minors, as penned by Issigonis. In homage to Sir Alec’s original design, I modified a Minor 1000 dashboard lid by reducing its width by an inch to clear the choke control knob. The handle was removed, the lid painted gold and a badge from a Morris Oxford MO added. On the driver’s side, a battered Series MM instrument panel was restored to match, with a period rev counter installed where the speedometer would have originally been.
Cosmetic tweaks aside, the Minor is well on its way to becoming a reliable, usable classic. With exciting motoring adventures planned for 2020, I’m hoping that all of these sensible modifications will add up to a car that is ready for action.
practical.classics@bauermedia.co.uk