Project Traveller
Before we can go forward, we have to go back to basics by gutting the interior and engine bay.
Engine and gearbox removal, plus final stripdown of the body.
Another productive session in the workshop has proven again why the Morris Traveller is such a great classic to own. Most of its fixtures, fittings and components present a challenge only the most timid of enthusiasts might fear. It’s one of those cars that makes you feel good about working on a classic because the rewards are easy to see, even at the removal stage. Our main objective was to gut the cab and engine bay to provide full access for repairs and paint once both have been blasted back to bare metal.
It’s often a false economy of time and money to try and work around components, when removing them from the situation is far more effective. My rule of thumb is to decide whether a coat of paint is involved. If it is, then masking off areas and components to prevent overspray is the devil’s work before and after. How many classics have you looked at where the tell-tale signs of overspray ruin your desire to own such a car? And all for the sake of removing items as quickly as masking them. Door mirrors, wiper box bezels, window seals, headlamp rims and bumpers all suffer readily from overspray. The paint too, looks as if it has shrunk away from components like a woollen jumper shrinks away from your wrists if washed incorrectly.
With the final finish firmly in mind, both Matts and myself got our hands dirty to progress the prize Traveller to its next stage.