Morris Minor 1000
MORRIS MINOR 1000
Has there ever been a more Diy-friendly classic than the Morris Minor, especially once the troublesome and weedy old sidevalve engines were ousted in favour of BMC’S trusty A-series? Mechanically it’s simplicity itself in every department, everything is easily accessible. If you want to learn about how cars work and how to fix them, a Minor and a Haynes manual can be the beginning of a rewarding new hobby, even if there’s nothing wrong with the car itself.
With rear-wheel drive, a balanced chassis and responsive steering, they’re quite fun to drive, but it’s ambience that people buy them for. And one of the friendliest, most supportive ownership scenes anywhere in the world, plus a parts-supply situation as good as the MGB’S.
For an easy life, aim for a 1000 saloon. Convertibles and Traveller estates fetch premium money and their construction massively adds expense to any bodywork restoration jobs. 1948-53 sidevalve engines are hard to find parts for, and 1952-56 803cc Series IIS are so underpowered as to make motorway drives dangerous.
It’s not that a Morris Minor is problem-free, but rather that its sheer simplicity and comprehensive parts supply makes jobs that would cost a fortune on more prestigious and complex cars very affordable. Body panels are typically £500 each, an A-series engine rebuild costs £650, gearboxes are £300 and replacing the entire wiring loom – a plug and play task – will only set you back £100. A full replacement set of carpets will run to just £80, and you can massively improve braking performance by adding a £300 servo.
There is one exception to this rule, in the form of floorpan rust. While localised rust spots can be patched up cheaply by most local bodyshops, if the whole floorpan is weakened by corrosion it’ll compromise the structure of the car, and replacement and rebuild will be £8000. But so long as the underbody is sound, no Minor will be a moneypit. They’re also a great basis for fun modifications, as the many Minors competing in historic motor sport prove.