Got some front

1969 Morris Minor Traveller

Engine 1098cc/4cyl/ohv

Power 37bhp@4750rpm

Torque 50lbft@2500rpm

0-60mph 32.6sec

Work done Engine rebuilt and refitted; gearbox swapped; front end refreshed.

As well as preventing rot on the Land Rover, I’ve had more welding to do on the Traveller, which has been my home project on the driveway for the past few months.

But before I could turn it around to access the crusty nearside sill, I needed to get it moving again under its own power. The engine had been rebuilt and then dynamically balanced at Vibration Free in Bicester (PC, Spring 2023), and so required just final reassembly, refitting of the sump, timing chain and cover, cylinder head and rocker gear before it could be re-fitted to the car.

While the engine was out of the way, I also took the opportunity to swap the Traveller’s original gearbox, which had begun to jump out of third gear on occasion, for a Spridget 'box that had been previously fitted to my now supercharged saloon and give the engine bay a quick freshen up with a rattle can.

Regular readers will know that this is all work that spiralled from my simple desire to replace the chipped front grille, so that came next

– a freshly powdercoated replacement from my stock of spares was swapped in. I also splashed out on a replacement front bumper chrome and glassfibre valance to replace the original, which was looking rather past its sell-by date. The valance was etch primed, painted and lacquered and the heavy steel bumper iron treated to a fresh coat of chassis black before the assembly was built up with fresh chrome bolts.