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Hot Rods Anyone ever build a Morris Minor?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by HOTRODPRIMER, Oct 1, 2015.

  1. I need another project like I need another hole in the head,but I saw a cool two door today and thought it would make a interesting little hot rod.

    It's a Morris Minor and is in pretty good shape less engine and transmission. HRP

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2015
  2. Didn't you just buy a street rod?o_O
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  3. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,583

    The37Kid
    Member

    Major project, but the look nice with a HEMI. Bob
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  4. Yeah,is there a limitation or any explanation for what we do?

    I'm not saying I'm gonna buy it but it did catch my eye and it certainly is not something you see every day. HRP
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2015
    volvobrynk and kiwijeff like this.

  5. Blue One
    Joined: Feb 6, 2010
    Posts: 11,458

    Blue One
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Alberta

  6. I have not but my buddy Kenny Green built a beautiful dark green one. Little ford V6 with a blower on it.
     
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  7. This is kinda what I was thinking,I would love to see this one. HRP
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  8. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    My first up close hot rod experience was a Morris Minor. There was one on the street I lived on when I was 4 - 5. I knew enough to know it was a Morris Minor, it was blue, and it was loud, and didn't sound like my dads Volvo 544. 20 some-odd years later, I was working as a machinist, still in the same town. There was another guy working there by the name of Pat, who was about two decades my senior. After I had been there a while it came out in conversation that he was an old hot rod guy, and we started talking quite a bit.
    At some point, I brought up this childhood memory of this Morris Minor, that it was my first close-up experience with a real live hot rod and that we had lived on Slager Avenue, a block west of 232. He grinned, and said "My parents lived on Slager, that was my car" and told me it had a solid lifter J-2 and a hydro. I was totally blown away by this. The next night (we were working afternoon shift) he showed up with 2-3 photos, and sure enough, it was the car. I can still remember laying in my bedroom with the window open on summer nights, and hearing it coming down Dewdney Trunk Rd.
     
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  9. That's cool George,those childhood memory's are always clear as a bell. HRP
     
  10. I have a buddy down here who's built up six or seven of em, but mainly stock. He did cut the bum off one, and made a trailer outer it. Painted it metallic maroon, then took a brush, and splattered yellow and black paint over it. It came out quite cool.
    Not what your looking for, but I'll see if he still has it, and get a pic. There's quite a few Rodded examples on the net.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  11. Guys down here used to build them for their missus to drive. The common drive line was datsun 1200 motor which was a very easy fit.
     
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  12. low budget
    Joined: Nov 15, 2006
    Posts: 5,566

    low budget
    Member
    from Central Ky

    A friend had a nice stock one and a guy near me has a few, one tubbed,v8 etc. he also had one on 4x4 chassis etc.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  13. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,656

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    The Morris company built millions of them ha ha. They were made from the late 40s to the early 70s. One of Alec Issigonis designs. One of the first with torsion bar suspension and rack and pinion steering. Good handling for their time.

    Would make a cool driver with a modern 4 cylinder and 5 speed or auto trans. Don't go too big on the motor and you won't louse up the balance and handling. Disc brakes were available on the later models.

    They are one of the most popular "classics" in England, roughly equivalent to a 55 Chev. All parts are still available.
     
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  14. Years ago....1978 or so....I saw a nice little Morris Minor Woodie Station wagon in La Jolla, California. It was green and had a beautifully built 327 in it. Man, you really had to hold the wheel when you got on it! Wish I had the photo of it I took way back then.
     
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  15. I had a convert and a station wagon, used the wagon for a parade float. Both are long gone, but the cylinder head was about 12" long, so any engine much bigger than that and you will be cutting. If I was going to do one, it would have a tube chassis, because they were uni-body and not very strong. I wouldn't ask the front suspension to carry any more weight than the factory put on it. Upper suspension was a single arm on a lever action shock bolted to the sheet metal firewall.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  16. olcurmdgeon
    Joined: Dec 15, 2007
    Posts: 2,289

    olcurmdgeon
    Member

    I have a buddy who has a Traveller (woodie). Has an Art Morrison front clip ('33 Willys is right width), 2x4 rails, narrowed S-10 rear, Turbo 350 coupled to alum Buick 215. Cute car, replacement wood sides can be bought from England all assembled for much less than American woodies. And the aluminum panels screwed into wood sides can be replaced with figured plywood. I'll see if I can take a pic or two next time I am over to his house.
     
  17. About 20 years ago there was one down the road from me with a 427 FE. Don't know where it is now.
     
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  18. Without a pesky engine/trans, eh? Less stuff to get rid of. My brother [Janglehead here] built this '61 Morris some years back. I welded up his chassis from 2"X4" box tubing..used a complete 69 Opel GT front suspension, a narrowed 8&3/4 mopar rear axle, trailer rear springs [parallel leafs] and a 406 SBC with a powerglide. It eventually went 10.32 in the 130s in the quarter. WE putted it around Omaha 'till he moved and he putted it around southeren Oregon. [/ATTACH] Scottysmorrisfront.jpg scottysmorrisrear.jpg
     
  19. Buddy Palumbo
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,871

    Buddy Palumbo
    Member

    I've built a few over the years (I restore old British tin) , but my favorite is the one I built for my brother about 20 years ago. It's a 61 with a 1275 Sprite engine , disc brakes and poly bushings all around. Not a horsepower king, but a really fun ride !


    [​IMG]
     
  20. AHotRod
    Joined: Jul 27, 2001
    Posts: 12,216

    AHotRod
    Member

    My good friend Scotty ( Rocky's brother) built this one and "It RULES" ! Just google Scotty Gosson Morris Minor and see lots more of it.
    My oldest Son Cody (R.I.P.) had me buy one 20 years ago for "us" to build together someday, he wanted his to have a Mazda rotary driveline...... a Go Cart with license plates.

    morris on 6th street.JPG
     
  21. Here's my own Morris [and nova daily] back in '81. Mine was bone stock with cranked-down torsion bars and big and little tires. Had a lotta fun with it. Rockys61morrisand72nova.jpg Rockys61morrisandself.jpg
     
  22. Ho;y shit, Glen! That's a better photo than any I have of Scotty's Morris....I'm stealin it.
     
  23. Marty Strode
    Joined: Apr 28, 2011
    Posts: 8,788

    Marty Strode
    Member

    I saw Scottie's Morris last night at our weekly cruise in Portland.
     
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  24. My thoughts was just a simple driver also,4 cylinder or V6. HRP
     
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  25. If I'm not mistaken, that car would be outside HAMB rules.
     
    Dago 88 likes this.
  26. A friend of mine is putting mildly modified MG 1500 engine and OD transmission in his two door. The are neat cars.
     
    HOTRODPRIMER likes this.
  27. And what makes you say that?

    There sure seems to be a bunch of guys here that have or have had them.HRP
     
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  28. Buddy Palumbo
    Joined: Mar 30, 2008
    Posts: 3,871

    Buddy Palumbo
    Member

    His car has seen a lot of miles over the years, smiled all the way. The 1275 engine is a bolt-in with more power than the stock engine, has a later MG gearbox, and taller MG rear gears to make it much more enjoyable at road speed.
    That being said, I've seen them with stuff like a hot v-6, fuel-injected 5.0 mustang, and blown big block Chevy engines in them. All looked like a ton of fun in a straight line with tubbed-out rears and stuff, but seemed a bit of a chore to just drive around.
     
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  29. blowby
    Joined: Dec 27, 2012
    Posts: 8,661

    blowby
    Member
    from Nicasio Ca

    You're gonna need more new T-shirts.
     

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