Hot Rods Morris Minor Gasser build

Going to be a mean little machine. And the best part FORD POWERED

 

Thanks. I am going to use a 302 as a get it running motor to make sure it goes straight . I am starting in D/Gas and planning on building a bigger stroker motor to go to C/Gas.
I just talked to a guy yesterday about building a 65 Comet to run super stock in the SNDR.
So maybe the stars are aligning to get this thing done and to building one of my all time favorite cars and get paid to do it.

 

Hope you don't mind me interrupting but just yesterday we saw this Morris Minor in a private collection and today I see your thread. I told my wife "Here's what happens to Morris Minors that aren't in private collections. They become race cars." You're doing a good job.

 

I have never ridden in a stock Morris Minor . Would like to try that sometime. Have been building them for years.

 

Got my motor for the 57 shorty built and tested today. Now it's put it back in the car get it painted and gone so I can focus on the Morris Minor. My 50 dollar test stand.

 

I owned a 1961 Morris Minor Saloon for about 20 years. Stock, 90k mile car with OEM 948cc engine. The gas pedal becomes an "on - off" switch in modern traffic. Take off in 1st, throttle on the floor. Lift, shift to 2nd gear, throttle on the floor & so on.... till you hit 45 - 50 mph. By that time , 3 or 4 cars have gone around you and are pissed off at how slow you are. Loved the car! I sold it back to the guy I bought it from in 1995.

 

they might be mad at the tire smoke in their faces from 2631 if he drives like that .

 

Looking good southcross!!


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Thanks. Got the whole body blocked out and ready for paint. Need to raise the rear frame kickup about 4 inches where it goes over the axle. Didn't allow enough for suspension travel. Going to get some steel today.
Then put the wheel tubs in and mount the rear end and ladder bars so I can locate my rear shock crossmember and coil spring mount.

 

The cage and set back brings to mind Altereds of the 60's. Love the lightened door sills. There worth is debatable but they definitely look cool.

 

Believe it or not they come from the factory like that. They have a bolt on cover that hides them.

 

Finally finished with the shorty wagon and the owner came from Iowa and picked it up. Now I can get back to the Morris Minor for a few weeks before my next customer project is delivered to my shop for a paint job and some other work. A little OT ,but a coo l car anyway. A 66 GTO cinvertible.
Hopefully should have the rear suspension in by then.
Here's a photo of the completed shorty.

 

From the reflection on the Shorty's panels you got her straight. That couldn't have been an east job considering all the surgery.

 

Well I finally got time to do a little work on the Morris
Minor . First time in over a month. I had to redo the frame rails over the rear end to allow for suspension travel and to raise the frame rails to allow for upper shock mounts and coil spring buckets.
I will be putting in a cross member for the shocks and to anchor the spring buckets.
I will also be adding 2 more roll bar tubes to make sure there will be no twisting of the frame rails when the hammer is dropped at 6,000 plus rpm's.

 

Update after hurricane Irma came knocking on the door. We are truly blessed to only have lost power for 2 days and no damage to the house or shop.
Considering making a change in direction on my Morris. I am considering a power plant swap from my 306 and adding a bunch of weight to run D//Gas to not adding hardly any weight and building a 435 inch motor based on a 429 block that I have and running A/Gas. I do not want to add up to 600 lbs in ballast to make weight.
I have been doing a lot of research and contacting engine builders. I will be at the limits of my 5.0 block capabilities turning 8500 rpm's with a stock block. With my 429 Cobra Jet block they will take it no problem. The cost difference is not that much . I can buy a set of Kaase P-51's or AFR's for a little more than a aftermarket Ford block.
The added weight of the motor will help keep the front end down and with my 89 inch wheelbase traction should not be an issue with my 10 percent engine set back.
The car will have to weigh 2610 with me in it. Should be fun.
Anybody interested in a fresh .040 over 5.0 with Mahle flat tops and scat rods? I have the short block assembled. I also have a solid roller cam and a set of Pro Comp ported heads with new Manley race valves and springs. PM me for more info.

 

Keep in mind that i'm planning to change the minimum weight in D/Gas over the winter. It's 3,000 now but will go to 2,800 or 2,900 not sure just yet. You could build a 280 inch engine and be 2,800.
You better rethink the 10% engine set back on that short car, It will flip over backwards if your not careful. Ben Christopher is fighting that very thing now with his 92" anglia an the engine is as far forward as we could get it.
Thanks for supporting the Southeast Gassers and let me know if you need anything.

 

I did not know about the minimum weight change . I could build a 289 and run 2,890. I am going to do some research on using a 260 . I have the 429 block and crank and all the machine work is done.
The set back is not written in stone, but I would like to run the radiator in the trunk or under the motor so I can shove the motor forward. 8 inches on this car is a bunch. The old saying, 10 lbs. of crap in a 5 lb. bag. I could lay the radiator flat between the frame rails in the front under the balancer. It would still be a front mounted radiator and nobody would even see it.

 

Are you still planning on changing the D/G 7.249 threshold?!!! You did mention it this year but were a little un sure.

 

Brian I don't think I'm going to change that but it will be reviewed over the winter. I could almost do away with it in a few years. C/gas for example the top 8 or 10 cars have to weigh now. Most top A/gas cars have to weigh. i'm sure D will be the same way in a few years.

 

It is very difficult to build a ford motor at less than 289 inches. The 289 and smaller engines use the same stroke and just make the bores smaller . Then you end up with valve and bore interference with my heads. Can't see much gain building a 292 inch motor over using the 306 I already have. 2920 lbs. versus 3060lbs.. It would cost me a block plus all the machine work. Pistons, rods, crank, flywheel , balancer because the 5.0 is a 50oz motor and the 292 would be a 28 oz. or zero balance . Any Ford Guru's know of anybody building a destroked overbored 289 ? $$$$ I am thinking expensive.
The only way I could justify it is if I sold my 306 short block and found a 6 bolt early block and put a 289 crank in it and make a 292 inch motor and then used my cam and heads and intake I already have.
I would still need to add 500 lbs of ballast to make 2920. Best to build light and add weight I guess.
Or just run 7.30 at 2400lbs. Which would harm the integrity of the organization and mine too knowing that I am not even close being legal weight. I ran Super Rod with my old gasser with no electronics and used an adjustable throttle linkage rod and shift points to run the number.
Or build the 435 in motor and take my chances as an A/Gas car and have people freak out when I tilt the nose and it is wall to wall big block Ford in this little car.

 

I agree A /Gas is better suited for your car, I just wanted you to know there were some changes coming this winter. As for trying to run above a 7;25 in D/gas so not to have to weigh that won't work next year because it's going to take way more than that to win. The top 4 cars at our last race was under 7;20. Record is in the 6.70's. Really not surprising for a 10 per cubic inch car.

 

Thanks for the input Quain. My Century Link has been in and out since the hurricane so I couldn't answer.
I am thinking that if I can get rid of my small block stuff. I will be building the 429. Otherwise I will just finish it with the 306 and run it .

 

Just thinking about the 429 in that car gets me drooling all over my key board. WOW!!

 

Yeah, me too. I think about taching it up to about 6 grand and dropping the clutch and feeling 700 plus horsepower and 600 ft lbs of torque in an 88 inch wheelbase car with a 4 speed in a 2400 lb car.
Should be quite the ride for a 68 year old driver. Might need a box of Depends in my trailer.
Going to the machine shop tomorrow to talk with my machinist about turning the Ford crank to 440 Mopar rod journal size. The hot setup seems to be use a 440 rod and a 460 piston and still keep the same cubes and get a longer rod and easier to get 460 pistons.
Working on getting a custom ground cam for this application. Seems that you can get away with a flat tappet solid cam. The pulling truck guys turn some very high rpm's with this same combo.

 

Bullet Cams for the Wins !

 

My machine shop did not have the fixture to bore my lifter holes to on my 429 block to .904. To use the larger flat tappet lifters so I can run the over .700 lift cam that is recommended by rmcomprandy.
Anyone know of a machine shop in the Ocala - Tampa area that can handle this job for me?
Everything else is fairly straight forward. The block is bored .030 and they sell a 440 rod with a .990 pin. I need to get in touch with Diamond pistons to make the correct pistons for this application.
Getting the crank turned to 440 rod journal size. Ordering a custom ground cam, surprised at the reasonable cost of a custom grind.
Now just need to sell off my small block stuff to try and recoup that money and it's on to bigger and hopefully better things.

 

We use Scotty's Racing Engines for all machine work in Spring Hill Florida.
Here is a link: http://www.scottysracingengines.com/

 

Why are you not running a roller lifter. The price of having the work done compared to the difference in a roller set up would be about the same I would think. Plus hardly ever have any problems with the roller set ups.

 

Going off the recommendation of a Ford guy. Can't find anyone local to do the work ,so it looks like a roller cam is going to be the way I have to go.
He builds a lot of flat tappet solid lift pulling truck motors that turn some very high rpm's in classes that don't allow roller cams and have limited cubic inches. Seems to be a common practice with big block Ford's.