Tim Rigney's 30-Year Morris Minor Restoration (Elsie)
A Minor Matter of Patience
Photo: A Minor Matter of PatienceA Morris Minor brought back from 38 years off the road over three decades
Tim Rigney documents the final stretch of a decades-long restoration of his Morris Minor, nicknamed Elsie, done with his family. The posts cover engine tuning troubles, valve stem seal replacement, a sump repair, interior and hood lining fitment, window glass installation, and the car finally passing inspection and returning to the road after 38 years off it.
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Engine 3
- Valve stem seals, cup type
Set of 8 replacement seals fitted to stop engine smoking, required three attempts to fit correctly
In the shops
Valve Stem Seal ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.65 USD - Replacement sump
Spare sump repaired, repainted and fitted after original sump developed a pinhole oil leak
- Sump seal kit
New bottom seal kit fitted when replacing the leaking sump
Fuel & Ignition 3
- Oil bath air cleaner
Original unit refitted in an attempt to correct carburettor mixture but did not clear the bonnet brace
In the shops
Oil Bath Air Cleaner ↗MGbits4U· £239.41 GBP
Oil Bath Air Cleaner ↗
Oil Bath Air Cleaner-Original N.O.S, ↗ - Paper air cleaner
Kept in place after the oil bath unit could not be fitted
- Carburettor seal kit
Fitted to fix a spinning jet nut and correct fuel mixture
Wheels & Tyres 1
- Wheel rims
Sandblasted and primed ahead of final assembly
Body & Trim 4
- Sound deadening
Installed as part of interior completion
In the shops
Under Bonnet Sound Deadening Kit ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £133.25 GBP
Bulkhead Sound Deadening Kit, 1 piece ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £19.25 GBP
Bulkhead Sound Deadening Kit, 2 piece ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £52.00 GBP - Carpets
Fitted during interior completion stage
- Front and rear window rubbers
New rubbers ordered and fitted with the glass installation
In the shops
Body Rubber Kit (Heated Rear Window) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $988.87 USD
Body Rubber Kit (with heated rear window) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $1,051.99 USD
Body Rubber Kit (without heated rear window) ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $946.79 USD - Front and rear window glass
Fitted by a professional installer, with rear glass swapped for a slightly different pane that fit correctly
In the shops
Front Window Glass Channel Felt ↗James Paddock Ltd· £4.65 GBP
Door Window Glass Rubber Insert ↗
Black Mohair Hood with Heated Glass Window ↗
MX5 City· $931.26 USD
Interior 4
- Front seat webbing
Replaced on the front seats during tuning phase
- Hood liningEngland-based supplier
New lining ordered from England and fitted with bows and timber panel transplanted from the old lining
- Door cards
Fitted during interior completion
In the shops
Rear Door Cards, 4 DR ↗
Techno Toy Tuning· $140.00 USD
Door Cards (TE27 Corolla) ↗Techno Toy Tuning· $195.00 USD
N20 Hilux Truck Door Cards ↗Techno Toy Tuning· $175.00 USD - Pillar trims
Fitted during interior completion
In the shops
Roof/Pillar Trim, Used, Left Hand ↗
A Post Trim Panel - Upper (Windscreen Pillar) - Left Hand (LH) - Ivory | Genuine Land Rover EMB500252NUG ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $138.75 USD
Electrical 1
- Speedometer/odometer uniteBay seller
Second hand unit sourced to replace one with a missing odometer drive tooth, cleaned, re-magnetised and recalibrated
Tools & Workshop 3
- Home made valve spring compressor tool
Originally built for a Lancer in the 1970s, used to remove valves for seal replacement
In the shops
Sykes Pickavant Valve Spring Compressor Tool ↗
Mini Sport· £46.78 GBP
Tapered Piston Ring Compressor Tool ↗
MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £84.99 GBP - Commercial valve spring compressor toolLocal independent tool store
Purchased from a local tool store to successfully reinstall valve springs
In the shopsSykes Pickavant Valve Spring Compressor Tool ↗Mini Sport· £46.78 GBPTapered Piston Ring Compressor Tool ↗MazSpec MX-5 Spares & Accessories· £84.99 GBP - Home made cylinder pressurising adaptor
Used to connect cylinders to an air compressor and hold valves up during seal work
In the shops
Front & Rear Wheel Cylinder Adaptor ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $28.99 USD
Photos
40 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from A Minor Matter of Patience. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
Back on the road
After 38 years unregistered and 32 years of off-and-on work, Elsie passed inspection and returned to the road. The owner thanks his family for their patience, especially over the final three years, and reflects that the project cost around $20K and 2000 man hours, done purely for the love of the car rather than profit.
Carby and air cleaner troubles
Final tuning attempts to refit the original oil bath air cleaner failed because it fouled the bonnet brace, so the paper air cleaner was kept. Stripping the carburettor revealed a spinning jet nut; a new seal kit fixed the mixture issue and stopped fuel spitting from the exhaust, though smoking continued.
Valve stem seal saga
Suspecting worn valve stem seals after 25 years of sitting, the owner fitted new cup-type seals using a home made spring compressor and a borrowed tool from a local shop. Seals failed twice, first from leaving in oil shrouds, then from not seating them fully, before a third attempt succeeded and smoking stopped.
Sump pinhole leak
During tuning a pinhole leak was found in the sump, pouring oil at an alarming rate. A spare sump was sourced, repaired, repainted, fitted with a new seal kit, and installed. This also allowed an inspection of the bottom end, which looked pristine despite decades of storage.
Speedometer repair
A missing odometer drive tooth meant the speedo read low and the odometer did not turn. A second hand unit bought on eBay did not work either until stripped and cleaned. The magnets were re-magnetised with a home remedy using wire and a car battery, restoring accuracy enough to pass rego.
Interior and hood lining completion
Trim, sound deadening, carpets, seats, door cards and pillar trims were all fitted, marking near completion of the interior. A replacement hood lining from England fit correctly this time, with the bows and timber panel transplanted from the old lining in under an hour.
Window glass installation
A professional installer fitted the front and rear glass with new rubbers. The front went in with some difficulty to the chrome locking strip. The rear glass would not fit until a second, subtly different pane of the same part number was tried, which then pushed into place easily.
Wheels and final prep
Wheels were sandblasted and primed as the project moved toward completion, alongside the final touches on interior trim and glass before registration.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at A Minor Matter of Patience ↗
Worth knowing
- When switching to cup type valve stem seals, leave out the old oil shrouds or the seals will fail.
- Cup type valve stem seals must be pushed fully past the guide notch or the spring will pop off under compression.
- Two parts with the same stamped part number can still differ enough in size to prevent a proper fit, as happened with the rear window glass.
- Window glass installation on a Morris Minor is best left to a professional due to the tight tolerances involved.
- A sump that has sat unused for decades can still develop a pinhole leak, so inspect it even if the rest of the bottom end looks fine.
- Re-magnetising old speedometer magnets with wire and a car battery can restore a marginally working unit.