Vintage Minor Register

Ian,

Another enjoyable PWP, thank you for all the hard work you put in making this happen. The nav rally was fun as always. Looking forward to Pre-War Bicester next year.

MG1930

Yes Mini drums are drilled for four wheel studs. With luck they might even be on the same PCD as a Minor so one of them could be used. New holes would need to be drilled and this would best be done on a milling machine with a rotary table but when you are getting the drums so cheap it would be worth...

Just a thought; I found today in the garage what I believe to be the brake drum from an early Mini. I think it might be possible to machine them to suit the Minor. Worth a look. They are 8" dia. The best bit is they are only about £12 new.

Yes it is the crash box I am looking for.

Could some kind soul tell me what are the implications of swapping a MG M type three speed to a four speed crash gearbox from a Minor? Is the 4 speed heavier? Does the propshaft require shortening?

Ian
A very informative reply. If you don't find any SV drums then why don't you consider having a batch of cast iron drums made? A batch of two dozen might prove economically viable. I suspect there are many OHC Minors out there that would benefit from new, stiffer drums.

Hi Ian,
I have a couple of steel brake drums that came with a cable braked Minor front axle. I don't know if they are the same as the SV model though.
Regards
derek

Hello Ben, I can't help with hubs but I am sure you will find some. I suggest you might want to strengthen the wheel hub by welding on some gussets as shown in the pictures below. M type/Minor wheels are very prone to cracking at the junction between the flange and the central tube. The gussets help...

Really good weekend. The rally was great fun, paddock pleasantly full with some interesting vehicles. Enjoyed jazz band and barbeque, a few more stalls wouldn't be a bad thing.
One day I shall turn up in my M type! Looking forward to next years event. Thank you for all your hard work.

Just acquired a 9/44 ratio diff. The casing is stamped with a large letter M. Did M type diffs have this rather than the ratio stamped on?

Interesting. Since the M type weighs 10cwt, or around 500kg, it is comfortably under the 750kg rule. Personally I would not want to tow more than 500kg unbraked as even with a large car - Passat Estate - an emergency stop could result in a jack knife. That is why I suggest reducing the weight of the...

My engineering guru - who did all the work on my car - including extensive work on the gearbox, assured me that there would not be an issue with it. We decided that with oil level at it's recommended height, then there would be enough sent thrashing around within the gearbox to keep the gears and b...

Ian Lovely Newsletter, very well presented. The article about 'A' frame towing was interesting as I intend to make one myself at some point. I have towed trials cars using these devices for many thousands of miles and can confirm they do work well. I do have some advice to offer though: Unless towin...

Hi. I suggest you replace the wheel studs by drilling out the holes for the brake drum screws and then tapping them to 3/8" BSF. New studs can be made from screws- use grade R- with the head machined down. The plain part on the stud is made by drilling a hole in a bar , tapping a thread then tu...

Supercharging an M type would also make interesting reading. I was looking at a small Centric blower fitted to a Autin Seven yesterday on the Welsh Trial. It struck me it would not be too difficult to fit one to a M type.