FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Use this area to post details of your cars, your restorations, photos or rally reports.

Moderators: Ian Grace, Will Grace

Post Reply
amershamlad
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:15 pm

FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by amershamlad »

FL7665 on trailer having arrived at Hyde Heath.JPG
FL7665 on trailer having arrived at Hyde Heath.JPG (83.03 KiB) Viewed 5144 times
Just a quick introduction for FL7665 - my recently acquired 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer.

A brief but unfortunately incomplete history is shown below, with some involvement from our own Ian Grace who reported upon FL7665 in the Spring 2012 VMR Newsletter and attached some pics.
All these years later, having passed through various owners, it would appear her condition has changed little, since she slipped through Ian's fingers, apart from her being dismantled even further and the frame deteriorating so the body is splaying.

Chassis laid down 15/3/29
Tested 15/3/29
Body shop 15/3/29
Final road test 18/3/29
Despatched 21/3/29
Engine 4096
Tourer (4 Seat)

• Originally Peterborough registered
• Found in Corwall, when the building she was in collapsed - Previously owned by a local fisherman and Blue in colour (Original?)
• Part restored by garage owner, Dave Collins, Blowing House Garage in Penryn Cornwall (in 1980’s ?) - around this time Ian Grace located and expressed an interest in her, as reported in his later article.
• Sold on to Barry Hartley in Preston
• Present whereabouts requested within the Morris Vintage Register 1st edition in 2000 when it was incorrectly described as having a brown body (probably due to a poor photograph of it at a Cornish fair/show) current colour Maroon & it now has a hood/frame & side panels
• Acquired by Stephen Thomas, 22 Garden Drive, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1BX - Tel: 01889 358338 Mob: 07966 544603 jsautorepairs@aol.com jsjagspares@aol.com - Ebay seller js-autos-left-overs
• 7th October 2012 sold on Ebay by Stephen Thomas in Litchfield, Staffordshire for £4126 but to whom? Ian Grace (VMR) Credited by Stephen Thomas with information given in his Ebay advertisement
• 2014 - Purchased by Derek Tew (VSCC member & Archivist for British Motor Museum – Gaydon) as a restoration project by life & circumstances plus other commitments put it on a back burner.
Derek is a Wolesley Hornet and latterly a Frazer Nash owner and the Nash dominated his time and effort, leading to his descision to sell the Minor on.
• January 2017 - I viewed the Minor and the sale agreed
• 10th February 2017 – PB collected Morris from Solihull

Essentially, she is pretty complete, although I do have a growing list of items that I shall need to source, Ian having already assisting me with a few items.
My immediate aim is to establish what I actually have and what I need in order to start a rolling conservation, no doubt, in time, she may well be returned to her original Blue, but in the meantime she can remain in the Maroon that I found her.

I should be most grateful if any forum member has prior knowledge of this Tourer, that they share it, so that a more complete history may be put on record for everyone's interest.

Pics to follow
Ian Grace
Site Admin
Posts: 5035
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by Ian Grace »

Hi Paul, and welcome to the Register and the forum.

Hearty congrats on your acquisition. Tourers for restoration are thin on the ground these days - particularly early nickel radiator examples.

I look forward to tracking your progress, and I'm particularly pleased that you don't plan to pull the car into a million pieces - too many Minors have suffered this fate over the years, and most remain in this state!

Also looking forward to meeting at Prescott in July and handing over some small but vital components!

Ian
amershamlad
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:15 pm

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by amershamlad »

Thanks for your welcome Ian.

Also looking forward to Pre-War Prescott, catching up and meeting you and collecting those spares for FL7665.

In the meantime, some pics in date order;
FL7665 at Cornish show 1997 ish perhaps .JPG
FL7665 at Cornish show 1997 ish perhaps .JPG (26.4 KiB) Viewed 5141 times
Photo set 2.JPG
Photo set 2.JPG (85.16 KiB) Viewed 5141 times
Ebay pic when sold by Stephen Thomas.JPG
Ebay pic when sold by Stephen Thomas.JPG (38.56 KiB) Viewed 5141 times
1929 MM.JPG
1929 MM.JPG (111.68 KiB) Viewed 5141 times
FL7665 in workshop.JPG
FL7665 in workshop.JPG (112.78 KiB) Viewed 5141 times
Ian Grace
Site Admin
Posts: 5035
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by Ian Grace »

Paul,

The ash frame has certainly deteriorated since I last saw the car (and tried to buy it) in the early eighties. Do you have the bumpers? Or the spare wheel carrier?

Glad it has finally found a good home.
amershamlad
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:15 pm

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by amershamlad »

Ash frame is well and truly shot along the cills, where rot and woodworm has had an effect, the cills have sunk to the outside of the chassis, causing the body to splay at the top.
I currently have the body tied across the car between the side screen support holes to give it some support.

Yes I have Bumpers (front & Rear) and spare wheel carrier, will take and add pics
Ian Grace
Site Admin
Posts: 5035
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by Ian Grace »

Have you contacted Tony Gamble?

He recently made this ash frame:

Image
amershamlad
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 9:15 pm

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by amershamlad »

I have touched base with him over running boards, as mine are missing. He has kindly sent a drawing for me to make them up from and by return has asked for a drawing of my dashboard, which I have posted off to him this morning.

His frame looks fab.
Ian Grace
Site Admin
Posts: 5035
Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2006 12:55 am
Location: USA

Re: FL7665 - 1929 Minor 4 seat Tourer

Post by Ian Grace »

Great stuff. It's a pity we can't get enough interest together to have a small batch of frames professionally made.
Post Reply