Vintage Minor Register

Hi, I've just taken a look at the photo Joe has taken outside his pub, The Old Bull, in Inkberrow (a wonderful photo BTW) and noticed the long neck/reach of the handle. Is this an original factory item? The reason I ask is because the one with my 1932 Minor is much short and I find it difficult with the position of the cross-bar the number plate is attached to. Joe's looks so much better.

The original Minor handle - for both the OHC and SV Minors was indeed much shorter. With the OHC car you have to swing it behind the bumper, as you say. The SV Minors didn't have a front bumper, so not such a problem.

Which made me notice that Joe's SV car has been fitted with a bumper at some point! This one from a 193o or 1931 season OHC Minor (because it has the '360 degree' rounded ends - the 1929 models had '180 degree bends at the end).

I think the handle Joe has would be from a Morris 8, which did have a longer handle, so you might want to pick up one of them.

Thanks for clearing that up Ian, perhaps I'll have a look at Joe's set-up when we can meet up for the Spring VMR Meeting in May. If it's as good as it looks from the photo, then I'll have to start looking for an Eight starting handle. The number plate gets in the way with the short-handled one.

On the front chassis cross-member there is a riveted guide and the hole in it is usually well worn, as is the hole in the cross member itself. In previous restorations, I have drilled out and bolted on a new guide with little clearance between the handle and the hole. That way the handle stays quite straight when you are cranking on it and reduces the change of it coming off the starter dog and taking your knuckles off!

I could do with a quick release for the number plate crossbar so I can easily remove and refit if I need to hand crank