Vintage Minor Register

VG 2007

As a new member of this register ,let me introduce myself.
My name is Halbe Tjepkema and I live in the Haque in Holland.
Being born into a motoring family left me without a choice for a hobby.
Together with my father, I really enjoyed restoring and driving the Aston Martin which I now own.
About 4 years ago I began thinking of a nice little restoration project.
After looking at several possibilities, I decided to go for this lovely Minor.
In my humble opinion, they are great little cars and very underrated.
With the help of Chris and Ian everything worked out great,thanks guys

VG2007 is extremely original, complete and a real treat to restore into an as original as possible fabric saloon.
It will take me at least 5 to 10 years to restore VG and hope that in the meantime I’ll be able to join the fun in England
Hope to see you in july

Halbe Tjepkema


Home

Welcome home Halbe, and congratulations on a wonderful acquisition!

Halbe,
That bottom photo is a very warming sight. The car looks to be positively anticipating a much brighter future!
I thought you would have the body off by now!!
Chris

Halbe,

Brilliant choice of car, the Minor is a car of great character I enjoy driving mine enormously and I hope that you will to. I look forward to a stream of restoration pictures and hope that the VMR and this forum can help solve any problems you have along the way.

All the best
Jeremy

Dear Halbe.

Amazing thing to do for such a humble vintage vehicle

If you enjoy restoring cars, and appreciate originallity (which you obviously do), I think you are going to be a happy man!

My Father and Granfather bought an OHC Minor Fabric Saloon from a Farm Auction in 1939, in Hampshire. They only bought it because they had bought 2 dozen chickens and could not get them home on Grandads Motorbike! My Dad drove it home although he was only 16 and reported that it was very underpowered, on removing the camcover all became apparent, no lobes left on the camshaft! A trip to a Newbury breakers found a good camshaft which Dad duly fitted, performance was much improved, but still to him seemed rather slow and painfull, as he was used to an early 20s V twin 1000cc Enfield Motorcycle he had bought!

The car was passed on to my Dads older brother and he used it to commute between Kingsclear and Portsmouth durring the early war years when he was on Submarines.

Most of the chickens were sold at the outbreak of War, the profit payed for the car, and the best layers were kept for eggs!

Only problem is no one kept a record of the registration or took any photos of the little black Fabric Minor! Though I doubt its around today!

All the best

David

David,
If the Fabric saloon was wearing its original black fabric - that would make it a 1931 season car. 1931 was the only year Morris offered an alternative to the universal Blue fabric.
Chris.
Source: Morris Cars - the fist thirty five years.

Problem is, most fabric bodies and Pytchley sliding heads on the later cars had received at least one coat of black "topping" paint by the time the last war ended. This used to smarten things up a lot but never seemed to do much to keep the water out !

Well done Halbe, never mind taking the body off, I would have been tempted to get her on the road as she stands! Mind you, thats because I find that investigation usually becomes a painful and drawn out process with no car to use!!! You're probably going to have it done before I get the saloon brakes done, now why did someone have to change to bl***y hydraulics? Anyway, good luck.

Dera Halbe, Like Toby I would just get the car running and see what it is like. I have driven many vintage cars in far worse condition than your saloon and driven them for ages. I am an old man - young at heart just like your father, and I have seen so many car taken apart and never put together again. Get it running and use it. Happy motoring, Alister.

Hello everybody,

Thanks very much for all the welcoming comments.
I'm sure I'll be having lots of fun with VG2007 and the register.

Now something else.
In this 1936 picture is my Aston just after it was rebuilt by the owners mechanic .
In the background is this little Morris .
The story is that the owners little sister took the car out for a joyride, and crashed BXO401 against a local bus.
The car was then repaired by John Skilton who got all the parts from the factory.
He was very proud of his work and took this photograph witch he gave us 20 years ago. It was stil in his wallet
He told us that the amount of the bill was the same as the price of this new Morris.
The place was Walton on the hill and I believe the garage was called Dowley and Warner.



Halbe

Gorgeous photo, Halbe. The 8 looks like a Series 1 2-door saloon. I'll contact Harry Edwards to see if it is still around, and let you know.

Dear Halbe, Super photo. I pass Walton on the Hill every day o0n my way to my golf club. A lot has changed in 70 years, I do not recognise thye long wall. The car could be parked in a pub or the garage (Posts with chain) I will ask some of the old timers if they remember the garage. Alister.

Hello Alister,

Here is a photo of the garage.
I have been there with the Aston ,so it still existed about 10 years ago.



The car was then owned by a W.E. Carr.
We do however have the complete history of BXO 401.The only thing missing is photographic evidence of her racing at Brooklands.John Skilton told us that he used to race there quite often, but we only have an entry list and some articles about the 1936 LCC relay race.
Maybe I should visit the Beaulie archives.

Regards Halbe

Halbe, I will check the garage tomorrow. This man Carr, did he live in Walton on Hill or that area? He may well have belonged to my Golf Club and we have records of passed members (Royal Automobile Club) It is worth a try. Alister.

Halbe, Went to Walton this morning and the garage is there just as it was 70 years ago!!The wall along side the road is just the same!! I have taken some photographs but will return early Sunday morning to take some more without all the modern cars. I have lived in this area all my lfe (72 years) and the name Carr rings a bell - Could it be Emsley Carr? He was the editor of The News of the World - a very well known Sunday Newspaper in the UK, he ended up the Chairman. His claim to fame for me as an athlete was The Emsley Carr mile throphy. This is still competed for although the mile is now 1500 meters. Emsley was famous, wealthy and I am sure would have raced at Brooklands - if this is the same man try the News of the World arcives. I will try and take a picture of my Morris against the wall for old times sake. Keep motoring, Alister.