Morris Register

[Toby]

Morris Register magazine has 2 mentions of the vmr this month, including talk of 100th Morris anniversay celebrations. Perhaps we should try and have a competition for the most vmr mentions in print. I certainly try and mention it whenever I can!

[Ian Grace]

Morning Toby, I'm just off to bed - talk to you tomorrow!

[Ian Grace]

So what are they saying about us Toby?

[Toby]

Just mentions by vmr members, but it does mean non vmr minor owners get to hear of us although if they don't use a computer it might be hard to find us! Have you updated the vmr details with cmm for the A - Z of clubs that they print monthly, plus their yearbook with all car clubs in? I noticed we weren't in the last one! It might be worthwhile taking a years ad out for the club?

[Bruce]

Hi
I don't know if this is of interest, but, I heard of VMR through the internet. However doing a search for VMR doesn't find you........... So I spent a couple of days trying to work out what VMR stood for. After trying a couple of different solutions which didn't work I came up with Vintage Minor Register. I had worked out the Vintage Minor or could it be Morris.........but couldn't think what the R stood for. I am also in the Alvis Owners Club and suddenly realised there is an Alvis Register. Hey presto the R might stand for Register. It did and therefore I found you. I have just purchased 2.5 OHC minors believed to be 1930 models, but will know more when I get them home. They are both Western Australia bodied cars in a very sad state but plenty of parts to complete them. Anyway now I have found you I will get the membershipo form completed and sent off. How long does the membership process take for us Aussies as i would also like access to the membership area.
Thanks
Bruce

[Ian Grace]

Hi Bruce,

If only you knew the struggle I've had with search engines and trying to add all sorts of html to web pages to get the damned internet to recognize us!

Anyway, thanks for the feedback and I'll not give up trying!

The membership process takes about 12 months - after you have referrals from three members in three differnet countries, after the FBI have carried out background checks and your credit rating has been verified.

No, actually, your membership number is 335! E-mail me the stuff asked for on the membership form, so I can update things straight away then just get a hard copy of the form in the post with your subs. Once I have your e-mail address, I'll send you the username and password for the website Members' Area.

Welcome aboard!

[Bruce]

Hi Ian
I sent you a message with my details a few days ago
Just wondered whether you had received it?
Regards
Bruce

[Ian Grace]

Hi Bruce,

Yes, I did get it - many thanks for all the info. Just been insanely busy the last couple of days. The transmission warning light came on on my (automatic) Mercury Sable and it went into 'limp' mode - stuck in second gear. All good fun. Turns out its an electrical issue - there are two solenoids in the tranny and the fuse had blown. New fuse - blew straight away, so there's a short somewhere. Give me a Morris Minor cog box any day!

Anyway, I'll get all yourt info sorted in the next day or so.

Ian

[Toby]

We've made it in again! P.4 report and photos of the Staggs auction. Vintage Minor Register website is credited for minor pictures and mention is made of the link to some of the prices!

[Ian Grace]

Woohoo! I'll warn my postman to expect a deluge of membership forms!

[Toby]

will try and make it 3 months in a row! I have got the automobile from about 6 years ago with your article in it, maybe you could prod them to do another article on the bedpan or Halbes when it's finished? Classic motor monthly also does club of the month...

[Toby]

Interesting picture spread of Marches transport festival. Several minors present, 34 blue tourer AOC 444, 34 tourerXVS 837 Cammy saloon Tk 6597 plus a 4 seater tourer in BRG, nickel rad & early wheels, SV9789-As I looked at the doors noting them to be similar to the later tourers I spotted 3 hinges... then realised what was different-the doors are higed at the rear so assume this is a converted saloon? A 4 minor turnout (plus any others not in photos!) is quite good methinks.

[Ian Grace]

No record of AOC 444
XVS 837 believed to be owned by Mr Adlard in Woking
TK 6597 is the ex-John Mepham SV saloon (registered 30/6/31)
SV 9789 is Richard Shucker's OHC tourer M15076, imported three years ago from the USA. All OHC tourers had rear-hinged doors with three hinges.

[Toby]

I suspect 444 is a reissue for a lost (sold?) number. You learn something new everyday although I don't see why the exports would benefit from a rear hinged door?! especially when this required deviating from the normal production and seems to have no appreciable benefit. Talking of lost numbers there was an interesting point in Old Bike Mart that reclaimed numbers are nontransferrable like the replacement age related but are the original, so why can't we have our originals converted into nontransferrable to protect the vehicles history? (probably to protect the income for DVLA )!

[Ian Grace]

Toby,

I think we are at crossed purposes on these hinges. Richard's car wasn't a special export model - it just happened to be shipped to the US post-war. What I was trying to say was that all OHC tourers (and 1931 season SV tourers) had rear hinged 'suicide' doors with three hinges. For the 1932 season, the doors became like the ones on the 2-seaters - with two front hinges - like your new tourer.

On your other point, I contacted DVLA some time ago to see if i could make the numbers on my cars non-transferrable. The answer was NO.