Vintage Minor Register

This report just in from Ewan Lambess in Lochinvar, Australia

Y329 is now stripped to its bear chassis or should that be two chassis ( front & rear). As usual all the shackle hangers are in need of repair,shackle pins totally worn half way thru,all springs need major work with two main leaves broken. I can see why they modified the diff housing as the axle tube has broken at some stage & has been brazed back together.The axle shaft has been welded back together, thinking maybe a longer shaft has been cut down as it is a really neat weld about 3 inches in from the hub. The rear wheel bearing hubs have much larger wheel studs as it would appear the original studs must have broken off.
Looks like I have my work cut out for me on this one.

By gum, there are some brave restores out there! Looks nearly as daunting as the 'Out of Africa' restoration!

I am not too sure which is worse................this car or mine.
Anyway if he needs any help or any parts put him in touch with me as I am in Oz as well
Regards
Bruce

Thanks Bruce for the kind offer of parts, at present i have the chassis ready to weld back together.Once that is done i'll rebush the spring hangers but at this stage one step at a time Regards Ewan

Hi Ewan
When I picked my car up it came with heaps of parts. Possibly enough to make 2 cars allthough one of the chassis is as bad if not worse than yours. I would be interested in hearing how you have gone about repairing tour chassis, because the badly rusted one I have is matching numbers with the engine in the car, so would love to keep it all together and possibly make an M type out of the bits and pieces that are left over.....................one day.
Bruce

Hi Bruce, If you want to use your best chassis i would do as Ian suggests and swap the dumb iron with the chassis # over. I have just drilled out the spring hangers and pressed in some bronze bushes i got from cbc bearings @ $6.00 each. Next i nead to cut out a couple of rusty areas and weld in some good metal then weld the back half to the front. Oh well ever so slowly ........ Ewan

Well done guys - you will both receive your rewards in Heaven for your Herculean efforts.

Latest image of Y329 from Ewan just received, showing tremendous progress. Here we see Y516 watching Y329 getting rebuilt as it may have done 80 years ago in Melbourne motor body works. The frame is complete, just one more door to be made then it's time to skin it.

More progress by Ewan - ash frame complete and ready to skin.

Latest progress - paneling under way on the nearside. Ewan reports that it has just been so hot in NSW that it is impossible to work in 40 deg heat.

Ewan also reports that he is going to the Morris Register rally at Goondiwindi, Queensland at Easter this year, and there are already six Minors entered.