Vintage Minor Register

Toby kindly brought his patterns up to Prescott and I handed them to Ian Harris who is going to provide a quote for us - pulleys and shackle plates, chassis brackets and kingpins. I have a list of about a dozen interested parties. Once I get the quote I'll contact everyone to see how many sets to order.

Ian Harris has now analysed the patterns that Toby provided at Prescott and responded with:

"I do have an original, unused pulley (with Morris cast into the surface) that is used in both king-pin and chassis application on the later cars. Of the two you gave me, there was one correct to pattern - very worn and chipped - and the other was the one with the small centre hole. I don't know if you remember it? When I cleaned it up, the name 'Tewel' appeared. That's not a name I associate with Morris pattern parts and then, as I could see that this was a fabricated sandwich, I realised that there were two Tewel mud-guard repair washers brazed to a centre! No wonder the hole was not standard. Tewel provided boxes of assorted parts such as washers, bolts, split pins or rivets for the trade when they did 'real' repairs. I've discarded this as a pattern."

Fascinating!

Ian will now work up quotes for the pulleysshackles, kingpins and chassis brakets - we may well offer these as complete sets. I have intrest in about 12 sets so far, but we will have to see whether they all translate to firm orders once prices are known, and the fewer the orders, the more will be the price - so a bit of chicken and egg, as usual. More in due course.

More from Ian Harris:

"We progress, but slowly! My preferred supplier has been seriously ill and only just returned to part-time working this week. The first step has been to establish the best/most cost effective material.

From solid, Al bronze is the best - but furiously expensive. Phosphor bronze comes in more affordable. Brass even more so.

We are looking at making a simple mould that would give another range of materials and, with the quantity envisaged, be cost effective. Repeats in the future would be very easy too.

I had information from Harry which I was due to discuss with him about now. I'll be at his funeral on MOnday and will miss him as both a friend of 47 years and a valuable source of advice on spares."

Ian Harris reports good news!

"The SV Minor brake pulleys and swinging links are being made now. I find that Harry Edwards had in stock every type of cable that is used on the Minor in all its incarnations and I can supply them now. I'll let you know as soon as the pulleys arrive."