Vintage Minor Register

Hello VG. Are we sisters or cousins? Hope to see you on the road sometime. Yours NG

HI NG

Hope you get well soon!

Vg

I started the restoration today!
So far so good, just a little woodwurm in easy to replace bits like floorboards.
The rest of the body seems to be in a good condition, and I'm now just taking the interior apart and taking lots of photo's.
I know my memory will let me down in 5 years so it's better to put it on a cd.
I'll post some pictures later this week.

Cheers Halbe

Halbe,
You'll have it finished by July then!

Here 's a few pictures.







Is it correct to assume that the body was finished in big parts ,then covered in fabric and then assembled?
Is this the original covering of the floor? There are also two small pieces in front of the rear seat.
On top of the floor is also some sort of blue linoleum.
Is July 2015 OK Chris ?

Halbe

Hi Halbe,
Looking at those timbers, the body 'frame' looks very good. Have you seen any wood (other than the floor boards) that requires replacing? As to your questions about the floor covering, I will leave that to the specialists to answer.
Now that we know that the body is sound, I'll 'accept' the Summer Rally 2013 for VG's debut!
By the way, using Trevor's method of naming cars by a cunning 'corruption' of their index letters, your car becomes Veggie! In slang English this means non meat eater.
Chris

I understand that the floor boards were covered in a lino type material, DF has a brown colour, although this is mostly very brittle and comes away in chunks when you touch the boards.

This is clearly a time warp car, the frame looks great, keep taking those pictures!

cheers
Jeremy

Hi Halbe

Very interesting to see the car as it unfolds its secrets.

I am also interested to see that the dashboard is covered with fabric ! Does it look to be the same material as the body covering ?

My '28 fabric saloon has a polished wood dash.

Regards

Tony G

Hi Halbe, NG 850 also has/had a fabric covered dash and looks like yours. Alas it had been punctured by so many screw holes where 'things' such as ashtrays had been attached plus a couple of 'glove box' holes that I am replacing it. Also the wood itself had been attacked by those vicious worms along with the rest of the body. Yes there are the remains of lino type stuff, blue, on the floorboards but it disintegrates at touch. I find your photos encouraging although envy for such a complete vehicle is beginning to creep in.

Halbe,

Great photos - I can't wait for a copy of the CD!

I have a photo somewhere of fabric saloon ash frames being constructed in massive wooden jigs, which should answer one of your questions. My tourer VF 6700 had blue linoleum covered floor boards - the chap who restored it before me bought some and stained it blue to match the blue bodywork. I have several old floorboards in my reference collection and they are variously covered in blue or brown material - the two body colours offered at the time. Yes, I believe all the early cars should have fabric-covered dash boards.

Great work!

Interesting comment about the lino being the colour of the coachwork, blue or brown. Does that mean DF's bodywork should be brown rather than maroon? Or should the floor boards be a different colour?

cheers
Jeremy

Good question Jeremy. Maroon was a 1931 season colour, but your example is a 1930 season body, and the 1930 colours were 'dark brown over brown' so I'd say your lino should be brown. Further, the body on your car is a very early one (P040 - September 1929 or thereabouts).

To answer one more of Halbe's questions, yes, the carpet in the front is original!

Minor fabric saloons under construction at Cowley:

Right. Where do I get a pinny and flat hat? I went round Abingdon in 1960 and the MG line was not a lot different. Fabulous picture and if I can upload a picture of NG850 woodwork you will see how fortunate you are Halbe.

try the freemasons!!! details on "how to" for photos are on the forum, under chris or Trevors our cars, or maybe under the one saying who we are. I'm off to try and advance the saloon cause.