Rear shock absorbers.
Moderators: Ian Grace, Will Grace
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Rear shock absorbers.
While I intend to fit Andre Hartford to the front of my 32minor I would like to fit a pair of modern hydraulics to the
rear.Has anybody done this and if so what type did they use. It has been suggested to me that fiat 600 may do the job. Regards all. Mike Stubbings
rear.Has anybody done this and if so what type did they use. It has been suggested to me that fiat 600 may do the job. Regards all. Mike Stubbings
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Mike,
I can't say I have seen the arrangement you propose. I have seen hydraulic shocks all round but have never driven or been in a Minor with them fitted. Hartford shocks are very effective on my Minors and dampen the bumps well. What is the thinking behind your proposal?
Chris
Welcome to the forum!
I can't say I have seen the arrangement you propose. I have seen hydraulic shocks all round but have never driven or been in a Minor with them fitted. Hartford shocks are very effective on my Minors and dampen the bumps well. What is the thinking behind your proposal?
Chris
Welcome to the forum!

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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Chris,
I am fitting Hartfords on the front but it has been suggested to be that it gives a better ride. I am also a Riley man and had that set up on a Riley I had. Regards Mike.
I am fitting Hartfords on the front but it has been suggested to be that it gives a better ride. I am also a Riley man and had that set up on a Riley I had. Regards Mike.
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
A nice set of teles on the rear sounds great, also being on the rear they are not obvious and the "right" ones must surely improve the ride. 

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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Unfortunately I don't have the other drawing showing the set up at the rear of the car, this image shows the front axle set up on a Series I / II Morris Eight, which has similarities to a Minor. I believe the telescopic dampers - part nos. O - 1954 or O - 1049R or R1609 were early mini. The original shockers on the Eight's were of course Armstrong Pear Shaped Dampers.
Click on thumbnail for full size.

Click on thumbnail for full size.

Last edited by 1936morriseight on Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hello Mike,
Good to hear you on line. The 10/4 tourer you did for me in 197? still looks good and in the hands of MR chairman I think up North. Do you still have your Flatnose?
Re the shockers, I found that with my '34 Minor the pear shaped ones were worse than useless and the Armstrongs likewise.
The Smiths absorber is good but I ended up putting lever arm ones from the rear of a Minor 1000 on.......they looked better than tele's and worked very well.
Regards,
Paul.
Good to hear you on line. The 10/4 tourer you did for me in 197? still looks good and in the hands of MR chairman I think up North. Do you still have your Flatnose?
Re the shockers, I found that with my '34 Minor the pear shaped ones were worse than useless and the Armstrongs likewise.
The Smiths absorber is good but I ended up putting lever arm ones from the rear of a Minor 1000 on.......they looked better than tele's and worked very well.
Regards,
Paul.
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Paul,
I hope all is well with you and the family. Thanks for the comments on shock absorbers, will look into it. Yes I still have the flatnose Oxford and the one owner 29 folding head Cowley and the Riley March Special and of course the latest purchase the 32 minor 2str. I am still in the same place so if you are passing drop in.I have retired from coachbuilding and I am hoping to get my cars finished after years of getting others on the road. Best Regards Mike.
I hope all is well with you and the family. Thanks for the comments on shock absorbers, will look into it. Yes I still have the flatnose Oxford and the one owner 29 folding head Cowley and the Riley March Special and of course the latest purchase the 32 minor 2str. I am still in the same place so if you are passing drop in.I have retired from coachbuilding and I am hoping to get my cars finished after years of getting others on the road. Best Regards Mike.
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Morning Mike,
I would enjoy seeing a picture of both your 32 Minor and thr Riley March special. I also had a Freddie March designed body on my '33 Aero Minx.
Chris
I would enjoy seeing a picture of both your 32 Minor and thr Riley March special. I also had a Freddie March designed body on my '33 Aero Minx.
Chris
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Good Afternoon Chris,
I will post some pics as soon as I can master the art of getting them thro to this site. The Minor was the one sold at BCA auction last July. Ian has some pics maybe he could load them.The March has been a total rebuild after finding it in a barn in deepest Sussex. I had already rebuilt 2 of them for customers so I knew what I was about. They built versions on the Minx,Hornet and Riley. They also built a nice version on the AC although I do not think it was called a March special. I have worked on the Wolseley Hornet one but never the Minx. I had a friend who had one in the fifties, at the time I was running a Super Minx Sports Tourer, I was told years later that only three of them were built. One was owned by the Le Guiness family
of KLG fame.I was asked to rebuild the one they owned. At the time I was far too busy and unable to take it on. It was a four str tourer with double scuttle humps and fold flat screen and cut away doors. Regards Mike
I will post some pics as soon as I can master the art of getting them thro to this site. The Minor was the one sold at BCA auction last July. Ian has some pics maybe he could load them.The March has been a total rebuild after finding it in a barn in deepest Sussex. I had already rebuilt 2 of them for customers so I knew what I was about. They built versions on the Minx,Hornet and Riley. They also built a nice version on the AC although I do not think it was called a March special. I have worked on the Wolseley Hornet one but never the Minx. I had a friend who had one in the fifties, at the time I was running a Super Minx Sports Tourer, I was told years later that only three of them were built. One was owned by the Le Guiness family
of KLG fame.I was asked to rebuild the one they owned. At the time I was far too busy and unable to take it on. It was a four str tourer with double scuttle humps and fold flat screen and cut away doors. Regards Mike
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Mike,
Here are a couple of period images that might interest you:


In my humble opinion Freddie March designed some of the prettiest bodies of the mid thirties. Top image is of the March Minx.Apologies for not only being way off topic but also in the wrong thread!!
Chris
Here are a couple of period images that might interest you:


In my humble opinion Freddie March designed some of the prettiest bodies of the mid thirties. Top image is of the March Minx.Apologies for not only being way off topic but also in the wrong thread!!
Chris
Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Can I just say that I put a couple of those pear shaped ones on the front of the 32 Minor bitsa I had many years ago. They worked a treat, in fact I thought they were better than Hartfords. I guess it just depends on whether you can find some that aren't worn out. Last year I bought a couple of 8 rears on ebay which was a real gamble, but they seem to be in working order. I need two of the connecting rods though if anyone has any.
Regards
Ian
Regards
Ian
Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Mike, I've just posted a reply on the other posting for your shocks! You will see I've mentioned the same as someone else-the luvax type but thought they were on later 8s as well as the postwar cars.
if it's got wheels or chips - it'll cost you dear
Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Mike, nice to see you on the forum . Hope the cars coming along well. I have the remains of a special built on a lwb chassis
in the 50's. It had luvax? type shocks on it, the 8 type common to lots of vehicles where there is a fixed resevoir and a link arm. Though these aren't bang up to date they are a giant leap forward from our rather primitive types! I think I have some of these somewhere and I believe they are easier to have reconditioned. What type do you have? If you want to part with them I would be interested as none of my minors have the same shocks on them Toby
Blimey, managed to lift my reply, alluded to above, and put it here. It's not rocket science but sometimes as a manual worker, with few IT skills, I amaze myself!!!
in the 50's. It had luvax? type shocks on it, the 8 type common to lots of vehicles where there is a fixed resevoir and a link arm. Though these aren't bang up to date they are a giant leap forward from our rather primitive types! I think I have some of these somewhere and I believe they are easier to have reconditioned. What type do you have? If you want to part with them I would be interested as none of my minors have the same shocks on them Toby
Blimey, managed to lift my reply, alluded to above, and put it here. It's not rocket science but sometimes as a manual worker, with few IT skills, I amaze myself!!!

if it's got wheels or chips - it'll cost you dear
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Toby.
I do not have any as none came with the car, I am fitting Hartfords to the front as I have a suitable pair, as the rear do not show I thought I would fit some tele,s its just finding the right ones. Mini are to long. I have Luvax on my 1930 Oxford they where fitted as original. I am looking for four brake shoes for the minor, the cast ali type if you have any.Regards Mike.
I do not have any as none came with the car, I am fitting Hartfords to the front as I have a suitable pair, as the rear do not show I thought I would fit some tele,s its just finding the right ones. Mini are to long. I have Luvax on my 1930 Oxford they where fitted as original. I am looking for four brake shoes for the minor, the cast ali type if you have any.Regards Mike.
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Re: Rear shock absorbers.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the pics !
They certainly were some pretty bodies. The lower pic is one of many taken by Monty Bowers who took many of the promotion pics for firms around the London area. I have seen many of his Riley March ones.
I had a chat to Monty some years ago, he was in 80s then. After he died the whole fantastic collection was
auctioned of and went for some amazing sum of money. There seem to be a number of Marches with the YY reg. A friend of mine in Ascot has one it is YY7575.Another chap I know has one his is YY7668.There was a March Minx on ebay a while ago. Had been messed around a bit,maybe you saw it. We really have lost the thread but it is interesting losing it. Was that your Minx by the way. The current earl of March had one but sold it a few years ago.He now has one of the AC versions. Mike.
Thanks for the pics !
They certainly were some pretty bodies. The lower pic is one of many taken by Monty Bowers who took many of the promotion pics for firms around the London area. I have seen many of his Riley March ones.
I had a chat to Monty some years ago, he was in 80s then. After he died the whole fantastic collection was
auctioned of and went for some amazing sum of money. There seem to be a number of Marches with the YY reg. A friend of mine in Ascot has one it is YY7575.Another chap I know has one his is YY7668.There was a March Minx on ebay a while ago. Had been messed around a bit,maybe you saw it. We really have lost the thread but it is interesting losing it. Was that your Minx by the way. The current earl of March had one but sold it a few years ago.He now has one of the AC versions. Mike.