Astral Traveller - 1951 customised split-screen Morris Minor

[quiraing]

This car was customised in Scotland around 1974 with a 289 V8, totally new chassis, and E-type Jaguar irs. It attended custom car shows of the day and was in the custom magazines. Spent some time locally from early 80s to maybe early 90s. Was never officially on the road after being modified. Wine candy-apple red with light cream coloured vinyl roof, dark side-windows, roof-spotlight, and wide Wolfrace slot-mag wheels. Massive amount of work went into this car.

Anyone remember it or know if it's still around or have any info at all?

[guru_1071]

i think ive seen a thread on this on retro rides

it looked a beast

in fact here is a link to it

great looking car!

http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1850.html&high...

Edited by guru_1071 on Tuesday 27th November 18:16

[quiraing]

guru_1071 said:

i think ive seen a thread on this on retro rides

it looked a beast

in fact here is a link to it

great looking car!

http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1850.html&high...

Edited by guru_1071 on Tuesday 27th November 18:16

Hey, now that is interesting. Will have look through all of the pics. Remember it locally from around 1984. I remember the "one-legged-man" driving-position. Think it had a respray and "sunroof" around then. Was local between 2 owners from around 82/83 till maybe 90 /92.

For a custom-car of it's time in the early 70s it was a great imaginative build.

Ps - a mate and myself polished those wolfrace wheels with wet-&-dry and T-cut in the summer of 84 when we were 16, and just left school, for the neighbour-owner, and I remember painting the slots in gold. It had a 289 V8 in it then and it was LOUD on virtually open pipes.

Edited by quiraing on Thursday 29th November 20:42

[plastic orange]

It's sitting in my garage just now waiting it's turn at being rebuilt. The shell is in remarkable condition, but the running gear isn't.I have prepared the shell for coming off the chassis and stripped out all the wiring and interior (chewed by rats). I'm not 100% sure what direction I'll be taking with it, but it will still be recogniseable when completed. I visited the builders during it's construction and was there when it fired up for the first time.
See here for further info:
http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1850.html

Pete

[Flares&Chestwig]

Loving the Heath Robinson under bonnet light

[plastic orange]

A genuine 70's map reading light - now in the bin.

Pete

[quiraing]

To Plastic Orange.

Note the 289 Ford V8 had SU-carbs on a fabricated manifold. Interesting combination.

I still remembered all the different parts used on this car without seeing the thread. Think the dash clocks were MGB IIRC. Not sure how efficient the slim Standard radiator would be. The chassis was like the Forth Road Bridge.

Car did a smoky burnout in the then-owner's garage - left foot on brake and floor the throttle - tyre rubber was on the floor for years till garage was taken down.

It's a great period classic customised car, a real classic. Good luck wi yer plans. Would be good to see Astral on the road.

Edited by quiraing on Saturday 1st December 19:05

[plastic orange]

The original rad has extra cores in it, but I don't think it's enough. The engine doesn't sit where I'd like it, so will be re positioned. The carbs and inlet were last seen at an autojumble many years ago - 2 inch SU's.

Pete

[quiraing]

Have some old photos (somewhere!!!) of Astral around 1984. Will have a look and post if I find them. Do you already have history from 80s?

[plastic orange]

I know the build history of the car, then after winning various shows (1974 and 1975)it was left in a yard in Milnathort for a while. Dunc Wood (joint builder with owner George Watt) got it back (early 80's) and did a general tidy up - flatted the cracked paint and put it in primer. At this time I offered to buy it, but he sold it to a friend of his in Keith. I tried tracing it's whereabouts after this and basically couldn't and had been told it went to the Inverness area and was fitted loosely with a Rover V8. I then heard it was scrapped - and that parts (including inlet manifold) were sold.
It then appeared as if by magic on ebay a couple of years ago and I bought it (not that I needed another V8 Minor). The person I bought it from had owned it for a long while and had refitted a Ford small block to it (302). He tried to register it, but for some reason didn't know it's correct reg number, nor did he know any of the history of the car. He said he was to get a Q plate for it, but when I went to get a V5 from DVLA, they had no record of this - despite it being issued with a chassis number and a letter from dvla rejecting an appeal for the reg number he thought it should have.
The local DVLA office said that it's original number has not been reallocated and that I should get this back. I have managed to get a heritage certificate to prove it's authenticity, plus copies of the mags it was in in the 70's. I'll have to wait to get it ready for the road before I can get a V5 for it though. I've been assured that because of it's build date I won't have to jump through the BIVA hoops.
Therefore, if you can fill in the missing 80's onwards it would be much appreciated.

Pete

[v8will]

Watching with interest!

[martin mrt]

Just read the linked thread, very interesting, i will be watching this closely

[plastic orange]

I'm sure the front tyres are the original ones, but the rears certainly aren't - too narrow.
I'm not sure when I'll get on with the project again as I've got a 1950 mm series with chevy LS1 engine fitted which is nearing completion, plus a fiat twin cam minor which i'm at the final welding stages. Once these are done I'll have the body off the chassis to see whats what. Nice to get an update - cheers.

Here's links to my other minors:
http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1082.html

http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1083.html

http://mog.myfreeforum.org/about1084.html


Pete

Edited by plastic orange on Sunday 2nd December 10:08