Thursday 5th July 2012

You Know You Want To: Morris Minor

Your summer convertible and track day toy, all in one

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I’ll be honest, delving into the classifieds for a Morris Minor wasn’t going to be my first action when writing a YKYWT. I much preferred the look of a Q2-equipped Alfa 147 GTA or a BMW 8 Series.

Stationary shot only one with the roof-up...

However, after being shown this particular example by Garlick, there was no other option. This clearly isn’t a standard Morris Minor. In fact it’s impossible to know where to begin with explaining the modifications made this car, such is the huge scope of the overhaul.

It’s built on a carbon fibre spaceframe for huge torsional stiffness (presumably never a Minor strong point) and is 178mm wider than an original car. The attention to detail and use of quality components is staggering; Koni adjustable dampers have been fitted at a reported cost of £300 a corner and 280mm AP Racing discs provide braking power at the front. The rear brakes are from a Sierra Cosworth, too, so you certainly won’t struggle to stop.

Those brakes will certainly be required in this Minor, as it is powered by a 190hp 2.0-litre

...but why keep it up when you can do this?

engine based on a Fiat twin-cam. We say ‘based’ in the same way as the car itself is ‘based’ on a Morris Minor; its extensive changes make it markedly different from the original. The engine is equipped with Kent cams, Jenvey throttle bodies, and brand new components everywhere, from the oil cooler to the crank.

The inside has also been subject to a meticulous update; there are Momo seats, Stack instruments and, particularly useful given the current prevailing weather conditions, a new mohair hood. Seemingly no stone has been left unturned in attempting to make the ultimate Morris Minor; we'v not even mentioned the bare-metal respray, the limited-slip differential, or the AP Racing clutch.

Heavily modified Fiat engine produces 190hp

Suffice to say the current owner has been enjoying his project; the advert displays photos of the Minor being used at sprint events and details of times at specific events (Harewood hill climb in 68.64 seconds, for example). It’s also run a 14.4-second quarter-mile, which must have made for quite a spectacle…

This Minor has undoubtedly been subjected to an extremely thorough and professional modification job, and would surely prove enormous fun as both a track and road car. Yes, it is £14,000, but you’ll never have to pay for a tax disc or an MOT, and it only costs the current owner £250 to insure!

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SPACEFRAME MORRIS MINOR
Price: £14,000
Why you should: It's a brilliantly wacky track toy/fun road car
Why you shouldn't: If you like your classics original, we suggest you steer clear

[Robmarriott]

I remember the build thread for this. Absolutely amazing attention to detail.

Was going to have a turbo at one point too

[peterg1955]

There's video of this car at Harewood hillclimb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6OBHu02MKU

Not sure about Ultimate Morris Minor though, anyone else remember Nic Mann's mental V8 Rover + turbo engined beast? here it is doing a quarter mile (near the end of the clip...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUu5eJPEigw&fea...

[gibbon]

Why would you not have to pay for an MOT?

[Charlie Michael]

gibbon said:

Why would you not have to pay for an MOT?

Pre 1960?

[Gemmaa]

Not for me thanks!

[Pothole]

Robmarriott said:

I remember the build thread for this. Absolutely amazing attention to detail.

Was going to have a turbo at one point too

He's been building 'different' Minors since he was a teenager. If I had the cash...

[gibbon]

Charlie Michael said:

Pre 1960?

Damn, seems like i've been living in a cave the last few months, a touch poor form considering i used to own a car made in 1956.

[joe_90]

Blank thread title...

[Some Gump]

Awesome. "Different" cars are always cool, but this is really at the upper etchelons of awesomeness. Imagine the look on the face of Porsche drivers as you lap them at a track day? Having a 4 pot also helps the stealth effect - the rover v8 drag car mentioned would be heard a mile off (and besides, cars that go round corners >>> cars that go fast in a straight line).

[sinbaddio]

Mental - surely more than £14k must've gone into it?

[arkenphel]

Awesome!


Needs a V8 though... :P

[2woody]

Not sure about Ultimate Morris Minor though, anyone else remember Nic Mann's mental V8 Rover + turbo engined beast? here it is doing a quarter mile (near the end of the clip...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUu5eJPEigw&fea...


[/quote]

+1 - that was THE car when I was a kid, probably did more ti fire my considerable enthusiasm than anything else.

Still remember the caption in "Motoring News" of the Nick Mann car lining up against an ex-F1 car at Brighton Speed Trials, which went something like "F1 - the ultimate in technology and speed, but not when beaten down a half mile by a Morris Minor built in a shed !"

[Jont999]

arkenphel said:

Awesome!


Needs a V8 though... :P

Agreed, with big-sidewall tyres on Cobra-style wheels.

[Veeayt]

Everything's perfect about this car. Except for the price

[Life Saab Itch]

Possibly the best use for a low-life (low light) Minor that I've seen.

Crying out for a turbo Volvo engine though...

[annodomini2]

There's a sleeper woody traveller that occasionally gets run round near me.

Unless you look at it from the rear or inside, you can't tell it's not standard, the quality of the work is amazing.

It's running a blown LS1!

Don't have any pics, sorry!

[Wild Rumpus]

I remember reading the build on this, but I was always puzzled as to why he stuck the Fiat twin cam it it. Not that it's a bad engine, but the same work on a newer engine like a Zetec, Duratec or Vauxhall XE would get a lot more power. Maybe he just had the engine lying around? Other than that the car is well cool.

[HowMuchLonger]

A few (morris) "minor" aethetic improvements:


Chopped + channeled (sp?)

[Stingercut]

If I remember correctly there was a programme around 15yrs ago about a Morris with a AM V8 Vantage engine shoe horned into it. Chap said it was close to 2secs to 60.

[soad]

Gemmaa said:

Not for me thanks!

Can't say it appeals to me either.
Nice project though.