My new project - 1965 Morris Cooper S - HOY 500D

[Andrew1967]

If we can ascertain that HOY should have the peaked type, then I'd be up for that Toby

[Nick W]

I thought a 65 would have the flatter moustache??

[Andrew1967]

I need to get the parts books out

[Nick W]

I need to get the parts books out

I'm probably confused , I have about 6 moustaches, and all but one are the flatter type, all are chrome on steel I think. So I assumed the peaked one would be rarer, being from 59-62ish. I think I read this and presumed this from it
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4215&p=29541&hilit=Moustache#p29541
So I must have got it the wrong way around

[66Traveller]

The peaked one comes later - the first ones in 59 / early 60 were stainless steel with the flatter profile. This was followed by chrome on steel with the same profile (as on my 1961). I think the peaked ones appeared in late 1965/ 1966?

[Nevsmini]

Its a bad day when you don’t learn something new every day! Never knew this!

[Andrew1967]

It seems that there is no definitive answer or known changeover point from flat to peaked. Could have been a different supplier even ??

I'll be using what I have I think, a £1 bargain from an autojumble about 20 years ago

[Andrew1967]

Whilst having a short break from looking at, and trying to decide what to do with, HOY's original engine, I decided to fit the whiskers to the front panel.

I used some of 1071Bob's excellent whisker clips which utilise a small stud and nylon nut rather than the usual clips that are riveted on. Job done in a few minutes ... black build anyway.

Now must get back to the engine and gearbox.

The 333 'Q' gearbox should be fairly straightforward as it all looks in superb condition, even the usual suspect 232 laygear etc. I'll be taking out the Hardy Spicer diff and replacing with a rubber coupling. Would really like a 'Y' 333 box but no luck there. New bearings, baulk rings and seals etc should be the trick here.

The engine is more of an issue ... nothing that cannot be overcome but, as usual, more than one way to overcome them. Good news is that the crank at 20/20 is perfect and although the heavy duty shells are perfectly useable, I will fit some new Vandervell / Powermax shells.

[WMU 211G]

Good to see some more progress Andrew. My Mrs says the Morris Cooper grille makes them go faster than Austins, all down to aerodynamic flow she says...

[AndyPen]

Our standard original 66 Morris has the rounder type moustache - just checked

[InnoCooperExport]

I have just read through this whole thing and I am in awe. Absolutely amazing work! I can't wait to see how it progresses.

[Andrew1967]

Thanks for the comment Inno

I'll be getting back to the body prep over Easter but have been doing the engine and gearbox overhaul over last few weeks ... an update on this will follow.

[g111mds]

Little bit extra time on my hands this week, so have read through from the start too. Stunning work. I liked what you have down for the front bulkhead, and hadn’t thought of that for my pickup, so will see if I can find one.

[Andrew1967]

Thought it was about time I did an update ...

Although I am still working (my employer thinks we are essential ) and the workforce has been split into two and we are working 4 days on 4 days off, so I do have a little more time to do some work.

Over last few weeks, I have had the engine rebored to 60 thou, new cam bearings and the head and block lightly skimmed. The crank was excellent at 20/20 with almost perfect Powermax shells, which I did replace with new Powermax big end and Vandervell mains. Looking at the engine when I stripped it, it looked like it had done no work since a build. The valves on the 940 head were perfectly clean and it had obviously had the ports smoothed and bronze valve guides fitted, barring a tiny bit of soot on the exhausts. The bores still showed the cross hatch marks from a rebore. It had 40 thou Powermax pistons (albeit used ones) and a 649 cam. Unfortunately where it had sat for years, it had got a bit of water in no3 bore and had rusted the bore. I had no choice but to rebore what was basically a freshly bored engine !! Speaking to the parts department guy where HOY came from, he told me that the engine had come from a car he bought back in the 70's when his own road stage event car had pretty much had it bodywise, but had an excellent engine. He simply pulled the lump out and put his engine in the new car and stuck the engine in a shed. The guys he bought the car off had literally just rebuilt and put the engine back in the car and didn't use it, hence the condition I found it to be in. Oddly, it has been dated to Feb to May 65 by Simon N by the block number so, although it isn't, it could quite easily have been HOY's original engine. That is somewhere in one of his sheds - I WILL find it one day !

So, the engine is now coming back together and is sat on a 333 gearbox with an excellent S gear set, with a perfect original 22G232 laygear. NOS baulk rings and all new bearings have been fitted. The end floats have been checked and shimmed as appropriate. I used another diff (using the 333's 3.44:1 crown wheel and pinion) as the 333 was a H/S diff and HOY is rubber coupling.

I am now getting the body ready paint in the summer. I have 2 pack HMG epoxied the shell and then 2 pack Mipa high build primer, inside, outside, engine bay and boot. I've just finished sanding the outside and boot area ready for building the low areas with more high build. On recommendation from a couple of forum bodyshop guys, I am using Mirka Abranet sanding strips and Mirka sanding blocks with extraction. What a revelation ... this has been so easy compared to the old wet/dry method I have used in the past !! Thanks for the advice on this topic to Tim W and Nick W and also from Ian Matthews

A minor alteration was require in the boot area that Daz brought to my attention. The battery clamp on earlier cars had only one hole, but later cars had two. A quick cut with my 3" angle grinder soon had it looking correct.

So hopefully by the end of June I should have the shell in first coats of Surf Blue and probably the underside Raptored with Surf Blue tinting. Before I can paint top coats, I have to clear my garage though

[Andrew1967]

More pics

[Andrew1967]

Body pics !!

[Andrew1967]

And more ..

[RAX89F]

Some tasty work there Andrew,it’s all about preparation.

[roger mcnab]

mate you have done a fantastic job of bringing the mini back from near death it is amazing the effort you have done the before and after shots will be mind blowing a great job well done and a lot of skill
cheers roger

[Daz1968]

Superb, the stage of finishing welding the shell is a major step out of the way. Although plenty of challenges ahead,