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

[Andrew1967]

More I think about it the more I am leaning towards OEW now for originalities sake ( )

As an aside, I heard the other day from a friend who runs his own Mini parts business that someone he knows recently paid 25K for a basket case Mk1 S

Will be moving onto the front end soon - got the screen pillar and roof to repair first

[WMU 211G]

Here's an idea Andrew - get hold of a cheap Mini model and paint it dark blue over surf blue to see how it looks...

[Peter Laidler]

I did that with mine with the different colours of the era WMU but the small models didn't really show it as it was proportionally. Did it with the larger scale SOLIDO models (I think that they're 1:16 or so). The body comes off, fully trimmed out inside and better still, the roof clicks on and off. I eventually opted for Tartan and Black. That was until a month later when Liverpool Police transport manager said those immortal words '.......if you paint it white again we'll give you everything you want to turn it back into a police car'. I replied, 'what do you mean by everything?'. He replied '.......... when I say everything, I mean everything'. So my mind was made up for me, by default!

[WMU 211G]

I've done it a couple of times using the Tamiya Cooper kit, I got a bit carried away with one of them and did a 'George Harrison' psychedelic paint job on it!

[Bertam]

Here's a quick and dirty, low-res approximation of Rivera over Surf on a 997 Cooper.. Used Rivera as I thought Trafalgar was a bit too dark here.

Best to squint a bit when looking at it.

[Andrew1967]

Thanks for everyones comments and views on the roof colour and special thanks to Bertams efforts to show me what it would look like in real life.

Having given it some serious thought, I think the roof will be going back to OEW. There's far too much work being put into this project and I really don't want the subsequent negative comments about the wrong colour roof from the ill informed.

Back to the job in hand... the past few weeks have been far too hot to do anything in the garage but now the weather is back to normal, I have decided to get back to it.

I was planning on doing the roof repairs first but the front end beckoned and I've decided to take the plunge !!!

So, I've had the replacement Mk3 Hornet bulkhead sandblasted and repaired the lower, outer toe board areas. There's some alterations to do but they will be done once the bulkhead is in place. The extra speedo pod nuts need to come off and the bonnet hinge mounts changed for the saloon type. Also need to change the lower dash rail for the Mk1 type at some point. The one from HOY is useable !

After a lot of thought what to do and how to do it, I have braced the upper dash rail and drilled locating holes through the lip on both the old bulkhead and the replacement, in the same places. I then cut the old bulkhead out and removed in one, rotten piece.

The new bulkhead has had the upper dash rail removed (this will be refitted at some point as HOY's is rotten) and then lifted up into place and the aforementioned locating holes used to .... locate ! Then I bolted the bulkhead up through the lower subframe mount holes in the new floor. I will now self tapping screw the new floor to the replacement bulkhead so I can fit the replacement subframe to begin the paneling.

Having measured everything before removal and after replacement, it all seems to be good. Plan is to fully black build the front end, including doors before welding anything. Lots of screws and clamps required.

Looking at that crossmember, could anyone have repaired that ??!!

[Andrew1967]

Removed and trial fitted ...

[java gt]

You are a brave man to tackle that and I'm amazed with your skill set.Was the new bulkhead a M Machine part and did it come assembled as it is.

[Andrew1967]

Case of having to really but it is a bit daunting Would be easier with a proper jig though, but having to work around that one.

I daresay my techniques and process won't meet everyones approval but I'm happy so far with it and there's always more than one way to skin the proverbial

It's a secondhand Mk3 Hornet/Elf bulkhead, purchased from Prof Peach a few months ago and so came fully 'factory' assembled. There's a few differences but nothing that cant be relatively easily altered to suit a Mk1 bulkhead.

[Dearg1275]

Andrew,

You make my restoration look like a walk in the park. Where did you drill the locating holes and how did you make sure they were in the same place on the old and replacement panels?

To Answer your question, I think you made the right move. That bulkhead crossmember looks terminal in the extreme.

D

[Andrew1967]

I'm never going to do one this bad again David, that's for sure.

I measured dead centre of the dash rail ashtray and measured and drilled centre of air vent screw holes. Measured/drilled same on donor bulkhead. All seemed to line up when offering old and new together

[Dearg1275]

Brave.

[Callum]

Great work Andrew, I know exactly how that repair feels!

DSC_1161.jpg

Good luck and keep up the good work

[Peter Laidler]

Phew......., Callum and Andy, you're both brave men taking that on....... Mind bogglingly brave......

[foxy52]

Removed and trial fitted ...

....OEW roof.. quite right to .. Mega [project Andrew..nice to see it comming along.. rgds Dennis...

[Andrew1967]

Quite relieved there is another madman out there Callum

I like your alternative mounting for the bulkhead rather as opposed to using the subframe. Like I said, theres always another way ...

Yep, OEW it will be Foxy 'Boring...' I can hear other say

[Highnumbers]

Pointless exercise, but have you (or Callum, for that matter) sorted out a list of what original shell components will remain once HOY is finished? It's an amazing feat of tenacity and skill, though the Ship of Theseus does certainly come to mind!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

[Andrew1967]

That has been talked about with Dad whilst in the garage on more than one occasion

Probably 80% will have been replaced BUT it is still technically (and maybe arguably) the original shell. I have not discarded the complete shell and replaced it with another one, that then needs a substantial amount of panel replacement.

I'll have the roof, the rear panel down to just under the rear lights, the rear parcel shelf, B posts, side panels down to the bottom of the windows ..... struggling now

So, not a lot, but it is still not a re-shell As mentioned previously, if the car had been re-shelled in the past I would not have contemplated such a massive shell restoration. That would have been total madness.

[trevorhp]

That has been talked about with Dad whilst in the garage on more than one occasion

Probably 80% will have been replaced BUT it is still technically (and maybe arguably) the original shell. I have not discarded the complete shell and replaced it with another one, that then needs a substantial amount of panel replacement.

I'll have the roof, the rear panel down to just under the rear lights, the rear parcel shelf, B posts, side panels down to the bottom of the windows ..... struggling now

So, not a lot, but it is still not a re-shell As mentioned previously, if the car had been re-shelled in the past I would not have contemplated such a massive shell restoration. That would have been total madness.

Totally agree. its the essence, not the actual content that counts. Well done for your persistence and your skill.

[Beatie]

Moving along very nicely Andrew
Yes as you quote 80% of the steel on the car may not of left cowley in mid 65 but it’s still HOY .
The honest and transparent restoration you are carrying out only adds proof to what you will end up with .
Shame our local lord of the rings does not offer this amount of transparency to the multiple S’s he has sold on over the last few years
A visit is in order at my local soon as the landlord has just added a mint 59 A35 to his bizarre beer garden furniture so always worth a pint , poke and a prod .