BEFORE AND AFTER

At times it is difficult to remember how Morris looked five months ago...but that's why we take photos. Probably the most significant change in the appearance of the car, at least at this point, is the engine bay.  

Although the engine and its related systems were virtually unmolested, it was quite obvious that it had never been restored.

As you can see, in the photo to the left, a great deal of attention has been given to every detail.  Every part has been cleaned and or repainted and every nut, bolt and clamp has been replaced.  

The original 1098 cc, single carburetor motor has been replaced with a newly rebuilt, modified 1275 cc, dual carburetor, period correct engine.  The horsepower has been increased almost twofold.  As many of the original parts as possible were restored and reused to preserve the cars authenticity.

The bonnet will be reinstalled on Monday.  Until then, our attention shifts to the interior of the car.

Enjoy...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

TRIMMING THE DOORS

Previously, Bill and I had fitted new rubber around the vent windows and new felts in the operating window channels.  Today, we installed the operating window and door latch on the right side of the car.  

Glenn was busy too.  He was fitting the water temperature/oil pressure gauge to the dash.

 He also fitted the new turn signal switch and horn button.  The new steering wheel will be fitted after the interior is installed.  

Tomorrow, we will be installing the left side door trim and the sound/heat mat on the floors.

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

FITTING THE BUMPERS AND GRILLE

Morris is beginning to resemble the beautiful automobile it was when it was new.  It is difficult for some to visualize the end result when restoring a car, but Lori and Bill and our team seem to have that talent.
Today, Glenn and I fitted the bumpers and grille.  Now, all that remains is the bonnet and the glass.

The grille and bonnet release mechanism was a bit difficult to assemble, but the end result is quite stunning.

Tomorrow, we will be fitting the door latches and windows.  We will also be installing the new Moto-Lita steering wheel and horn assembly.

I love this car...

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

ENGINE START-UP

The start-up went very well, with only a few issues.  The fuel pump, shown in the photo to the left,  appeared to be new.  However, it did not function properly.  Fortunately, I had one in stock that had been previously used on an MGB.  We installed it and Morris started almost immediately.  Tomorrow, we will replace it with a new one and continue the break-in.

The Morris Minor 1000 was not fitted with oil pressure and water temperature gauges.  Bill requested that a Smiths combination oil and water gauge be installed in close proximity to the driver's line of sight.  I had a new one in stock and we installed it today.  It was a bit time consuming, but the end result was certainly worth the effort.  

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

PREPARING FOR START-UP...CONTINUED

Today, Glenn and I spent the day going through the checklist and preparing the equipment for start-up.  

The accelerator cable, choke cable, fuel filter,  accumulator and radiator have been installed.  Also the necessary adjustments have been made to the carburetors and accelerator linkage.

Tomorrow morning, we will be initiating the start-up procedure.  Our engine builders, Paul and Ron will be supervising.

Are you excited???

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

PREPARING FOR START-UP

Starting a new engine for the first time can be quite challenging.  As you can see, there are many connections that must be made correctly or serious damage to the engine may result. Over the years, we have developed a checklist which prevents the omission of any of the critical procedures.

Shown in the photo to the left is the temporary installation of the radiator and its support.

As a bonus, I spent a few more minutes installing the grille and its shell just to make sure we like the color scheme.

Thanks for watching

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

INSTALLING THE LIGHTING

Occasionally challenging and frequently frustrating, the lighting system on a British car is usually time consuming.  As you can see in the photo to the left, the headlights and park lights have been installed and the wiring connected.

The taillights have also been fitted and connected.  Amazingly, when we connected the battery, nothing worked.  However, as it turned out, we were in the dark due to poor ground wire connections.  

All the ground connections are made to the body's sheet metal and obviously all those surfaces have been freshly painted.  Therefore connecting ground wires to the body requires additional effort.  We used star washers on all the grounds which pierce the paint and create an excellent metal to metal connection.

Stay tuned...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

MAKING CONNECTIONS

There are so many connections to make; fuel lines, carburetor linkage, heater hoses, cooling system hoses, heater blower hoses, and last but not least...wiring.

Pictured to the right is the electric fuel pump and the supply and discharge hoses leading to the carburetors.

In the photo to the left, you will notice the heater hoses, battery cables, cooling system hoses and starter wiring has been connected.

It has been an eventful week.  Last Saturday morning the paint was applied and we began assembling the drive train on Monday.  

It's coming together..

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843-338-2253

THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT

Now that the engine and transmission are in place, we are focused on the wiring.  The new wiring harness is a thing of beauty.  All the connectors are in the proper place and the wires are the correct colors.

The voltage regulator, flasher and fuse box have been installed.

The heater blower and horn have been installed and the blower tubes connected.  These are all original to the car and as you can see they are in exceptional condition.

I love this car...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843.338.2253

FITTING THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLDS

The exhaust manifold, which was made especially for the Morris Minor with the 1275 cc conversion, fit perfectly.  But as you can see, the header extends horizontally from the mounting flanges instead of turning down as most headers do.  

When we fitted the intake manifold, we realized that the heat shield would not clear the exhaust header without some modification.

After the alterations were made to the heat shield, the intake manifold and new SU carburetors fit perfectly.

As a part of the alteration, another set of spacer blocks were added to the manifold.  

Rock-n-roll...

Tom McCurry

Tommy's Topless Cars

tommystoplesscars@yahoo.com

843.338.2253