37 Morris

MG Bryan wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

JThw8 wrote: The seller is the neighbor of a friend of mine. He's been trying to talk me into it for awhile. It was $3500, I gave him my opinion that the "rarity" angle was destroyed to the unoriginality so it was more on the "quirky project" pricing scale now. The $1900 is closer to reality, I had proposed a lower number (theoretically since I don't have the space for another project) and it was accepted so there's some room in that price. Since it's already unoriginal I think it's screaming for a Miata drive train personally. Not mentioned in the ad, but as it was described over on the Lemons boards "It looks like someone swapped in the whole floor from another car. and never attached it, so it needs a good deal of work."

Since you've seen it, how much rust are we looking at?

I haven't seen it, just going on descriptions from my friend and posts on the Lemons board but see my above edit about the floor.

I see. That sounds slightly worse than I had hoped.

If you are local it might be worth a look, I'm definitely not trying to discourage anyone from buying it just noting that the CL ad doesn't seem to have the full picture so this might best not be done as a "sight unseen" deal. It's also entirely possible the information in the Lemons thread is not completely accurate, it was initially represented as a Morgan after all :)

Honestly if I could scrape up the money I'd still consider it even with my project overload, its certainly a unique little car.

I LOVE THE LOOK OF THAT CAR!

I'll be very disappointed if I don't see a GRMer starting a build thread next week. If it was within 100 miles, I'd be on the way over right now.

I wouldn't think this car is unit body.

I wonder where the original wheels are?

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Wish it was closer and I had the money... If it has a Spitfire chassis like I think it does, I have a TR6 engine I could get access to. That would be an awesome hot rod....

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Maybe it was the later cars then, I admit I did about 5 minutes of research an no more :)

But it does seem as though they just stuck the whole thing on top of a Spitfire, probably explains the "floor not attached" part too.

JThw8 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Maybe it was the later cars then, I admit I did about 5 minutes of research an no more :) But it does seem as though they just stuck the whole thing on top of a Spitfire, probably explains the "floor not attached" part too.

It is definitely a body on frame car. If it's on a Triumph chassis, that would kind of ruin it for me.

MG Bryan wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Maybe it was the later cars then, I admit I did about 5 minutes of research an no more :) But it does seem as though they just stuck the whole thing on top of a Spitfire, probably explains the "floor not attached" part too.

It is definitely a body on frame car. If it's on a Triumph chassis, that would kind of ruin it for me.

Beats an MG chassis.

93EXCivic wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Maybe it was the later cars then, I admit I did about 5 minutes of research an no more :) But it does seem as though they just stuck the whole thing on top of a Spitfire, probably explains the "floor not attached" part too.

It is definitely a body on frame car. If it's on a Triumph chassis, that would kind of ruin it for me.

Beats an MG chassis.

Go play with a Massey Ferguson or something.

The Morris chassis would be a standard c-channel ladder affair, for what it's worth.

Ug, I did not need to know the $1900 has room in it.

As much as she liked it, I would not be surprised if she was down looking at today while I'm at work. That sort of car, she really likes.

If I didn't already have projects that have been languishing for years, I probably would bring this home. I like the lines too.

And I'll have you all know I'm quite tall for my height. When I stand up my feet reach all the way down to the ground.

I bet its on a Herald chassis.

MG Bryan wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Maybe it was the later cars then, I admit I did about 5 minutes of research an no more :) But it does seem as though they just stuck the whole thing on top of a Spitfire, probably explains the "floor not attached" part too.

It is definitely a body on frame car. If it's on a Triumph chassis, that would kind of ruin it for me.

Beats an MG chassis.

Go play with a Massey Ferguson or something.

I have seen more advanced suspension systems on horse drawn carts then MGs.

93EXCivic wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

MG Bryan wrote:

JThw8 wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I wouldn't think this car is unit body. I wonder where the original wheels are?

I agree with this. I am 95% sure those cars where frame cars. Looking at it I am betting it has a Spitfire chassis under it now (that is based on the wheels and engine).

Maybe it was the later cars then, I admit I did about 5 minutes of research an no more :) But it does seem as though they just stuck the whole thing on top of a Spitfire, probably explains the "floor not attached" part too.

It is definitely a body on frame car. If it's on a Triumph chassis, that would kind of ruin it for me.

Beats an MG chassis.

Go play with a Massey Ferguson or something.

I have seen more advanced suspension systems on horse drawn carts then MGs.

Which probably explains why I own ridiculously stiff coil springs and a set of traction bars.

Shesh. Wife leaned hard, so now I have to go look at it tomorrow after work.

She really likes the looks of this car.

Don (the seller) definitely knows little about it. Told me it has a french engine in it. I quit trying to ask him any questions, figured I'll just look and learn and see what I think.

In my most devilish voice "Do It.... Do It now."

foxtrapper wrote: Shesh. Wife leaned hard, so now I have to go look at it tomorrow after work. She *really* likes the looks of this car. Don (the seller) definitely knows little about it. Told me it has a french engine in it. I quit trying to ask him any questions, figured I'll just look and learn and see what I think.

There's a PM headed your way.

Get it. Get it running. Bring it to Carlisle this year.

foxtrapper wrote: Don (the seller) definitely knows little about it. Told me it has a french engine in it. I quit trying to ask him any questions, figured I'll just look and learn and see what I think.

Let the seller continue to talk down the price.

I went, I saw, I did not buy. And if I can ever figure out where phone is hiding its pictures, I'll upload them.

Morris body sitting on a Spitfire chassis.

If the idea of something like this as a custom/streetrod project makes your heart go thumpity-thump in your chest, this is probably a great place to start. This was probably actually running and driveable at some point, though far from completed.

The Spitfire frame was cut down and the center replaced with a box section to support the Morris body. The bodys floorboards were cut out of the rear to allow the Spitfire differential to fit. Firewall is a mix of Morris and Spitfire.

The Morris body is rough, but not hopelessly so. Big patch panel on the roof, palm sized rust hole in the right hand door, odd galvanized sheet metal patches for the odd cuts in the front of the hood, etc. But, I've certainly seen much worse restored or fixed up. It's basically there, and it's basically straight.

It's got seats, it's got front floorboards, it's got steering, brakes (hung, I didn't push the pedal), gauges, etc. And it's got a gas tank hanging by rope over the big hole in the back where the Spitfire rear end can be admired, and no rear seats.

If I had always lusted after this body style, and thought building a miniature street rod of this style would be cool, this is the place to start. Especially if you wanted a project instead of a kit. The whole car only comes up to my chest, and as a few people have pointed out, my chest isn't all that high off the ground. The lines all work, and much of the previous work was done and thought out.

Not all of it. There's some c-channel weirdness under the floorboards. The box section of the frame is lighter than I would like. Why the front hood sheet metal was cut the way it was, I don't know. Ugly box for the single ZS carburetor hanging off the hood. Big patch caulked in place over the roof.

The engine may be locked. Not sure. I'm effectively one-armed from some surgery at the moment, but giving the fan and belt a tug, I couldn't get the engine to turn. The distributor was pulled for who knows what reason.

I passed because I already have a zillion projects. And because it's isn't a body style that makes my heart flutter. And because it isn't one I could easily polish up and flip at a profit.

The neighborhood is a car nut's dream. A faded blue TR6 two houses up. A black Vette decomposing in the trees a few miles back. Lots of fascinating car shaped lumps under tarps and lurking in half collapsed sheds.

Oh well... better to have looked and passed than to have not looked and wondered...

Look forward to seeing you again at Carlisle in the venerable blue Spit.

foxtrapper wrote: The neighborhood is a car nut's dream. A faded blue TR6 two houses up. A black Vette decomposing in the trees a few miles back. Lots of fascinating car shaped lumps under tarps and lurking in half collapsed sheds.

This is also the neighborhood that Speedycop from Lemons fame lives in. If you had stumbled upon his "back 40" your head would have exploded. I know he has a few Ford Prefects a 38 Buick and countless other lemons monstrosities hanging around there.

Thanks for the update on condition. For me, for the right price (which would be considerably less) I'd buy it and ditch the spitfire bits and build a custom frame and hang a miata drivetrain off it. But $1900 for a tatty body shell is a bit too rich for my blood.

I was really hoping this thing would be on a Morris frame.

Hotlinked for all our terrible scheming needs ;) If I could get just the body for $500 I'd be tempted.

That is almost Gangster... (Not Gangsta...) Need to paint it black and stand next to it wearing a zoot suit and carrying a Tommy gun...