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Post by valhalla on Jul 31, 2022 23:40:13 GMT 1
I have a new project on the way - I need to make space for it around the place, before I go and get it.
Not many of you will remember this one, and as far as I know, there may only be a couple of dozen left. This one is completely off-the-radar for any of the records for these, so it's going to be a big surprise for the register-keeper in the UK club. There were only around 75 of these made in the very first place, and it was a short-lived project very much out of the UK mold of its day.
I'll give you a clue. It has an A-series under the bonnet.
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Post by sorted on Aug 1, 2022 11:17:05 GMT 1
I remember reading somewhere that they did a mini tractor thing with a A-series based diesel, feels like that would fit in to your Croft quite well..
Struggling to think what else they may only have made 75 of.
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Post by rhyds on Aug 1, 2022 19:42:26 GMT 1
I remember reading somewhere that they did a mini tractor thing with a A-series based diesel, feels like that would fit in to your Croft quite well.. Struggling to think what else they may only have made 75 of. That was the BMC/Nuffield Mini tractor. Basically a diesellised A-series with an injection pump run off the distributor drive. They later came out with the Leyland 154, which used the BMC 1500 diesel as seen in narrow boats and Maltese Morris Marinas However, I think they did produce more than 25 of both kinds of tractors, so I don't think its that |
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Post by valhalla on Aug 1, 2022 23:38:42 GMT 1
Right, well, you're on the right track.
I'll put you out of your misery - it's a Jiffy........
This is what it looked-like last week, when myself and the Mrs saw it;
Despite the appearance, most of it is still there, and the cab (fibreglass) is not in bad condition at all;
It has been off the road for over 30years, and although there are only around 2dozen of these still left (out of circa 70 built), this is one that now adds to the "known" number. More surprising than anything else, this rarity is 2miles from my croft. As the Mrs fell in love with it at first sight (it was the same with me - found me in the garage.....), I felt compelled to "shake hands over the phone" with the present (temporary) custodian.
We started moving loose parts in/around it this lunchtime, but the main vehicle will have to wait until I have the workshop clear, and the plant-trailer coupled-up.
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Post by sorted on Aug 2, 2022 3:53:10 GMT 1
That looks really cute, I’d have that too if I found it locally!
What’s the plan? Full strip and rebuild or just get it usable?
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Post by rhyds on Aug 2, 2022 8:30:53 GMT 1
Oooff, now that does look like a fun project.
It somehow reminds me of those Kawasaki Mules and John Deere Gators you see around farms now. It'll be interesting to see how it behaves with weight in the back being presumably a FWD A-series.
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Post by Rhubarb on Aug 2, 2022 11:09:29 GMT 1
How old is this one then? Looks like fun. Be MOT and Tax exempt. Be fun and cheap to use locally when done  You can dodge motorhomes in it more easily   |
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Post by valhalla on Aug 2, 2022 22:35:37 GMT 1
That looks really cute, I’d have that too if I found it locally! What’s the plan? Full strip and rebuild or just get it usable? We are a little undecided at the moment. I'm all for going the Full Monty on the subframe, powertrain, electrics/harness, and main chassis, then assemble & see.
Mrs. V just wants it going......
It is certain that it will need the rear loadbed removing, and that will need to be overhauled as an assembly; the floor of the bed is sodden from where the garage roof has leaked-in, and it's only ply, so I will probably go down the 3/4" marine-ply route for that. The removal of the loadbed will allow us easy access to the rear frame, live rear axle (trailer-type axle, not driven) and springs (bespoke). As I have a fair bit of decent chassis-paint from the pre-War Rover project, I can afford to donate some of that.
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Post by valhalla on Aug 2, 2022 22:44:36 GMT 1
Oooff, now that does look like a fun project. It somehow reminds me of those Kawasaki Mules and John Deere Gators you see around farms now. It'll be interesting to see how it behaves with weight in the back being presumably a FWD A-series. I'm a bit confused about its kerbweight vs. gross-weight at the moment, but I think (not certain) that it's good for 1/2ton in the back. The rear end is very crude; it's basically the rear half of a trailer, and oddly enough, Bolton Engineering Services that built these vehicles became Indespension when the driving-force behind the project departed this world prematurely, and the partner/s did not want to carry-on.
I am reminded, of course, of that scene in Octopussy (what else, if not a James Bond reference....) with the TukTuk "company car" driven by VJ on its rear wheels only!!
The significant advantage of these is that it's just a Mini subframe, suspension, and powertrain at the front end. I'm informed that the popular way to service these vehicles is to just lift the vehicle off the subframe on the floor, thus giving excellent access to all the running-gear. I'm certainly going to bear that in-mind when I pipe-up and wire-up between the "power-pack" and the rest of the pickup - experience from lots of Defender chassis-up restorations comes into play here, as you can make life miserable (or easy) depending on which way you tackle the joints!
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Post by valhalla on Aug 2, 2022 23:00:14 GMT 1
How old is this one then? Looks like fun. Be MOT and Tax exempt. Be fun and cheap to use locally when done You can dodge motorhomes in it more easily I might need some help from this forum on this moot point; a lot of these are on Q-plate (being sold as kits to many customers, for use of their own decrepid Mini's) and I'm not sure about the legalities of "Historic" and "MoT-exempt" in the context of an old kit-build light-truck.
I believe, and I need to confirm this exactly, that this was registered on the 12th March 1984. It is called a "Morris Unknown", which is quite funny, but it has been off the road for 30years, hence no MoT history to-date.
It might suit us to get this on the road with a first-MoT whilst it is still within the 40-year timeframe, and that would assist with the validation of the vehicle for DVLA purposes. Clearly, the vehicle is well-and-truly on the system, and that helps a lot, as we will need to apply for replacement paperwork to get it in Mrs. V's name - all the original documentation has joined nature within the current, damp premises. From there, if we can get a 40-year MoT exemption and re-classification to "Historic", then that would be the ideal situation at this stage.
Part of the reason why I said "Yes" to Mrs. V's pleas to my weaker-side.......rich revenge on the campers and tourists in general. I very much want to get the A-series 1275 to the best standard possible, but I feel a cable-knob on the dashboard labelled "Make Smoke" & "Wheeze-Mode" for use on all the hills around here......could be a lot of fun...... |
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Post by sorted on Aug 3, 2022 6:54:11 GMT 1
I found this quite useful when working out how to get the MGB registered as historic as it’s been off the road since 1991. Looks like it will,need it’s first MOT on completion which is fine as I would,do that anyway. Some of the exceptions look like they may impact you- my interpretation is you can get free tax but may still need MOT’s…. www.footmanjames.co.uk/blog/how-to-declare-vehicle-of-historic-interest |
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Post by Rhubarb on Aug 3, 2022 7:41:44 GMT 1
How old is this one then? Looks like fun. Be MOT and Tax exempt. Be fun and cheap to use locally when done You can dodge motorhomes in it more easily I might need some help from this forum on this moot point; a lot of these are on Q-plate (being sold as kits to many customers, for use of their own decrepid Mini's) and I'm not sure about the legalities of "Historic" and "MoT-exempt" in the context of an old kit-build light-truck. I believe, and I need to confirm this exactly, that this was registered on the 12th March 1984. It is called a "Morris Unknown", which is quite funny, but it has been off the road for 30years, hence no MoT history to-date.
It might suit us to get this on the road with a first-MoT whilst it is still within the 40-year timeframe, and that would assist with the validation of the vehicle for DVLA purposes. Clearly, the vehicle is well-and-truly on the system, and that helps a lot, as we will need to apply for replacement paperwork to get it in Mrs. V's name - all the original documentation has joined nature within the current, damp premises. From there, if we can get a 40-year MoT exemption and re-classification to "Historic", then that would be the ideal situation at this stage. Part of the reason why I said "Yes" to Mrs. V's pleas to my weaker-side.......rich revenge on the campers and tourists in general. I very much want to get the A-series 1275 to the best standard possible, but I feel a cable-knob on the dashboard labelled "Make Smoke" & "Wheeze-Mode" for use on all the hills around here......could be a lot of fun...... Is it wearing it's original number plate? Check on road tax online to see if it's still live. Yep obviously if it goes on a Q plate then the Historic side is going to be a problem, plus some insurers don't like Q plates. No logbook, even a damaged/soggy one? My gut feeling is this will come under kit car and won't be able to be classed as historic. |
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Post by valhalla on Aug 3, 2022 23:58:36 GMT 1
Is it wearing it's original number plate? Check on road tax online to see if it's still live. Yep obviously if it goes on a Q plate then the Historic side is going to be a problem, plus some insurers don't like Q plates. No logbook, even a damaged/soggy one? My gut feeling is this will come under kit car and won't be able to be classed as historic. It still wears its Q-plate that was issued when the vehicle, as it now exists, was put together from a kit of bits + a donor Morris Mini.
Interestingly, it exists on the system with that Q-plate, and it has a date of first registration as being 12th March 1984 on that very Q-plate. That would mean that the vehicle as a "Q-plate entity" is almost 40years old in its present state - it hasn't been substantially altered in any way or form since then. Its interest, as an historic vehicle, is as a Jiffy kit commercial-vehicle, not as a Morris Mini, and that is dated by DVLA themselves at 38years-old.
Some interesting points in the Footman James information that sorted linked above - I may have to do some asking-around for similar situations to this one. |
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Post by valhalla on Aug 4, 2022 0:09:37 GMT 1
One of the debates we are having, right now, is whether or not to re-signwirite the loadbed to match our company logo, or whether to keep the original signwriting;
I'm in favour of keeping the vehicle as it is; it's part of its history.
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Post by rhyds on Aug 4, 2022 10:11:42 GMT 1
Maybe consider having one side as the original and one side your own branding, or maybe have "The Valhalla's Shop and Workshop" on one of those roof boards you see on old 50s/60s HGVs...
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