Bigfork, Montana is one of the last places on the planet where I would expect to see a 1970 Morris Minor 1000 van, but that’s where this nice little example is located. The seller has it posted on Craigslist with an asking price of $4,500. Jamie is our resident expert on British vehicles so hopefully he, along with a few of you fellow experts in Brit-iron, will be able to point out the missing pieces here. Thanks to Simon P. for submitting this fun find!
The seller has included just these two photos, believe it or not. I know, they’re basically the same image – wonders will never cease. Being a 1970, I’m betting that this engine would be BMC’s A-Series 1.1L inline-four with around 48 hp. The seller says that it “is in good running condition. The engine runs well, transmission shifts properly, the brakes work fine, steering is great.” They have “been driving this one for eight or nine years here in Bigfork during the summers, and storing in in a barn over the winter. Newly installed head gasket, valve clearances adjusted.” I can imagine that this draws some stares near the Glacier National Park area. NADA is at $8,450 for a low retail value so I have to believe that this could be a very good buy even with shipping charges. Have any of you owned a Morris Minor van?
It’s possible that could be an ex royal mail van with the red paint
I thought that as well Craig , especially as it’s RHD , when the Royal Mail sell their vans off after 5 years they went for next to nothing . Cheap enough it seems for somebody to take the trouble to ship it all the way over there !
Didn’t the Royal Mail trucks have the rubber front wings?
Structural rust, especially in the chassis, can be a major issue with Morris Minors, and any potential buyer would be wise to have a very close look before sealing the deal. Also check out the condition of front suspension components, most notably the lever shocks and spindles/stub axles.
Patch panels, repop chassis rails and other replacement parts are easily found via UK suppliers, online, and good ol’ Moss Motors, stateside.
Morris Minors are fun cars to drive. There are still plenty around these parts – heck, there’s even one parked in the next driveway!
These have fairly simple, separate chassis, less prone to rusting, and are fairly simple to repair. (Ignoring that you might have to remove the body.)
The back half’s a chassis, but the front’s not.
My understanding is that the cars are of uni-body construction, while the wagons, vans, and pickups all have full chassis. Is that not correct?
Last Morris minors built were made in New Zealand a last minute post office order. Take out the front drum brakes and bolt straight in Morris Marina disc brakes if you can find them
If anyone needs Marina brakes let me know!
Nice write up, Scotty. I agree that it might be a Royal Mail van!
Not to far from Kalispell.I know of a great British car mechanic
near Kalispell,if someone needed this checked out (for a fee).
If there was a bit more room in the incredibly trick, hand fabricated, factory works prototype Grand Prix shop (okay, it’s a steel building in an airport industry complex-shut up), I’d have one of these. Put a BMC B motor and 5 speed in it, paint, wheels, too much fun!
Like…..
Anybody looking for MM spares need do no more than contact Charles Ware Morris Minor Spares at http://www.morrisminor.org.uk
Absolutely fabulous people to deal with.
We had a lil Morris minor 64 years ago and it really ran great and sipped gas back in the day.
I like this one and hope it stays original with no engine conversion taking place .
I say paint this old Brit 🎨 up aNd drive it on weekends
God save the queen 👸!!!!!!
What goes well in these is a small block V8 and Jaguar rear axle, then it turns into a right little sleeper!!!
My first two cars were Morris Oxfords
Not a fan of British cars.
This looks older than a 1970 model for some reason
My friend has had a Morris Minor pickup for 30 years or so. Bed looks just like the van with the top cut off. The bed is suprising wide. His has a Datsun 5 speed which which makes it much more highway frendly.
@Jeffrey Mitchell.
That’s one good way to screw up what appears to be a very original van! How many of these do you think there are in the US? Do whatever you like to the thousands upon thousands of Chevs, Fords, Chryslers etc. but I sincerely hope that the next owner of this Minor treats it with the respect that it deserves.
Much more likely to be the 998cc A-series engine which was the largest engine for the Minor.
A truly fun car to work on, anything you want is available, worldwide. Great worldwide club support. This one appears to be a real bargain. RHD is no issue to drive, my Traveller was always fun with the looks it got at stoplights, especially with my Bulldog in the left seat.
My girlfriend has a ’59 LCV (light commercial vehicle), upgraded w/1100A engine, ribcase trans, disc brakes.
Pic is her truck and my ride at a local car show, it’s a consistent trophy winner. The graphics on the side are for the band, and she uses “Pudgy” to haul her drum kit to gigs.
Her truck is here: http://pudgy.rocks/
Go for it!
I love it! Can someone tell me, would my 53 BSA bike fit in the back? How about, if I took out the passenger seat?
1098 A series engine. Front is unibody with rudimentary chassis rails in rear for van, pickup and traveler (station wagon) This probably, as a 70, has the larger 8″ drum brakes which makes the switch to discs pretty much unnecessary unless you’re going to race it or put a much larger engine in it. Lots of space under the bonnet as Sir Alec originally wanted a boxer four cylinder in there but Lord Nuffield nixed it because of development costs and used the BMC engines which were readily available. The steering rack is mounted on the firewall which can create a clearance problem with bell housings if too large of an engine swap is tried.
Dolphin once had a real beauty of a Traveller, what I want mine to look like when done.
All Morris Minors are a full unit body. Only the LCV (van/pickup) have a full separate frame under the unit body. The LCV’s actually use the front half of the 4-door Minor as the basis, adding a panel behind the front seats to create the rear of the pickup or the mounting point for the van box.
Likewise, the Traveller uses the 2-door unit body, with the wood structure attached behind the front seats to the unit body lower. The wood is subject to MOT inspection because it is structural with no metal support. In other words, the only thing between you and the car behind you is a milk crate.
You are right about Dolphin’s woody, it was impressive!
I’d just go with a 1275.
bring’um back. No more Fit, Echo, etc!
Had an ex telephone company van in bright yellow some years back. British Telecom had the yellow vans, Royal Mail had the red ones for delivery vans and green ones were engineers vans. My grandfather always bought retired vans at auction fr one of these sources. The green engineers vans were the ones to go for as they had one driver rather than being a pool vehicle with a variety of drivers who had less interest and care over the vehicles. Only problem with ours was the roof rusting all the way around the gutter – wasn’t going to be long before it could have been lifted off from inside when we sold it. Found it was a common problem from other owners later on. Oh, and the black rubber wings/fenders on Royal Mail vans was on earlier models than 1970 and didn’t run for many years. Grandad had one of those before my time and told me of finding it funny when people would lean against it and the panel would fold up – much to their surprise!
Well, this one was as advertised, worn but very usable and nicely patinated, as the Beverly Hills and Gullwing guys say. Great experience with the seller too. A few little things to clean up but all in all just as expected and a total hoot to drive. Have to get used to the
“What IS that, anyway?” Everywhere we park…
Congrats on the purchase! Seems like a great buy and good to hear a pleasant transaction, too. I would have loved to have got it myself but WAY too far away here in Canada. Enjoy the van!
@Rev Rory. Enjoy. Great little van and a real talking point. Park it next to a Corvette at your next show and see which car gets all the attention. Have fun.