Morris C8

[Jonathan Moore]

Evening All,

Chassis and axles in green, ready for re assembly. I have decided to do something that i have never done before and that is to reuse some of the old nuts and bolts. I Lot of the 3/8" and bigger bolts are in such good condition it seems a shame to scrap them, so I am cleaning, re threading, dipping them in rust killer and the dipping them in a thin 2k black mix. it does require some planning, as it has to be done about 12 hours before use but I think its well worth the trouble. I cleaned the gearbox today ready for painting and found that the original colour was in actual fact brown, so I am now in two minds as to what colour to paint it.





Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

On Monday evening we managed to get it back on 4 wheels.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

Evening All,

Its been a while since I updated this thread but I have been beavering away. The chassis is complete, the brakes have been rebuilt but I have to be honest, it was only last night that I realised that there was no brake light switch, so I had to plumb one in today. Suspension is all in place and ready to roll. The steering wheel was in a bit of a mess so it was out with the milliput and a very relaxing evening it was too. The starter switch was totally knackered, so I have incorporated a land Rover series one switch into the original housing. The radiator has been off to be re-cored and is ready to be refitted. Tyre fitting went perfectly with the only problem being getting the old tyres off and what a right bas.....d of a job that was. Out of the five wheel rims there are 3 different wheel manufacturers and it is interesting to see the difference in the profiles of the rims. One look almost parallel to the bead, one had a definite raised area on the bead and one had the bead that had a definite indentation in the bead area. I know, I must be very sad studying wheel rims but...…………. I am a head of schedule, so today I took the engine block and head off to the machinists, I hadn't intended to do anything with the engine until the new year but I had the time so took advantage of it. looking forward it is quite possible that I will get the rear body rebuilt before my self imposed deadline, only time will tell.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

I have been looking for some automotive grade felt for the various antivibration pads and the linings of the fuel tank holding straps. I failed to get any in the UK, everything was either the wrong grade or synthetic. Eventually I found a supplier in the US but they wouldn't ship to the UK, a problem solved by a real gentleman, Robert Morrison who agreed to take delivery of the felt in Canada and then ship it to me in the UK. I am humbled by his kindness and generosity and can only thank him for once again for coming to my aid and my wife loves the chocolate but can't bring herself to eat the hedgehog shaped ones.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

One of the petrol tanks wasn't in the best of condition, having a large area of rust that I cut out and welded a patch in, the other one was in good condition but to be on the safe side I have lined both with POR. This evenings job was get the tank mounting brackets and tanks bolted in and piped up. The main reason for needing the felt, was to line the mounting brackets.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

Over the last couple of days i have been trying to clear some of the smaller items that needed mending, remanufacturing and the last two major components pertaining to the drivers cab, the doors and the windscreen frames. All the rails for the windscreen frames were in a very poor condition but repairable, apart from one, so I decided to make a new one.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

It seemed a shame to throw the side light away just because the bezel had turned to rust.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

And finally.

[Jonathan Moore]

The wiring is nearly finished, it just needs connecting to the various components. I am a bit reluntant to assemble any more of the front until after I fit the engine.



Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

I have had a bout of the dreaded man flu and as I am unable to sit still for too long, I decided to rise from my death bed and start the canvas covers for the seat bases. I have an old back rest cover for the drivers seat, which I can use as a pattern to make a new one but does anyone have a picture of the passengers seat back rest. It's attached to the rear bulkhead by four turn buckles but that's all I know.

I don't want to assemble too many parts to the front of the vehicle before I fit the engine and as we are now in week five of a four week production schedule for the engine and that's before I get it back for rebuilding, I decided to start the rear body. There's not much of the original body left and what is left is very rusty, so its start again. There are some sections that I can use, the front bulkhead but the lower section was rusted out and needed replacement. The strengtheners for the wheel arches that are in excellent condition. Front body corner sections that need repair And the wheel arches that are in fairly good condition.

The new base, is based on a picture that I took at the Coberton collection, I assume that it is original, I think that I may have gone over the top a little but surprisingly, in its current state, its no heavier than the old body, but then as my wife pointed out rust doesn't weigh that much.


Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

A few more.

[Owen Evans]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Moore

I have an old back rest cover for the drivers seat, which I can use as a pattern to make a new one but does anyone have a picture of the passengers seat back rest. It's attached to the rear bulkhead by four turn buckles but that's all I know.

That sounds similar to the passenger backrest in the CS8 (see below photos, which I must admit aren't great). If it's the same, there is (or was) a very nice CS8 Office truck at the National Army Museum with the same set up.

Or maybe someone with access to a CS8 can provide better pictures?

Owen.

[Jonathan Moore]

Owen,

Thanks for the picture, that looks very promising and it's attachment looks very similar to what's in my cab.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

At last, one rear body finished and ready to be fitted.


Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

Evening All,

Between the rain showers on Saturday, we managed to get the body back on the chassis and today I started assembling all the remanufactured parts on to it. I picked the engine up from the machinists on Tuesday, so all being well I should start to rebuild it this week.

Jon

[Owen Evans]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Moore

Evening All,

Between the rain showers on Saturday, we managed to get the body back on the chassis and today I started assembling all the remanufactured parts on to it. I picked the engine up from the machinists on Tuesday, so all being well I should start to rebuild it this week.

Jon

Great work Jonathan. Did you have any difficulties getting those tyres to fit the british rims?

Owen.

[Jonathan Moore]

Hello Owen and thanks.


So far, touch wood, I haven't had a problem fitting tyres, either these or the ones on my C8a, on to either British or Canadian produced rims. Also I haven't found the need to use any special tools, just lots of the tyre snot that's used by my local tyre fitters and basically fill them full of air and they pop on.

[Jonathan Moore]

Evening all,

The engine is now ready to be installed, I am not sure what the original engine colour would have been but the base colour of the engine before I sprayed it was very close to the current body colour, so I just used the same colour.

Jon

[pauldavies]

Hi Jonathan and a great job you are doing, I noticed you didn't have any brass data/information plates on the inner cab engine cover. Have you looked around for them as I have tried without success to find some. I believe there is a company/individual somewhere who do reproduction plates?
Regards
Paul
C8 owner, Australia

[Jonathan Moore]

Hello Paul and thanks,

I have had a look around for the brass plates but without any luck, I am sure getting them copied wouldn't be a problem but of course you need some to copy in the first place. If you find some please let me know.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Owen Evans]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Moore

Hello Paul and thanks,

I have had a look around for the brass plates but without any luck, I am sure getting them copied wouldn't be a problem but of course you need some to copy in the first place. If you find some please let me know.

Regards,

Jonathan

Jonathan,

I've used Robert DeRuyter in the Netherlands for some harder to find data plates. He made them just from photos and the overall size of the plate; the photos do need to be direct on the data plate, not at an angle. Maybe he can help? You can contact him through his website:

https://dataplates4u.com

Cheers,
Owen.

[pauldavies]

Many thanks Owen but the problem is we need some to copy, any help out there?
Paul

[Mike K]

The engine is normally finished in a medium Brunswick green , that's for the 6 cyl. version anyway . The stationary engine guys use a similar green . http://mmoc.org.uk/mbimage.php?src=1359987041_17022


Regarding the brass data plates, I have new repros that were done in the UK somewhere. R. Ballard kindly sent me a few , the larger MCC one with the engine number , chassis number and axle/gearbox details and the smaller ubiquitous one with the contract number , this smaller one seems to be used on most WW2 British vehicles.

[Jonathan Moore]

I have contacted dataplates4u they cant remember making any in the past.

I think paint colour is partly down to personal choice and a subject that a lot of people can't agree on. I assume that someone, somewhere has documented evidence, that at that time in history, those engines were painted that colour, or could it be that there is just some circumstantial evidence or maybe someone just picked a colour and everyone else copied it. Personally I have gone for a evidence based approach to the problem. As far as I can tell, my engine had been painted twice, both times when the engine was separate from the rest of the vehicle. There was no evidence of over spray and components hadn't been sprayed as one block but as separate pieces, which would seem strange, as most military rebuilds that I have seen are sprayed one colour and as one large component. The top coat of green was slightly darker than the current body colour but not much and I would assume that this was the rebuild colour of 1952. The base colour was very near to the current body colour which I assume was the original colour and that is roughly what it is painted now. What I do find strange is that the head had no evidence of any paint, the water pump was green, the water outlet on the top of the cylinder head, a separate component, was green, the oil filter assembly was green but the head, rust colour, even under items mounted to it, such as the oil filter housing, there was no evidence of paint. This makes me wonder, was the head painted at all or just left as cast iron colour, maybe as a paint saving exercise.

Anyway I like it, so that's all that matters.



Jon

[Mike K]

Of those engine bay pics, the CS8 Finished in the light stone/black , with the 303 rifle , I reckon is closest to the correct engine colour. My morris wrecks here have remnants of that green on gearboxes and the engines

[Jonathan Moore]

Evening All,

The engine in went in well, once we had worked out the correct angle of entry, in fact I was surprised how easily it mated to the gear box. Hopefully over the Christmas period I will get it up and running, if my dear wife will let me. I am not sure about the rear light arrangement but I am going to live with it for now and see if it grows on me.

Jon

[pauldavies]

Jonathon you have the two fuel lines coming in at quite a height where mine are down level with the cab floor/pedals, where did you get that idea?
Paul

[Jonathan Moore]

Hello Paul,

That's how they were when I got the vehicle. The attached pictures were taken as I disassembled the vehicle so I could replicate where everything was originally routed and I am using the same pipes, in their original bent form.
Hopes that explains it.

Jon

[Jonathan Moore]

This is a pre-disassembly picture, the curly pipe goes to the fuel pipe, I suspect that it should have tighter curls.

Jon

[pauldavies]

Hi Jonathon and I see what you mean, I had all sorts of dramas with not enough fuel going in then too much till I sorted it all out, See how you go but the carbi is sensitive to the fuel pressure going in, have a great Christmas and New year.
Paul