Wane’s Wheels: Morrie power

Greg Wane
MAX McGinley, a retired motor mechanic and former Geelong businessman wasn’t satisfied when he finished the sporty little Morris Minor convertible, so he built a scaled down caravan to suit the car and is now planning camping trips around Victoria and New South Wales.
Max, who was well known in the Geelong motor trade for several years, said he bought the 1952 Morris Minor from a friend who lived just two blocks away from his Portarlington home.
I towed the car home, but it had no brakes so I had a couple of my mates walk along the road and hold the car steady with a couple of ropes as I drove the short distance home.
That was in April 2009 and for the next 12 months he rebuilt the car.
“I replaced every piece of rubber around the body and I rebuilt the motor. It’s got a Cooper S cylinder head and pistons and it has gone from 950cc to 1132cc.”
Cooper S twin carburettors have also been added under the bonnet and up the back Max has put in a higher ratio differential.
“I have beefed up the suspension and put in Armstrong Shock absorbers and torsion bars and leaf springs which has stiffened the suspension up nicely.
The Armstrongs are a beautiful shock absorber and I have reconditioned each one, or I prefer to say I have resealed each one.”
Max said there was at least two and a half-hour’s work in each shocker.
He said he “cut his teeth” on BMC cars when he was a younger mechanic and knew the range well including the legendary Mini, MG, Austin and Morris.
“But if I put the bonnet up on a modern car of today I really don’t know what I am looking at. Modern auto engineering has come a long way. The engines today are beautifully built and they do a terrific job,” Max admited.
“If you put the little Morris Minor engine up against a modern equivalent there is no comparison, the modern engine is just so sophisticated.”
“But the older engines are easier for the back yard mechanic to work on. I have everything I need in my home workshop to rebuild the older engines.”
The Morris Minor is a genuine factory built convertible, Max said.
“Not a chop-top like so many if them are these days. Cut down sedans.”
With a plan to take part in the three-week trip up the east coast of Australia with the Morris Minor Touring Club in October, Max decided he needed a caravan but they were all too big for the little Morris to tow, so he decided build his own scaled-down version.
“I bought an old trailer for $35 and got the axle and wheels and built the caravan up from that.
The frame has been made from aluminium square tubing and panelling and the chassis was made from 32mm aluminium tube.
“The van is not the typical tear drop shape from the 40s, it is based on the modern van with a rounded top. I found I lost too much space inside with the teardrop. I might catch a bit more wind with the square shape but the Morris is very stable.”
When it came time to register the finished caravan he took it across to the Drysdale recycling centre.
“They’ve got a weigh-bridge there and it weighed in at 380 kilograms. It’s just 1.2 metres wide and 2.4 metres long,” he said.
“The caravan has got a sink and kitchenette in the back and a comfortable double bed inside the van.”
“The Morris can cruise with the caravan attached at 80 km/h, so it will be right for the trip in October. We intend to travel up the coast to Sydney and come home through the snowy mountains. All up we will do about 3000 kilometres.” Max said.