So What's in the Big Box?

Radiator - I'm told a Morris Oxford MO is the same, minus the long filler neck

I know you're dying to see what was in my beautifully wrapped Christmas present. So here they are.

The two biggest items are a radiator and a tailshaft.
Neither of these parts would fit into my van after the original engine and gearbox was replaced with the 6 cylinder Holden grey motor, so they were discarded.

The radiator will need a re-core, but that's to be expected in any restoration. I need to find someone good to do a mini radiator for me anyway, so it will be interesting to see how this one goes too.

The Tailshaft has this Unusual Sliding Joint 

The drive shaft is a real ripper, I was actually pretty worried about finding one of these. I'm pretty certain they are unique to the J type. The Morris Oxford MO had a very similar one, but I doubt the length was the same. It might have been possible to get one made, but the unusual sliding joint would have been hard to replicate. This one looks crusty but will clean up fine. I expect the universal joints will need renewing, but I would anyway.

Complex Handbrake Cables

Handbrake Lever

The next priceless part is a handbrake lever and cables. Apparently you can't fit a grey motor into a J type and have a handbrake as well. The previous owner simply pulled it all out and through it away. Its interesting in that the handle seems to just bolt through the plywood floor, without any attachment to the chassis. I might have to see about that.  The cables are the most complicated I've ever seen. There's no way you could have had a replacement pair made without a pattern to go off. These cables could almost be cleaned up and used, but I won't. If I can't track down a replacement set I'll use them as a pattern to try to get a pair made.

Throttle linkages - the Black Cylinder on the Right is the Accelerator Pedal

The Brake Pedal is a Thing of Beauty

Brey motors are two cylinders longer than sidevalve Morris engines, so they need to sit further forward at the front to fit them in. This means that the throttle linkage which goes from the pedal across the front of the engine to the carby, won't fit. The solution is to bend, cut and weld it. Luckily Kim could supply a replacement for that also. I should be able to mix and match it with the remains of mine to make one good one.




And the final piece is the clutch pedal. I guess they decided that it was easier to use an automatic gearbox, and ditch the original chain actuated clutch, rather than try to rig up some hydraulics to operate a Holden clutch. Whatever, they threw away the pedal. Once again Kim came to the rescue with this beauty. It has a real sculptural look too it, and its in great condition. You could use it like it is.

I reckon most of my readers will agree that these parts have a certain beauty to them. One thing for certain is that I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kim for generously donating these almost irreplaceable parts. Why did he give them away? He explained that he doesn't plan to use these old J type parts. The vans he is going to restore are both JB vans that either use different (better) later parts, or these are parts that are surplus to his requirements. He reckons that he'd rather give them away to someone who can use them instead of just hoarding them. I think this is a very noble philosophy and hope that I can do the same for someone else one day.