Magpie-OBL.blogspot has moved!!!!

The old magpie site has been deleted, due to new and better posting/editing software coming into use on the blogger site.
The old site has been deleted and all (I hope) data and links have been reposted on this new site.
Here  http://morrisjtypes.blogspot.com/

Yet another J type for sale! Another blog is launched.

Listed as a 1937 Morris, this super van is for sale in New Zealand.
Nice Mini? and Mk1 Ford Escort type grills in the load bay.



Sporting a Morris grill badge, not Morris Commercial, what year is this van?

You can just glimpse through the gap of the third type of engine cover the shape of a "B" series engine, maybe its a typing error and should be listed as a 57 not 37.

I was advised of this vehicle sale by a friend in New Zealand.
Chassis number is JB/MR 44159, so a late 1959 van. When last view it was up to 1655 Nz Dollars. This is only £742 pounds!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Cars/Morris/auction-270579185.htm

Check out another JB blog here. http://jbmorrisvan.blogspot.com/

Yet more period pictures, Wales in the 1950's.

Many thanks again to G.D. for finding these.

Had to use the J type again this morning, I took a large flap of skin off one of my fingers last night, needed stitches and I found this morning I could not ride the motorbike. I could not operate the clutch lever so the J was pressed into service. It was reluctant to start due to the whole of the inside of the van running with condensation having not been used for a couple of days. A quick wipe of the plug leads and distributor cap and we were up and running.

What's happened to YLH 859?

Rally picture taken over 20 years ago.

I have been contacted by the seller of this GPO J type, who informs me: that it did in fact sell.

That my own description of the vehicle from my own recollection from seeing it many many years ago was unfair.

That when purchased by him it had some major problems, many hours and many parts have been fitted by him since purchase to correct the various faults. It is a credit to him that it is now in full road worthy condition and all mechanical items have been replaced or overhauled correctly.
I'm more than happy to put the record straight.

The camera never lies?

Looks good? YLH 859 is on e-bay again, this is changing hands faster than a "ticking" pass the parcel game.




Side transfers in the wrong place, yes I'm being picky.

When I first heard about this vehicle I was very tempted, after all it had all its original GPO fittings, and I have three other GPO vehicles.

The price it sold for was well out of my league. Once I heard just how bad this vehicle was I was so relieved that I had not bought it.

Faults ranged from silly things right up to major work.

The engine smoked like a bonfire, oil pressure was between 0-20 psi, normally zero, the big ends were so worn you could wobble the crankshaft in its bearings.

The front brakes had the wrong cylinders welded into the back plates and the hydraulic hoses at the front were too short they stopped the wheels from being put on full lock!

The front panel mounting lip was also badly corroded with the spot welded edge joint between the two plates bursting and splitting.

Plenty of poor repairs had been carried out in the past to the body work and also there seemed to be rather a lot of filler around the vehicle when I saw in the flesh a few years ago.

The current seller has done some major work, the engine has been replaced and new rear tyres fitted. Handy "Town and Country" tyres, better in the snow but they can be so noisy and lets face it a J type van is not the quietist of vehicles when driving, there's not an ounce of sound deadening material anywhere. I also wonder if the front brakes have been sorted out? What about some of the other problems? Well if your looking for a (BIG) running project this could be the one for you.

Pinewood studios, then and now.

Some weeks ago I was given an old picture of my van taken in the 1970's, outside Pinewood film studios. I said I would take the van back to see how it has changed. This I did this morning as I have not used the van for a few weeks it was time to give it a run.Taken from an old photograph the original entrance to the studio, of course Lorry's and all the tradesmen had a side drive way, this entrance was for the "stars" and staff cars.
A slightly more grand entrance, the little Indian guy sitting in his box, who kindly let me park on the pavement while I took this picture this morning. I think he was letting me, very difficult to understand him or for him to understand what I wanted to do. At first he was saying "no filming" next "you want to come in?" maybe he thought I was on official business with my METROPOLITAN POLICE signs on the side of the van, still lots of waving as I drove off, I think in friendship. Or maybe he thought I was just another "mad" English idiot, driving a 50 year old van, at 8.30am on a bright but frosty Sunday morning.

To customise or not to customise?

I have been thinking about this, is it a bad thing? It's not my thing and it would be a shame in my view if the Brazilian van ended up modified. Mind you if the only person to take on the van wants to do this why not. Below is the well known 344CNM, now this has been around for many years in various forms.This second picture shows the very same van in 1977, yes 33 years ago it was captured on standard 8 cine film at a HOT ROD car show. At this time it had the doors hinged at the top, gull wing fashion (with both doors open it was over 13 feet wide). So in a way the old van was saved and has given the various owners over the years a great deal of pleasure and of course it has survived.

If you want to see this cine-film in full it is now on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BJ-hTnWwNg its only 4.30 minutes long and the first view of the J is at 3.20 minutes.