 |
Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms |
|
|
|
The
Morris Eight Tourer Club
"Like burley to the fisherman" were my closing lines in the first part of this article, and right on que the fisherman had returned from his fishing expedition from Shark Bay (otherwise known as Monkey Mia I think he said.)
Fisherman Brian is the owner of a brown Ser. 1 Morris Four door Tourer Peter had earlier told me of.
After an interesting phone conversation, Brian had offered to send over a photo, and literature produced with reference to his vehicle.
It was time to follow up on another of Peter's leads. That person, the restorer of another four door Tourer, Ken.
Once again the phone line to Perth was in hot demand as I heard of some of the trying times of restoring one of these unusual tourers. A task that at times seemed almost too much.
Something that gave us both "the hots" was that Ken's car was green, and so had been the colour of my friend's (the cause of this hunt's) family car. With so few of these cars on the earth, there was the slimmest of possibilities ...........
We concluded our conversation with Ken also offering to send me info regarding his car, and the vehicle's history as he knew it. and I to quiz further my friend regarding colour and any other distinguishing marks or features. (Bucket or Bench front seats?, tail light type?)
Also
he had a reproduction of sales literature produced in the thirty's by a
Sydney car firm offering to supply along with the usual Morris body styles
of the day, a four door version of the Ser 1.
Ken's car it appeared had it seems, seen quite rough going. The floors being dented, heaps of red dust within panels, and the window frame support had been repaired. (Welded).
Ringing our friend once more, "Couldn't remember welded window frame, did have bucket seats, could be the right rear door a little bent, I opened the rear door when dad reversed down the driveway once."
Friend Lena also mentioned Dad being a bloke from "The Old Country," just loved getting out into the wilds of Australia, and quite frequently venturing down Albany way in their little Morris.
Quite often much to Mum's uncertainties, they would take off, rocks flying, floor banging on the rough centre hump of unmade dirt tracks, to those special spots of Dad's, where he would further test the Morris Metal by indulging in shooting trips further into the bush both night and day.
He had it seems every confidence in his little British car.
At last the mailman arrived with the first, I hoped of many deliveries bearing news of the four door.
Ken had sent a swag of interesting items, photos of his restoration from times of string and twine bound body shell, to more recent pictures of body welding, chassis, and engine restoration.
Of particular interest was the sales material from the Sydney firm. York Motors Pty. Ltd.
Who advertised, " Morris Roadsters, Special Business Roadsters, Tourers, "Well finished four passenger bodies....Two Door - Four Door in any colour to choice."
Well here we are at last. Something in black and white with some hint of the body builder.
In Ken's letter accompanying this form he wondered,
"If the bodies were actually made in kits in the Eastern States, and then assembled and finished locally, e.g. By Bryans in Perth, strange that they aren't popping up anywhere but Perth."
As mentioned in last month's article Comet Motors was the Perth Morris distributor, 1923 to 1959, and often sent Morris chassis over the road to Bryans Motor Body Works (Builders 1931 to 1949) to have bodies fitted.
Ken also included with his pack of info, a copy of his article, which appeared in the Journal of The Morris Register. 18/2/99.
The article tells of his Four Door Series 1 Morris 8 (S1/E 115814.)
The body panels so badly affected by tin worm. Doors and Bonnet testing the writer's welding skills.
The Motor no easy task. With the block, as most have experienced, cracked and rusted. But never the less a restored motor lays in wait for the day it's installed in the car.
Judging by the photos sent of rolling chassis, and bodywork well on the way, the motor installation shouldn't be too far off.
Just to add to the excitement of the hunt, Ken's article also included a photo of another four-door Tourer sitting on easy clean wheels.
Yes
dear reader, enter the Series Two Four Door Tourer. Had this been the breeding
ground for this too endangered species? Had The Nullarbor prevented, like
the swarming spoggies, the Four Door Tourer from migrating across the vast
sandy plains of our country?
Just when every thing still pointed to the cars being built in Perth, I received a letter from Harry Edwards voicing his belief that judging by body style, the cars were built by Holden both in Ser.1 and Ser. 2. Models
Well!! That's opened another can of worms. Where will this saga end?
A quick visit to Dad's army at the SCCSA, and much discussion over the possibilities of a Holden Body, didn't produce anything in black and white over the Holden theory, they did produce Morris bodies, but nothing pointing to the four-door version.
Another line of attack on the Holden theory was made by way of phone to GMH History section in Melbourne.
Result? None.
At this stage the Holden avenue of thought is open to further research.
Another avenue to tackle was Clive. Clive, I was told, is compiling his own register of Morris vehicles in The West, and is currently restoring a Series 2.
To save those telling glances and inquisitions one gets when making extended interstate phone calls, I decided that caution was greater than valour, and wrote to Clive explaining my current project.
Mail received from Clive further substantiated the existence of the two Four door cars.
There was seemingly a third car, but that one went strangely missing some twenty years ago.
To this day it has never reappeared.
As York Motors Sydney, advertised the four-door tourer, maybe The Morris Register of NSW Can help with York history.
So after sending off two letters asking for their help, and a phone call, it was confirmed that their club had York records and photos.
Once more the waiting game begins.. One week..Two weeks..Three...
While I waited felt a trip to The Adelaide Library Reference Section was in Order. Spent quite a bit of time going through The Westralian micro films, turning up many 1930's car firms, but no Morris dealers.
Changed
to The Sydney Morning Herald, Vole! York Motors in every edition. Morris
Trucks, Cars, Utes, and the four door Tourer.
Time had expired on the parking meter by fifteen minutes as I left the library on the run, had the cost of a parking ticket added to the costs of this search?
No! The relief, as a quick check of the windscreen wipers revealed that the parking meter good fairy had smiled sweetly upon me once more.
With heart pounding I slid behind the wheel with printouts of 1930's ad's, and headed homewards to a cold tea, and hot tongue that surely awaits.
No, the lovely lass I married has come to expect the unusual from the writer, all was a bed of roses, (think that means my tea was waiting in good shape)
"And they lived happily ever after." Well until we get more exciting tourer news.
Barry Booth