![]() ![]() If your classic car checklist includes usability, solidity, appealing looks and plenty of period charm, then look no further than the MO Oxford. While smaller items, such as door seals, are remanufactured, instruments and controls will require reconditioning, or tracking down secondhand – not an easy task. Master and wheel cylinders can be re-conditioned if required.ĭamaged or missing brightwork will be difficult to replace, as nothing is currently available new. This makes it easy to neglect, so check the fluid level. The master cylinder is located in the chassis leg beneath the driver’s floor. Fortunately, these are shared with the MG TD, so sourcing new items shouldn’t be an issue. The all-round drum brake system can suffer if the car hasn’t been used for a while, with wheel cylinders prone to sticking. A serviced three-synchro unit also rarely gives problems if serviced. With a column change controlling the four-speed gearbox, any vagueness in the system can be removed by adjusting the balljoints linkages. The club plans to have undersized trunnions and matching kingpins remade to deal with this problem. ![]() Jack up the front of the car and check for play in the swivel pins. ![]() Fortunately, total failure of this system is rare. The torsion bar front suspension uses trunnions and king pins, which wear out if greasing is neglected. The rear chassis box sections are similarly critical to strength. With their enclosed design encouraging rust, look out for patchwork repairs. The rear suspension leaf springs are bolted at their front edges to a pair of spring hangers. The sturdy sidevalve engine – shared with the J-type van – is relatively unstressed with its low power output, so should soldier on for many miles if cared for. Replacing sections is a huge undertaking. If you’re looking at the ultra-rare Traveller derivative, bear in mind that the condition of the wood should be reflected in the asking price. Replacement panels are extremely scarce secondhand. These box sections can suffer, and need to be in good order.Ĭorrosion at the bottom of the doors should be easy to identify, unless if excessive quantities of filler have been used to disguise this – take a close look at the curved contours at the bottom of the panels, looking for unevenness. The chassis legs not only support the weight of the engine and gearbox, but take the load from the front suspension. This could be down to worn hinges, although the more serious cause is severe rot in the A-posts – if strength is lost here, opening the doors will make the weakened areas worse. Look out for evidence of poor repair work, or old underseal concealing rot. The outer sills are bolted on and are non-structural items – if they are corroded, club member John Valentine can provide replacements. This is what the classic driving experience is all about. Together with a column gearchange, this sets the tone of the driving experience as being a relaxed affair.Īll you have to do is settle back behind the large chrome-spoked steering wheel, and pilot the Oxford, like a motor cruiser meandering along a river. Well-padded bench seats are comfortable, but hardly encourage spirited cornering. Roadholding is respectable, with independent front suspension and – unusually for its day – rack-and-pinion steering providing stable direction changes. Provided you’re not looking for road-burning performance, the MO should charm and impress. Even today, a healthy cruising speed of 55-60mph ensures that the Morris can hold its own on modern roads. That doesn’t mean to say that it is uncomfortably slow – by the standards of the late 1940s, performance was quite acceptable. Progress can’t be rushed when behind the wheel. ‘Built for comfort, not speed’, is an expression that perfectly sums up the MO’s driving experience. ![]()
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