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Pitman's Motorists' Library
"The Book of the Morris Minor 1000 (All models to 1960)" by Staton AbbeyCHAPTER XII
SOME WORTHWHILE ACCESSORIES
[Interior Heaters] [Rugs for Comfort] [Emphasis on Safety]
[Improving Appearance] [Accessories for Touring]
As has been stressed when discussing engine modifications, a Minor in its standard form offers first-class value in relation to the very moderate initial price - the enthusiastic owner who requires those individual touches that contribute to safety, comfort and appearance, however, will seldom begrudge the additional outlay. The items described in this chapter can be obtained from most accessory dealers or can be ordered through a local garage.
Interior Heaters. High among the more expensive accessories which have now come to be regarded almost as essential in temperate and cold climates is the interior heater and demister, which is, of course, available as an optional fitting on all models. The design supplied by the Morris Motors can be quickly and neatly installed by a dealer or owner. Once one has experienced the extent to which a heater contributes not only to comfort but to safety in driving during the winter, one will find it difficult to dispense with this invaluable accessory.
There are, of course, a number of other reasonably-priced heaters of the recirculatory type which can be fitted by the owner himself without a great deal of difficulty. A recirculatory heater is so termed because it does not draw a supply of fresh air from outside the car - instead it draws air from inside the car and circulates it through the heating element before discharging it directly into the driving compartment and also through demisting nozzles fitted beneath the windscreen.
Rugs for Comfort. Although an efficient heater is fitted, the passengers may sometimes complain of cold feet in very cold weather. A good car rug is, therefore, a worthwhile accessory whenever long journeys are undertaken during the winter months and not only elderly passengers appreciate the luxury! While any woollen rug will, of course, serve the purpose, modern fur-fabric driving rugs, preferably of the double-sided type obtainable from the St. Leonards Garage, Ringwood, Hampshire, have a softness and quality which must be experienced to be appreciated in addition to a distinctly luxurious appearance. Being made from all-wool pile, they wash well or can be dry-cleaned, and literally wear for years without losing their appearance.
For really snug comfort, improved appearance and reduction of noise and vibration, a set of lambskin car mats can be added. The "Snuglamb" mats (from Maskell Fur Processes, Ltd., Grove Works, Horley, Surrey) have the added advantage that they are very easily cleaned, since the wool is specially carded to allow dirt and grit to be shaken out. The lambskins are backed by non-slip rubberized felt, so that the mats stay in place without the necessity for fastenings, and are moth-proofed during manufacture really practical features plus a touch of luxury at a modest cost.
Emphasis on Safety. To turn from the question of driving comfort to safety (surprisingly often the two are synonymous), when one is forced to drive close behind other vehicles in wet weather the spray of mud and water that accumulates on the windscreen is not only a source of irritation but can be a serious danger. The value of a windscreen washer such as the Trico should not need stressing.
Such essentially practical items as driving and fog lamps are not only invaluable during night journeys but also improve the frontal appearance of the car. No experienced driver would be without a fog lamp during winter driving, while a good road lamp should give a long, anti-dazzle beam that enables reasonably high cruising speeds to be maintained without recourse to the main beams of the headlamps. Most drivers find that double-dip lamps, if correctly aligned, give insufficient range when dipped, except for quite modest speeds.
The easiest method of mounting auxiliary lamps is to fit a combined lamp carrier and badge bar - Castle's Unit Development, Ltd., of Church Gate, Leicester, make an excellent range of lamp mounting pillars and bars which experience has shown to be both rigid (an important point) and extremely well plated.
A fire-extinguisher should be regarded as an essential item of the equipment of the car not a luxury. The conventional pump-type extinguisher filled with carbon-tetrachloride (C.T.C.) is quite efficient provided that it is regularly examined and tested, but the modern, compact pressure-filled C.T.C. extinguisher is greatly to be preferred. Better still, a small extinguisher charged with chlorobromomethane represents the most efficient fire-fighting instrument available to the motorist. For example, the smaller size of Bradex extinguisher, measuring only 5.5" in length and 14" in diameter, has the fire-extinguishing capacity of a conventional pump-type C.T.C. extinguisher of many times its size. It produces a cloud of fire-deadening gas that will extinguish any petrol and oil-fed fires of the seriousness likely to be encountered in a car, literally within seconds.
Other accessories which directly or indirectly contribute to safety are an electric cigar lighter, exterior wing mirrors and an exterior visor mounted above the windscreen. The latter shields the eyes from dazzling sun and protects the driver and passengers in the front compartment from the heat of the sun when this is shining more or less directly through the windscreen - in winter it helps to keep the windscreen free from snow, particularly when the car is parked in the open. The Spartovisor (made by London Bankside Products, Ltd., The Runway, South Ruislip, Middlesex) is a particularly good example.
Even the best visor, however, cannot protect the eyes from the dazzle caused by reflected light and this can be a major cause of eyestrain during a long trip. The most effective answer is a good pair of sunglasses - the Polaroid type score in this respect as they completely eliminate the dazzle caused by reflected light, whereas conventional tinted lenses merely reduce the overall intensity of the light passing through them.
Improving Appearance. Of distinctly practical value are loose covers which are available in a very wide range of fabrics and patterns and which not only protect the original upholstery and thus enhance the value of the car when the time comes to sell it, but which are easily cleaned and add a touch of distinction and colour to the interior of the car. The covers manufactured by Kladwell, Ltd., of 62 Albion St., Glasgow, C.1, or by Karobes, Ltd., of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, can be recommended for their impeccable cut, excellent quality and the ease with which they can be fitted without wrinkling.
A set of chromium-plated wheel trims greatly improves the look of the wheels without interfering with the flow of air to the brakes or, in most cases, preventing the use of snow chains or wheel-balancing weights. Those made by K. F. Ward, Ltd. CStyla Works, Garrison St., Birmingham, 9), are not only beautifully designed but are made in stainless steel and thus retain their, appearance almost indefinitely.
Bumper overriders of the type fitted to De Luxe models not only improve the appearance of the car but provide protection against the locking of bumpers or damage to the coachwork. Similarly, the exhaust deflector is an attractive fitting which performs a very useful job in deflecting the exhaust fumes downwards, preventing discoloration or rusting of the rear bumper by acid-laden fumes. It also prevents the formation of unsightly marks on the garage doors or on the wall when the engine is run with the tail-pipe close to such surfaces.
Accessories for Touring. One of the few aspects in which the Minor does not compete quite so favourably with some modern, cars is in luggage accommodation. For normal trips, of course, or for long journeys on which only the driver and passenger occupy the car, the space is adequate - but with a full load of passengers and a lengthy tour in prospect, a roof-fitted luggage rack will be invaluable. It is sometimes possible to hire a rack for the period of the tour (the advertisement pages of the motoring journals should be consulted) but a good rack is usually a worthwhile investment and can enhance the appearance of the car. The "Regal" roof rack (made by Frank Bros., 129 Kingston Road, New Maiden, Surrey), for example, is fitted with ash slats that give it a most attractive appearance.
A different approach to the problem is to substitute the special boot lid manufactured by Alexander Engineering, Ltd., of Haddenham, Buckinghamshire, which virtually doubles the luggage space and, in the opinion of many owners, improves the appearance of the car.
A driver who undertakes long tours and possibly tows a caravan will be interested in another accessory - the electric shaver, which can be operated from the car battery or from three small 1.5-volt dry cells, as in the case of the Philishave - or the Remington Auto-Home model, which operates from the car battery or alternatively can be plugged into a mains electricity point. Both can be recommended from personal experience.
A car radio probably shows up to its best advantage on a long run, especially when one is driving alone. There are available relatively inexpensive transistorized models (such as the Pye range), the fitting of which should be well within the capabilities of a do-it-yourself owner.
A corner of the boot should be reserved for a small emergency kit of spares as an insurance against being stranded by the roadside. The following list includes only those items that an owner might be expected to fit without calling in expert assistance. A local Morris dealer will often be prepared to supply most, if not all, of the items on a sale-or-return basis, crediting the cost of any parts that are returned unused at the end of the tour. Fig.49. The Eversure Fillacan, one of the most effective ways of carrying a spare supply of petrol A full set of lamp bulbs and fuses. Two or more sparking plugs of the correct type, or a set of "harder" plugs if long periods of fast driving are likely. A set of ignition contact-breaker points, condenser and preferably a distributor rotor and an ignition coil. A windscreen wiper blade. A spare inner tube (this can be used also with a tubeless tyre, if these are fitted). A box of tyre valve "inners" and valve caps. A roll of insulating tape.
In some countries supplies of good-quality lubricating oil are apt to be expensive and a half-gallon or gallon tin is a useful stand-by. A supply of distilled water in a polythene container, is often invaluable: remember that a pint will top up a thirsty battery only a few times, so play for safety if the weather is likely to be very hot.
Finally, before leaving the subject of touring, there is one item that usually finds a place on the parcel shelf when the car is taken abroad the foreign phrase book! For owners who have no aptitude for languages, or who will be passing through a succession of countries or may be travelling to outlandish parts, there is an enterprising modern version of this old stand-by: a pocket-sized book in which a thousand everyday items and situations are illustrated by line sketches. There is no dictionary and no vocabulary - one simply points to the picture. Appropriately enough, the title of the book is See What I Mean. It is published by Mills and Boon, Ltd., of Grafton Way, Fitzroy Square, London, W.1.
For those who wish to pick up at least a conversational knowledge of a foreign language, however, the Interpret courses in French, Italian, Spanish and German, prepared by the Visaphone Company, of 10 Bayley St., London, W.C.1, provide probably the easiest solution: they consist of three long-playing gramophone records that provide a surprisingly extensive vocabulary, together with an illustrated book in which the dialogue on the records can be followed and translated. Such courses are usually fairly expensive but the Interpret versions (intended for the tourist rather than the student) are very modestly priced.
Of course any companies or products mentioned in the text may not exist today and any prices listed are of course no longer valid, so take company and product references with a grain of salt.If anyone has a problem with copyright then please contact me.
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