Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[UKdave2002]

I have always fancied a 30’s / 40’s pickup. As I have experience and crates of Morris 8 bits it makes sense to look at one of these . Whilst it is not too uncommon to see the van derivative of both the series 2 and the E (Z in van form) you don’t seem to see the pickup outside of Australia.
Were these never factory models? with pickup versions being built by specialists in Australia, or have they just not survived in any volume in the UK?

I enclose a couple of pic’s , one is defiantly a series 2 derivative, the other looks as if its based on the series E Australian spec tourer (different from the z van)

Who can through some light on this ?

Dave

[buzzy bee]

You want to speak to rick about australian utes! hehe

[admin]

I know there were Oz (only) versions of the Ford 103E that had rear bodies resembling the Series E ute you show a pic of. They were known as the plumber's ute, so probably the same name was used on the Morris too.

As far as I know (I'm not toooo well up on Morris mind!) 8hp pickups in the UK were probably built by outside coachbuilders, either onto a chassis/cab purchased from the factory (did they sell them like this?), or else were a conversion made to a car. Ford vans that received a rear end bump were often converted to pickups - perhaps the same thing happened with Morris vans after a shunt?

Flicking through a copy of Morris Commercial Vehicles, it contains a picture of a military dropside based on the larger 10cwt Series Y chassis. There is a photo of a 30s Minor pickup, coachbuilt, but none showing a Morris 8/E pickup.

Rick

[Edit] actually strictly speaking the E in the photo is a roadster ute, thanks to the folding roof over the cab

[admin]

Funnily enough I dug out a pile of old The Automobile mags while tidying up in the garage the other day, and the first one I looked at had an article about Oz utes. I think there was a photo or two of the Morrie E roadster utility, but don't remember any reference to equivalent UK Morris 8 pickups

Rick

[Scotty]

I saw this Morris in Selkirk in 2003, seemingly it was a factory built vehicle, and if memory serves me correctly there was a classic vehicle magazine that did a full article on it later that year.

[admin]

Great photo that Scotty!

UKDave, do you think you'd have a go at building one from scratch, based on a ropey Morris donor car, or try and find an original needing some work perhaps?

Rick

[UKdave2002]

Rick

I'd probably try to get hold of a Morris Z van and re-fabricate the rear; I have loads of Morris E body and mechanical parts so the Z would be favourite, possibly using some of the later minor pickup panels ?.

Dave

[admin]

Hi

Yeah that could end up looking well couldn't it, especially as you can buy new Moggie Minor side panels can't you? perhaps narrow it down a bit and adapt a tailgate to suit?

Rick

[UKdave2002]

Rick

The E /Z is a few inches narrower that the later minor, so would have to cut the tailgate take some metal out and weld it up, or the whole thing wouldnt look wrong with a wooden rear drop sides etc.

dave

[alfanut]

Perhaps something along the lines of this would be an idea:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1465876365041234220BfZuwZ
Not quite a ute but I would think it would be relatively straightforward to make something that fits well enough to look original. Could all the ironmongery (brackets, corner pieces etc) be got from a trailer fittings supplier?

[admin]

Looking at some pickup conversions, I think the hardest part must be making a success of the cab back. Many conversions just have a flat piece of timber and a hard rectangular back window. The best ones have curved rear corner vertical panels to the cab, and a nicely curved back window - ie a factory look, say like that on the factory Minor p/u

That leaves the back end. IMO steel back bodies look the best, wooden ones unless done well can look a bit homemade - witness the number of Minor pickups that have treacly varnished finishes, and chequerplate pickup beds. Oz utes tend to have monobodies - ie integral with the cab and flow straight through, whereas UK pickups have separate cabs and rear bodies.

A good example is the A40 Devon - the UK job has a separate back, the Oz one is integral..

Mine:


Oz type photographed in a scrapyard:


Rick

[UKdave2002]

Rick

The UK one looks far better, the Oz looks very home made like they just chopped the roof and brought the rear section to the back of the cab.
I have a Series E shell that will be scrapped could use the rear of that ( the window appeture) and form the top and sides on a wheel, I can manage single curves doubles are a bit tricky !

Dave

[buzzy bee]

[admin]

UKD

Yeah if you've got a donor shell then it'll provide a lot of the curvy panels to make a start with! The Oz Devon probably looks better from the rear 3/4 view than side-on, the back window is a 3 piece affair and I think looks quite good, although on balance I also prefer the Brit job, which utilises the back window of the saloon in its rear cab panel.

Rick