Absolute beginner restoring a 1959 small truck

[Austin 101]

I am an absolute beginner.

I am restoring an Austin 101, which is a badge engineered Morris JB (the B series engined J Type). It is taking for ever because I am having to teach myself every single skill necessary...and welding is the next big challenge.

I just discovered this forum; I am so glad it is here. I just had a quick look and I have already learnt a lot. Thanks.

 

[malcolm]

Welcome to the forum. Do you have the pick-up version like in the photo? If so yours surely must be the only one left! Post some photos if you have them - it's a very cool vehicle.

There's great satisfaction to be had in learning on the job - that's the way I learned to weld, paint, mess up engines etc. I have an MGA which I understand may have been based on your truck!

 

[Austin 101]

thanks

Hi malcolm
Thanks for the welcome. No, sadly mine isn't a pick-up; in fact I didn't know there had ever been such a thing! Mine was actually a milk float but had been butchered before I bought it and it is basically now just a cab and chassis (and not much left of either of those either) but that gives me licence to return it to the road in any form I choose.

The picture is something I knocked up using a picture of a Morris JB van - except that I cut off the roof and sides down to the moulding line, which is where my sides will be built up to by mounting the sides onto the side of a flatbed....ultimately that is the master-plan anyway. In the meantime I just want to get it back on the road as a flatbed truck.

Here's what it looked like the day I brought it home.

I know that the MGA (can we see a pic, please) is related to the J type because some parts are the same, but beyond that, I don't know?

Anyway, I just brought my welder home, so I am dead excited...and on my way out to the garage to play.

Thanks again for the welcome.

 

[malcolm]

Here's the MGA: http://www.vord.net/cars/helga/helga_restoration.html It was made in 1959 as well, but had an easy life in Texas. All Morris, Austins and MGs of the period seemed to use the same mechanical bits so you shouldn't have any trouble buying any bits that you can't weld back together.

Your Ausin does look very cool. I love the doors. It'll be great driving around with them folded open on a hot summer day.

 

[Austin 101]

wow

malcolm, you did a heck of a great job on the MGA. I am incredibly impressed.

Yes, I like the concertina doors too, but I am concertinering them outwards. I know that seems like technological heresy but there are two very good reasons. Firstly, they take up a lot of room inside, which is fine if you are a lone milkman, but lousy if you want a girlfriend to ride along. The doors make it impossible to have a passenger seat because the left of the cab accommodates the engine. Secondly, the opening-in makes it nigh on impossible to have the J type moulding (swage) lines on the doors.

But don't worry, the doors will still look cool and won't stick out any further than the wings, so will be safe.

I have just done my first welding. I welded the top of a windscreen pillars onto the bottom pillars. It is a project from 6 yrs ago. I chopped up this old 100E which was minutes away from being crushed and brought the parts home. I am now making the front of the car into a bar-be-que (or car-be-que). Just remove bonnet to cook.

I shall just go and take a picture.

 

[Austin 101]

car-be-que

I ought to find out how you put pictures on the web like you did, malcolm....to save space here. But anyway, in the meantime, here are some pics:

 

[Austin 101]

car-be-que

some more shots (sorry they take up space. I will suss out how to create link to somewhere else in future)