"IT’S HARD TO believe, but this is the 12th issue I have edited after taking over the driving seat this time last year! A lot has changed since then, for a start I have moved house, a stressful time that’s for sure but also the magazine itself I believe has changed far more than even I had imagined. We have featured some truly great looking cars, built, restored and maintained by a wide range of people which typifies the eclectic mix of Minor owners in general. Hopefully we can sustain the high quality features and reports that you have now grown accustomed to, which no-doubt will make my job even harder but with your help we should be able to pull it off! The UK’s largest classic car show is just about to happen and I hope to meet many more of you lot down there at the Birmingham NEC, for what is always a great show and I’m sure that the owners club and the various other Minors on display will no doubt do us proud. Finally this month I would like to thank all of you who have sent in pictures, show reports, feature ideas and anything else that has arrived on my desk over this past year, you have made the job all the more enjoyable and I look forward to the next 12-months and beyond. You will see a user name and password, which, once you are logged on at www.minormonthly.co.uk will give you access to many, many more pages. In today’s modern world there is a very high percentage of computer users covering all age groups, and we feel confidant that all our readers will be able to log on somewhere and view the full version. The log-in details will change monthly so you will still need to buy the magazine, but we hope that this move forward will be accepted by you all, we’d love to hear what you think of this unique leap forward, so drop me a line at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your thoughts. Also a thank you to our merry band of regular contributors, new and old who also go a long way to making this job so pleasurable."

Jon Betts - Minor Monthly Editor

Table of Contents

Regulars

5 Staff List & Ed Speak

6 News and Products

10 Your Views

30 Company Spotlight: Charles Ware is the focus of this months feature.

38 Minor Tech: Shock absorber reconditioning Part 2. René Flameng returns to show us how to refurbish a lever arm damper

42 My Minor and I

43 Staff Cars: At last Russ Harvey’s van is rolling on all four wheels!

46 And Finally: How important is fuelling and ignition timing?

Features

12 The Mobil Oil Economy Run: Part 4 Mike Foster continues with his fascinating tales of the Mobil economy run.

16 LCV Register Midlands Gathering. Pictures from the commercial gathering at Webb’s Garden Centre in Wychbold

18 Series II Comercials Part 4. Black Beauty all the way from Melbourne by Russ Harvey.

22 East Midlands Branch Rally

24 Show Stoppers. Two custom Minors and a trailer snapped at this years MMOC National rally.

32 Meant to be. Chris and his wife Sarah Plummer share their Traveller with us.