I have seen switches fade to clear. When I parked the car it had black ones. Ten years later one was clear and the other was black.

Adam,
My '61 850 had a clear speedo needle and black switches. They didn't have time to fade in 3 years from new. So there.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

There's a beautiful low mileage 1960 Austin Seven for sale in the UK, with only 16000 Miles on the clock.

http://www.orchardclassics.co.uk/austinminiseven.html

The ad has a number of detailed pictures which make good reference material. Its not perfect though, the master cylinders are the later type and some vandal has painted the transparent switch toggles black, but its a lovely example.



Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

What a glorious car.
Such a nice example.
If only I had a lazy 20K to get it over here!

Can someone please be able to tell me how far the Vandals have gone with this car,. As I can see a white binnacle and switch panel. Why I asked this question, is that our 61 (Elmore) came with (See picture). Which we through cardboard came before plastic. As Mary Loo came with neither which should it be.

Its getting a bit early for my expertise, but the switch panel was always metal. The early ones were flat, i.e. without pressings around the choke and heater knob, but I don't know when that finished.

The early cars did use a paper mache or pressed cardboard binnacle around the speedo, I think until some time in 1960. My January '61 Traveller has a plastic one.

I'm pretty certain the black flecky black paint on yours is wrong, they should be painted white, about the colour of the plastic ones. The parts books says Old English White, but it says that about lots of white parts.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

A couple of questions for the lucky ones who own very early Australian 850s.

What type of fastener have been used at the top of each subframe tower, bolts or studs?

and what do the tops of your master cylinders look like?



This is a picture of my brake master next to a later one. In the UK 1960-early '61 had a hexagon shape on top and a metal cap. The '61 onwards had a tapered top and a plastic cap. There was an even earlier style ('59) which had a removable hexagonal nut on top.

Tim

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1951 Morris Commercial J Type Van
1955 BSA C11G
1961 Morris Mini Traveller
1969 Triumph TR6R
1977 Leyland Moke Californian

One of the early 850's in Oz - May 1961. A 1960 CKD car like mine and a few others and assembled in Australia or a complete or partially complete car imported from UK???? The only difference from the early UK cars that I can find in my car is the trim. Even the paint colour, Orient Red is a UK colour.
Note the black number plate holder and the narrow rear quarter window latches. These cars also had white wheels and white grill.