Edith is looking for a new home. Edith has been in our family since 2008, after we noticed her for sale in the staff carpark at the local hospital. We brought her home, attended to some minor issues with the suspension and she became a trusty little commuter for a couple of years. Then, in 2010 we decided we really wanted to bring her back to like-new condition. This was the beginning of a fun, four-year project. She was stripped back to bare metal, her underbody was coated in a sound deadener and body protector and then she was completely resprayed in acrylic, inside and out. She was pretty good for rust but did score one new floor pan and a new battery box in the process. Her engine was stripped, dipped and rebored, with new pistons and rings, new bearings, new double timing chain and new oil pump. Her head was converted to run on unleaded with hardened valve inserts and new valves, guides and seals. A new distributor, starter motor, rebuilt carburettor and good quality electric fuel pump ensure she starts first time, every time. We sent her gearbox off to a specialist in Adelaide who rebuilt it from the ground up, with new bearings and bulk rings. New clutch and clutch master and slave cylinders were fitted. Both front and rear suspension frames were completely stripped, sprayed in an epoxy protective coat and fitted with new rubber cones, hi-lo kit and new shock absorbers all round. Her upholstery and roof liner were remade from scratch by Castle Trim in Adelaide, who found a superb soft leatherette that looks old but feels like new. Every rubber door gasket, window gasket and seal we could find was replaced and new lenses fitted to the tail lights and front parking lights. Finally, every bit of her brake system, with the exception of the steel body lines, was replaced. New master cylinder, new slave cylinders (the later larger bore type), new hoses and new rear pressure regulator. Receipts for the parts are all available, but driving the car tells the story. She is tight and responsive on the road; the gear shift is precise and the clutch effortless. The brakes are solid(unboosted) with good pedal feel. Since her rebuild from 2010 to 2014 Edith has had a quiet but fun life. No more commuting, the new job was just too far away. Instead, a Bay to Birdswood, some school formals and even a military graduation parade. She has been the special event car. But then, in about 2020, a house move left us short of garage space so she was sent off to storage with a family member in Melbourne. She has been there too long now and we realise she needs to go to someone who will drive her. She should not languish in storage. So, she is back in Adelaide and looking for a new home. She is ready to go, the only challenges for her new owner will be choosing new tyres as, although her current tyres have nearly perfect tread, they are now well over 10 years old and so will not pass a roadworthy in some states. Also, she has come out of storage with what I can only describe as a "drunken" speedo, it wobbles all over the place and reads very high now. A satisfying repair task for her next owner. Her build date is 12/70, first registered in 08/71, she still carries her original registration plates and includes the dealer stamp with the current registration number on her owner's manual. She has been sprayed in Neptune Blue; a slightly more cheerful version of the Cadet Blue used on some Morris minis. Her roof and wheels are white and paint codes are available for both paints. She also includes the factory heater with controls, but these are not fitted as we felt heating was less important than leg room in Adelaide's climate. All receipts and the manual are included in the sale.
