Morris Minor Traveller - how to keep your wood looking

Morris Minor Traveller- how to keep your wood looking good.

The Morris Minor Traveller, a classic icon of British motoring, but how do you keep your lovely woodwork from fading, greying, going black and eventually rotting?!!!!

The woodwork on your Morris Minotr Traveller is an intergral part of the intergrity of your car and so it is importantto keep it in good condition not only so it looks good but also because it is part of your cars frame.

Please never and I mean never varnish your woodwork ( if your Traveller has varnished woodwork get that varnish off right now!). Varnish looks good for a short time but it cracks and blisters, water gets under it and the wood cannot breath, then the rot sets in, uck!.

Right, that was the horror story, now for the good news. You can keep your woodwork looking good for years by applying Danish Oil to your woodwork once a month. Danish Oil is a furniture/woodworking finishing oil that is used to give wood a lovely protective coating, bringing out the colour and beauty of your wood while protecting it from the weather. It is available from hardware shops and here on Ebay.

On new untreated woodwork, if you have just replaced your woodwork as part of a restoration project, make sure that your wood is dust and grease free - wipe it over with white spirt and let dry to make sure. The apply three coats of Danish Oil either with a lint free rag or a small brush. I use a rag, just wiping the Danish Oil onto the woodwork.Use a small amount and wipe up any that spills onto your paint work or smears on your windows as it is really hard to get off when it has dried. A good tip is to keep a rag soaked in white spirit handy, then if you do get some danish oil where you shouldn't you can remove it easily. The oil will soak in, leave afew hours and apply the next coat so that you have three in all.

If you have varnished woodwork, remove the varnish by sanding back to the wood to remove all varnish and then carry on as above.

To maintain your now lovely woodwork apply a coat of Danish Oil about once a month. If you don't oil your wood for a while don't panic just give the wood a good scrub with a pan scourer and apply Danish Oil when dry.If it has been a while since you applied any Danish Oil apply several coats.

I had the woodwork on my 1966 Almond Green Traveller Gwen replaced in 1998 and have used Danish Oil on her woodwork since then.She still looks as gorgeous as the day I collected her from the workshop and is often complemented on her good looks.

Happy motoring to all Morris Minor Owners :-)

Clanger-Em and Gwen.

P.S. Danish Oil is also really good for your wooden garden furniture, but thats just not as cool as Morris Minors now is it?