Morris Eight Series I (1935 to 1937)

The Morris Eight was Morris Motors' answer to the small-car boom of the 1930s and became one of the best-selling British cars of its decade, outselling the Austin Seven and Ford Model Y. Introduced in October 1934, it gave buyers a full-size feel in a car rated at 8 horsepower for taxation. The first cars are now called "pre-Series" by enthusiasts, as Morris only adopted the Series I name from June 1935; they carried the 1935 model year. The Series II, with a painted rather than chrome radiator surround and Easiclean wheels, followed, and from 1938 the restyled Series E took the name through to the late 1940s.

The Series I combined a separate steel channel-section chassis with a newly designed 918cc side-valve four, a three-speed gearbox and, notably for a cheap car of the period, Lockheed hydraulic brakes on all four wheels. Bodies were offered as two and four-door saloons, two and four-seat tourers and a light van. Saloons used steel panels on a wooden frame.

On the road it is modest but willing. A period tourer would reach the high 50s, and owners today find it happiest cruising at 45 to 50mph. The hydraulic brakes are still respected, the controls are light and the car is simple to maintain. Its strong survival rate is credited to sound engineering, and club and parts support is excellent.

• Years built: introduced October 1934 (pre-Series, 1935 model year); Series I name from June 1935; Series I production to 1937; Series II then Series E (from 1938) continued the Eight name.
• Body styles (Series I): two-door saloon, four-door saloon (with sliding "sunshine" roof and leather seats in the better trims), two-seat tourer, four-seat tourer and 5cwt van.
• Engine: 918cc Morris Type UB four-cylinder side-valve, three-bearing crankshaft, single SU carburettor, 23.5bhp (classiccarsforsale.co.uk gives 3,900rpm). Bore and stroke 57 by 90mm, compression 5.8:1, thermosyphon cooling.
• Gearbox: three-speed manual, synchromesh on second and top only; Borg and Beck single dry-plate clutch.
• Brakes: Lockheed hydraulic drums, 8in diameter.
• Electrics: Lucas 6 volt with coil ignition, third-brush dynamo and electric wiper.
• Wheelbase 7ft 6in; weight around 14cwt.
• Production: motor-car.net and Grace's Guide give 164,102 (with about 24,000 tourers), while classiccarsforsale.co.uk says over 221,500 saloons and tourers were sold between 1934 and 1938. The figures probably count different periods or series; treat both with caution.

• October 1934: pre-Series cars launched. A "1935" car could be pre-Series or Series I depending on build date, so check which the car truly is.
• June 1935: Series I designation adopted. Chrome radiator shell with a dummy honeycomb grille in front of the real radiator.
• Series II: painted radiator surround in place of chrome and Easiclean wheels; otherwise very similar.
• 1938: Series E with new styling, a four-speed gearbox and a revised 918cc engine with a different cylinder head and pistons. Series E parts are not automatically interchangeable with Series I, though Series E four-speed gearboxes are sometimes fitted to earlier cars.

Bodywork and structure

• Chassis: the side members are channel sections fitted with the open side facing outwards, which traps water and mud. Inspect them along their length, especially near the wheelarches, and look for bodged plating.
• Look for cracks behind the front spring hangers and, less often, the rear ones.
• Wooden framing: saloons have wood in the body frame, including the ash door frames and around the rear wheelarches, and tourers are built entirely around a wooden frame. Removing the rear seat helps you see the framing. Look for rot, splits, missing sections and woodworm.
• Open and close each door. Dropped doors, uneven gaps or doors that need lifting to latch suggest tired or rotten framing. Excessive body shake on the move is another sign.
• Panel rust: check the running boards and their joints with the front wings, door bottoms and around the rear wheelarches. Running boards are relatively easy to remake.

Engine

• The side-valve unit uses white metal bearings. Listen for knocking on start-up and check the oil pressure gauge or warning arrangement.
• Cylinder heads can crack, though repairs are possible. Look for water in the oil and weeps from the head joint.
• Cooling is by thermosyphon with no pump, so the radiator and passages must be clear. Ask whether the system has been flushed.
• Most parts are available, but pistons are scarce. Confirm the engine is a Series I type, as Series E engines differ.

Gearbox and drivetrain

• First gear never had synchromesh, so some double declutching is normal. Worn synchromesh on second and top will mean double declutching for every change.
• Listen for whine from the gearbox and back axle. Differentials are generally sound but halfshafts can break.
• The clutch is shared with the Morris Minor, which helps supply.
• A four-speed Series E gearbox may have been substituted; this is a known upgrade, but it is not original.

Suspension, steering and brakes

• Steering boxes wear. Check free play at the wheel with the front wheels on the ground. Reconditioned boxes are available.
• Kingpins need greasing every 500 miles. Early cars used bronze bushes, later ones rolled bushes, and both are available. Jack the front up if allowed and rock the wheel top and bottom.
• Brakes are Lockheed hydraulic. Check fluid level, look for leaks at each wheel and inspect the flexible hoses, which perish with age. The pedal should be firm and should not sink under steady pressure.
• Look at the condition of the leaf springs and shackles.

Electrics and interior

• The 6 volt Lucas system uses a third-brush dynamo whose output is not controlled like a modern regulator, so watch that the ammeter shows a charge and ask whether the dynamo has been overhauled. Headlamps on 6 volt systems are dim by modern standards.
• Check the wiring loom for brittle cloth-covered cable and amateur additions, and confirm the electric wiper and any trafficators work.
• Inspect the leather or cloth trim, door cards, headlining and the sliding roof mechanism and its drain channels on four-door saloons.

Identity and paperwork

• Check the chassis number against the V5C and confirm whether the car is pre-Series, Series I or Series II.
• The Morris Register may be able to help with dating and originality questions.
• Look for evidence of past restoration, particularly of the woodwork and chassis.

Club and specialist support is very good. The Morris Register (morrisregister.co.uk (opens in a new tab)), the club for Morris vehicles designed before 1940, runs a spares service with UK and worldwide supply, offers technical advice and keeps an archive of documents and reference material. Independent suppliers offer reconditioned steering boxes and other parts, and specialist woodworkers and coachbuilders can repair body frames.

• Is the car pre-Series, Series I or Series II, and does the chassis number confirm it?
• What work has been done to the wooden body frame, and when?
• Has the chassis been inspected or repaired, especially at the spring hangers?
• Is the engine and gearbox the original three-speed Series I type?
• When were the hydraulic brakes last overhauled, and has the dynamo been checked?