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1958 Minx Estate Barn find

absunbeam

absunbeam

Gold Level Sponsor
Found this on a FB Hillman site. Been sitting 30+ years, has a 73 Wisc license plate. Floor rust & a little dented up but all there. Don’t know if I’m going to restore it but it is a complete car. Might be a good candidate for diamond in the rough! There is also a 59? Rapier convertible there for parts or a very ambitious resto, still have to pick that one up. Thanks to Tom Jeffers for the help and ride along.
 
Motor was not frozen but trans is stuck in gear. Has a on the column 4-speed shifter, very peculiar setup with a crossover rod to the other side that changes the gears. Will have to check the book. Drive shaft will definitely have to come out. Anyone else have this setup? I believe its a 1958 Hillman Minx.
 
absunbeam said:
Motor was not frozen but trans is stuck in gear. Has a on the column 4-speed shifter, very peculiar setup with a crossover rod to the other side that changes the gears. Will have to check the book. Drive shaft will definitely have to come out. Anyone else have this setup? I believe its a 1958 Hillman Minx.
Click to expand...
Never heard of a 4 on the tree .. only 3 :cool: .. you truly are ambitious wit' that one .. I always liked wagons .. My first was a 57' Ford 2dr. Ranch Wagon .. 3 on the tree .. the Fords of that era had the front profile of our kittens .. That's what made me LOOK! at 'em.

..... David
 
Brings back memories. My screen name comes from the 59 Minx drophead I owned when I joined the group years ago, also 4-speed column shift.
 
absunbeam said:
Motor was not frozen but trans is stuck in gear. Has a on the column 4-speed shifter, very peculiar setup with a crossover rod to the other side that changes the gears. Will have to check the book. Drive shaft will definitely have to come out. Anyone else have this setup? I believe it’s a 1958 Hillman Minx.
Click to expand...
My 1959 Singer had the column 4-speed set up. It was quite sloppy, either from wear or from adapting the right side setup to a left side configuration or a bit of both. Now it’s 4-speed all syncro on the floor. Not as cool, but functional.
 
I had a 59 Minx Estate maybe 20 yr's ago. I wasn't a fan of the column shift at first but eventually became a fan. Certainly not sporty but mine was smooth and accurate and fit the character of the estate.
 
Finally got the gear shift loosened up and out of gear. Worked on getting it started by connecting the mouse chewed wires, jumping between the battery and coil. Shot some gas in the carb and it ran! There maybe a diamond in the rough in its future.
 
husky drvr said:
Definitely a thing.

Different from what you may have experienced.

This is from a Minx II owners manual - some early Rapiers had as well.

Will try to find relevant WSM article and send by PM.

Hope this helps,

View attachment 38573
Click to expand...
Don .. The only draw back with the early Ford 3 on the tree was the one rubber bushing at the column. Does it have the same setup? issues if any .. The linkage ones were easy to find/make out of stand. size grommets ... the column one was long and tapered and hard to replicate at the time so a lot of finesse was needed to scoot into gear. (1st. to 2nd) .... later I just went with a floor shift conv, I was just a Kid ...

..... David
 
Well with the shifter unstuck, hot wired the coil, squirted some gas in the carb and it runs! With the cylinders soaked with 50/50 naptha & ATV for 3 weeks might have helped. No smoking out the neighborhood. After 30+years of sitting I was shocked it ran with no issues for 20 seconds. But its a start(pun intended).
Soaking the shifter linkage in Krool finally got things moving. The bushing may need attention since rubber tends to deteriorate after 60 years.
 
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