I am from Goa, India... We have a Hillman Minx III B, 1961 model belonging to my father... getting restored and modified at the moment... upgrading to disc brakes on the front wheels... our Minx is like a family member since 1961 and has given a lot of service to my doctor father in those days when there were no tar roads in Goa... hope to finish the restoration before 5th February 2022, the day it was bought 61 years ago 5th February 1961, and present it to my Papa, on his wedding day... our Minx is sort of my elder sister by 1 year... 😊
That's really great. I'm in Ireland and restoring a 1959, first of the Series 3B. Lots of welding, but that's done. I'm getting ready for paint now. Best of luck.
Brings back happy memories for me. In 1962 I drove a new one of these from England to the south of France and back for a two-weeks holiday. Four of us in it plus luggage. Crossed the English Channel on a ferry. Crossed the Alps both ways. Saw Nice, Cannes and Monaco (Monte Carlo) and some of northern Italy. Car took it all in its stride although its engine was only 1600 c.c. - a normal size for British family cars. Key ignition failed in Calais and from then on we simply raised the bonnet (hood) and pressed the solenoid button to start the engine. Make sure the car is not in gear before you press the solenoid!
My Dad had a Minx, you could see the road through holes in the floor and if you tried to go over about 55 it would start shaking. We went all over in that car, we loved it.
Man, you are fearless - No worry about sparks, flame, fire, explosions, snakes, critters, wasps, etc. Definitely my new favorite channel and it's making me want to try and get my '97 Jeep running that's been sitting for 5 years.
Did you notice the solenoid with the red cable attached has a rubber end? That is a switch you can push to start the motor from under the hood. Lots of British cars of that era used it.
For a number of years I raced a Hillman Minx, with an Alexander twin carb setup, in the vintage sedan class and had a great time. So much fun, and it handled very predictably. Good to see this one running again.
That "crack" is supposed to be there!! I owned a couple of those cars!! One was auto, & the other was manual with hydraulic clutch. Pull that starter apart, & clean up the commutator bars, undercut them, & clean the the brush holders. That silver device next to the wiper motor is the solenoid for the starter. It has a button you can push (the black thing on the opposite end to the battery connections). Push it, & it will operate the starter motor.
I'm very surprised that Hillman exported to the US. They were the quintessential English car Watch for the electrics, the Achilles' heel of the majority of British cars of the era. A lot more of them came to Australia, so we're more familiar with them.
When I was stationed in Londonderry, Northern Ireland with the US Navy (1970) I bought a used Hillman Imperial. (I think the Imperial is the the Minx what Toyota Camery is to the Corolla). It was missing 3rd gear so I had to rev it up tight in 2nd gear before shifting to 4th, which was accompanied with a loud backfire. I had to hold the shifter in 4th because it would jump out of gear if I let up on the gas peddle. It was a great time in my life. I was 18 yo and not a worry in the world.
Friends neighbour had one of these back around 1980, was probably in about the same condition even then.😄 While they're extremely basic it makes them virtually bullet proof (as any basic car from that era can be) once up and running and super easy to learn the basics of engine and running gear maintainance (ie an ideal teaching car).
I learnt to drive in my brother's 1953 minx. It had no synchromesh between the first and second gear , and it was a column change. He did all the maintenance on it and so the engine bay looked very familiar. The interior bench seats meant he could take all 6 of my family on holidays in the UK where we had never been. The camping gear was in a trailer at the rear, and we had lots of fun. Your video was very entertaining.
Those old Hillmans were tough little cars in their day, with the reputation that you didn't need to wrench on them every weekend to keep them going. Same with that Opel Kadett I saw in the back ground. Back in the '70s I had one of each!
These cars were very common when I was growing up in New Zealand in the 60's and 70's, My brother even had an upgraded version of this car which was the Super Minx, that had the 1.5L engine. His was a 1966 model I think. I drove it for a while in the 90's and it actually went really well for such a small engine.
Guy I went to school with had the super minx, we drove the angelbox and Imp, both around 1 litre, both fun to drive but had to rev them a bit, heh. I'm also a kiwi
@aftonline. I'm a 1940 model myself, born and raised in Westport, NZ, i remember them well. My friends Dad had a new Humber 80, which my spoilt friend drove like a racing car, around the Buller District. It was column change. Robert.
These were sold in the US I saw an article in a popular mechanics magazine years ago that talked about how the automatic transmission worked in these cars that had them. They used iron filings at different voltages and a lot of other things
The head on that engine looks like my Morris Minor or Nash metropolitan engine same thing basically I don't know this engine looks like one maybe one of you Brits could tell me
Nice, I had a two tone 1963 red and white one of these in the mid 1990s, Nice runabout. Hillman Minx Series 3c 1500cc. The starter solenoid on the bulkhead has a rubber button you can press instead of having to go turn the key if the ignition is switched on. Useful when your in the engine bay playing.
Hillman Minx was in fact built in England in various forms from 1931-1970 by the Rootes Group ( Later owned by Chrysler Europe then sold to Peugeot) take the nicer one and strip the way to far gone one for usable parts and make one good one ( at least that’s what I would do)
Ahh cool! My girlfriends grandad worked at the Maidstone, Kent (UK) Rootes factory in the 50’s to the 70’s. Peugeot were in the factory & showroom till a few years back. Now the factory is being made into flats and the ‘listed’ ramp is staying to give car access to the 1st floor flats.
@@nickb5391 👍🏻 girlfriends grandpatents moved from Maidstone to Coventry in 1976 with the Rootes group. Her Uncle also worked in the Rolls Royce factory, whilst her Nan worked for Alvis.
AWESOME, My dad had one of these in the 70's. The main thing I remember about it was how comfy it was sitting on those leather seats, and how they burned on bare skin in the summer. 😂
Hi, my dad had one or more of these here in UK in 1960s. Hillman , made in England,were taken over by Chrysler and the name was removed and changed to Chrysler on the cars. The style and quality went down and sales plumeted. Many thanks for the memories of my childhood.
Why not push the button the top of the solenoid on the inner fender next to where the battery sits. Brits of this era all had them there’s a rubber cap over it. It allows you to manually operate the starter solenoid.
I owned a Singer version of this in 95 here in Blighty, it had a chromed engine, rocker and rad. Watch out for the boot lid, when it releases on the lock it will smack you in the face hard too. Surprisingly the almost impossible parts to get seem to be good on yours, the rear wraparound screen is very difficult and the exterior panels seem in pretty good shape but I imagine the inner body is going to need some work but luckily they are easy to cut and shape and make the inner sills from sections of box and then box section to make the across beams then plates over the top.
my late daddy owned one of these around 1965. Then he had a hillman hunter I think, then by 1972 or therabouts he had a daytona yellow Mk3 ford cortina. Driving was more fun back then I think.
My cousin had one of these back in the mid 70s up in Oregon. It had a small house built onto it. A one-off camper version I suppose - the Hillman Hillbilly. These old Hillmans were nutty little things even without a piggyback house.
My first car! Same colours as the first one....brilliant car, did lots of work on it, so easy. Never set it on fire though! Great videos, fantastic commentary, and wonderful fun! Thanks, and ......stay safe ??? Neil...U.K.
Unbelievable. My mum use to have one of theses back in the 60s when I was a nipper. It was green with cream seats. That has brought back so many memories. 🇬🇧😎👍🏻
Hi there ... these are British cars very popular in their heyday. Your country has much kinder weather than my English weather - Great to watch this old heroes of past eras start up Thanks for these videos it's amazing that with a few simple tools and some handy chemicals that these can be seen to show signs of life. I hope people see a way through to restore some of these cars there is really not that much rot considering their age and the lack of rust preventative bear in mind the Minx's shown here are almost 60 years old
A while back, I owned a 1965 Hillman Minx. Mine had the same leak on the carb, so I replaced it with a Solex PICT 28 from a VW bug. It ran GREAT. Somebody before me painted it bright orange, so we all called it The Pumpkin. Sold it off in 1976 to buy my first MGB, a 1968 roadster.
Do you remember this car in the Beatles movie Help!? When the head of the infamous cult had Ringo in the trunk, and almost made it before the car stalled, which gave George ample time to unbolt a wheel as Clang was feverishly chasing out the issues the getaway Hillman was having, and didn't notice, thankfully so. Once Clang got the Minx underway, he hadn't made any distance, because George's wheel tampering paid off, the car overturned, and George rescued Ringo out of the trunk.
The early models from 1957 had a column gear change, a few years later they made them floor change and put a blanking plug in the hole where the column changer had been. So the floor change is original to that car.
Ironically he isn't even from the south. He is from Arkansas according to his truck plate in a different video. I'm from Missouri, which is smack dab in the center of the U.S and this reminds me of home the way he talks, and the rolling Ozark mountains in background
Those were quite popular in their day as race cars in circuit racing. The engine was upgraded several times with British tuning firm Holbay designing a alloy head which was introduced and used by Hillman right into the 70's on the Hillman hunter models. The hunter tooling was sold to iran where they continued to be sold as the paykan . So engine parts are not hard to find.
lol great combination of gas and carby cleaner with sparking from the starter jumping and only one fire. Love it! Sums up my decisions getting things going. a combination of due care and excitement!
My heart gets knocked off rhythm every time a coil shocks you lol. 1992 Honda Accord got me once and never again will I be as brave as you around those coils lol.
Few bits of kit you need - A lithium jump pack to connect in addition to your battery, they whiz over engines - OR jump from your truck to the battery, bare battery on all the cars you've tried rarely enough - You'll save hours of messing about. Oh, and a decent bucket of water to chuck on the bonfires you make sloshing about petrol/carb clean/other volatiles haha. Love the vids
The Minx I believe was made in Coventry, England though but close to my home A lot of Hillman's were made in Linwood, Scotland mainly the Hillman Imp, it was a big car plant owned by Chrysler previously Rootes also had it's own railway line for getting the cars out too.
A good friend of mine had a Minx soft top a few years ago- which was made around 1960- very similar to this. I took it out for a day and was very impressed how smooth it was to drive. Lovely engineering. I wish you could post photos in CZcams comments because I have some nice ones of my wife and myself in it.
Amazing you have these old relics from the UK. My grandfather drove these when they were knew, way before my time. Recently identified a Minx in an old picture from my wifes grans albums 👍
That Hillman is a pretty cool car. I think a lot of your starter heat issues are caused by using jumper cables to spin the starter. A lot of jumper cables are marked as 2 gauge but when you cut themm open it's all rubber and like a single strand of wire. Have you thought about building yourself a little starter Box for these cars? I actually built one recently for breaking in engines. It's built out of scrap plywood, and uses a Ford solenoid that I could put in between the starter and the battery with 2 heavy battery cables, I installed some old tach, oil pressure gauge, and a temperature gauge that I could attach to just about any motor. I also added an Ignition key so I have an accessory position and a start position. The other thing I did was added some terminals in the back to connect accessories too.. Like I have a 12 V output that you can connect to a coil another one you can connect to a choke. The idea is to hook this Box up and control everything from outside the car instead of having to run back-and-forth to check gauges or to turn the Ignition key anything like that can all be done outside.
That sounds cool. I know of a 37 Ford pickup sitting in pieces near a lumber mill. IDK if the engine is locked up, but your starter box sounds cool for getting stuff running. The pickup in question is pretty much rusted to kingdom come, but I would still see if I could get it running.
@@thomasschwarting5108 I just might. I'm currently still in school, and I need to find the space and money to do it. There are no holes in the tops of the fenders or the cab. But as far as I'm concerned the engine is locked up. It's not even a Ford engine, it's a Chevy Stovebolt 6. I'll end up putting in a Flathead V8 or something. However, keep in mind that this was 5 years ago. The pickup may have been sold for scrap by now. However, I might find a different one.
This was epic. Ignore the haters, they're in evety comments section...i live in UK snd the simplicity of these things was epic! I think its cos every owner had to be able to work on it!! Lol Great Work, keep it up AND DON'T FORGET TO USE THAT FIREBALL IN AN INTRO MONTAGE!!!
It was one of those cars that me and my mate stripped down when we where 13. I always felt it was a bad thing to do so its nice that you got one back running. Sounds odd, but I feel a weight has lifted off me.
So Hillman Minx were sold in the States, i'm amazed, Commonwealth countries there were many, Australia , New Zealand, but didn't think British cars other than top of the line vehicles would catch on. Robert. NZ.
This has to be one of the more entertaining first start videos I've seen! I would have thrown a pint of MMO (Marla Misery Oil) in the crankcase, put the valve cover back on and used a gas can as a fuel tank and fed the carb that way. I loved your reaction when you got some 'spark'. Good job getting her going!
GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!! you need your own personal fire department on standby when you get loose with those jumper cables man..I owned a minx in the 1980s and it had a 4sp on the floor trans..It handled like a bucket of water on a skateboard, had crap brakes and clutch but gees i loved banging here around town..best work car ive ever had i think..stay safe marte and wear ya fire suit..lol
I had no idea that Hillman Minxes were sold in the states, I thought I saw an old gold Vauxhall Viva in the background (at 6.34) someone around there liked old British cars
To bad you didnt notice the starter push button on the solinoid at the end of the red wire, You needed that because if you drove this car,you would all ways be under the hood working on the engine!! LOL!
Man, you had me laughing.........really. Too, it is just because you're young, and do not know about British cars. By today"s standard, they're the epitome of simplicity. For instance, you could have just clip the jumper cable to the positive battery cable and press the rubber-covered button on the starter relay, instead of starting a fire electrically !!!! Trinidad & Tobago.
This is a pretty dumb comment in my opinion, this dude has tons of experience, it wasn't even an electrical fire (this occurs when wires are running too much current and get hot, his was from pouring gas and marvel mystery oil in the leaking carb) and this car is so rare you'd pretty much NEVER see one in the United States so assuming he's ever even seen one before let alone worked on one is pretty dumb. His methods are pretty common amongst older mechanics in the United States, younger mechanics don't even mess with cars like this these days. So he deserves lots of respect.. This is pretty clearly just content and not a serious project.
We had them out here in New Zealand in RH drive in the MId 60s when i was a little kiddie. The bendix on the old lucas starters used to lock up and not through out if left unused for a few months. (Joseph Lucas Prince of Darkness)
I love it finding these old antique engines and trucks and parts and cars and firing them back up to life and it takes him doing but you proved it can be done
Mine was a 1955. Older shape. Same engine though. First of the overhead valve! Wow! 43 BHP. 4 on the column. It was abandoned and my dad (a cop then) dragged it home for us boys to work on. I eventually got it going and learned how cars worked from it. Very basic car but practical and easy to work on. When I got it, it was 12 years old and in those days (1967) a 12 year old car was a wreck. worn out. Not just the engine but door locks, window winders, rubbers, faded lights, knobs, steering all wore out. Nowdays I run a 2001 model car which is not worn at all. Sure don't make them like they used to (thabks goodness!!)
19:26 - exactly the way most of the mechanics "fix" the cars. And you expect miracles, that auto mechanic is like a surgeon and treats your car with dignity :-)
My dad bought a Super Minx sometime in 1962 or 63. It was two tone with either grey sides and brown roof or something along that lines. It was the talk of the road for months because everyone else had Fords which were pre war design and all painted black. I would love to have one now but converted to electric.
Electric cars still create pollution. How do you think they make the electricity to charge them? For God's sake, cut the act and put gasoline back in our cars, doggone government!
I love the simplicity of the old European car design. Even a cheap car has an almost artistic look to it. Less than 20 years after the war times were still tight for them. Queen Elizabeth was young when this old girl rolled off the line.
I know I mean u look at all these cars and okay u had the Hillman minx the Humber sceptre and the singer vogue they were the same car basically (rootes group) but every car was the same they were all trying to design something new not follow the heard so to speak
On Friday 13th October 1967 I joined Leeds City Police and the Sergeants had these. I remember him driving up a cobbled road and the the sump hit a raised cobble. The car stopped instantly and they were thrown forward (no seat belts then ) and smashed their faces into the windshield (windscreen). Blood all over. In my mind they are classy modern cars and the years have disappeared......
I am from Goa, India... We have a Hillman Minx III B, 1961 model belonging to my father... getting restored and modified at the moment... upgrading to disc brakes on the front wheels... our Minx is like a family member since 1961 and has given a lot of service to my doctor father in those days when there were no tar roads in Goa... hope to finish the restoration before 5th February 2022, the day it was bought 61 years ago 5th February 1961, and present it to my Papa, on his wedding day... our Minx is sort of my elder sister by 1 year... 😊
That's really great. I'm in Ireland and restoring a 1959, first of the Series 3B.
Lots of welding, but that's done. I'm getting ready for paint now. Best of luck.
All the best to you too Sean... 👍😊
Fantastic story, Sudin. I can relate. She's one year younger than I.
That's a great story, Sudin! Amazing how a machine can become part of the family.
goenkar a few of these were taken from kenya back to goa .i havent seen any here in england but i now of a few in kenya
Brings back happy memories for me. In 1962 I drove a new one of these from
England to the south of France and back for a two-weeks holiday. Four of us in
it plus luggage. Crossed the English Channel on a ferry. Crossed the Alps both
ways. Saw Nice, Cannes and Monaco (Monte Carlo) and some of northern Italy.
Car took it all in its stride although its engine was only 1600 c.c. - a normal size
for British family cars. Key ignition failed in Calais and from then on we simply
raised the bonnet (hood) and pressed the solenoid button to start the engine.
Make sure the car is not in gear before you press the solenoid!
My Dad had a Minx, you could see the road through holes in the floor and if you tried to go over about 55 it would start shaking. We went all over in that car, we loved it.
I didn't know cars could drive on water
@@EmperorDionx Every driver up north has driven on water. Solid water in the winter. A bit slippery, but no problems otherwise.
@@EmperorDionx But the ferry did.
sounds like an awesome trip
Man, you are fearless - No worry about sparks, flame, fire, explosions, snakes, critters, wasps, etc. Definitely my new favorite channel and it's making me want to try and get my '97 Jeep running that's been sitting for 5 years.
Did you notice the solenoid with the red cable attached has a rubber end? That is a switch you can push to start the motor from under the hood. Lots of British cars of that era used it.
Really? Never heard of that. Neat
I was thinking that too! '65 superminx 1592 cc. Gave it to the UK Hillman owners club prior to coming to Canada.😭
For a number of years I raced a Hillman Minx, with an Alexander twin carb setup, in the vintage sedan class and had a great time. So much fun, and it handled very predictably. Good to see this one running again.
Brought back some memories for me. My first motor was a '62 Commer Cob which was the van version of the Minx.
That "crack" is supposed to be there!! I owned a couple of those cars!! One was auto, & the other was manual with hydraulic clutch. Pull that starter apart, & clean up the commutator bars, undercut them, & clean the the brush holders. That silver device next to the wiper motor is the solenoid for the starter. It has a button you can push (the black thing on the opposite end to the battery connections). Push it, & it will operate the starter motor.
My dad had one
I'm very surprised that Hillman exported to the US. They were the quintessential English car Watch for the electrics, the Achilles' heel of the majority of British cars of the era. A lot more of them came to Australia, so we're more familiar with them.
Unfortunately not the easiest cars to work on English cars
I think the Achilles heel of British cars of the era are that they are British
Im quite surprised the ign lights came on after all those years sitting. Good ol "lucas" electrics.
The 20 wires total that they have haha
When I was stationed in Londonderry, Northern Ireland with the US Navy (1970) I bought a used Hillman Imperial. (I think the Imperial is the the Minx what Toyota Camery is to the Corolla). It was missing 3rd gear so I had to rev it up tight in 2nd gear before shifting to 4th, which was accompanied with a loud backfire. I had to hold the shifter in 4th because it would jump out of gear if I let up on the gas peddle. It was a great time in my life. I was 18 yo and not a worry in the world.
Great video.
I remember seeing many Hillmans in the streets of New York. When painted and cleaned, the cars are eye-catching.
Thanks for the video!
Friends neighbour had one of these back around 1980, was probably in about the same condition even then.😄
While they're extremely basic it makes them virtually bullet proof (as any basic car from that era can be) once up and running and super easy to learn the basics of engine and running gear maintainance (ie an ideal teaching car).
Unlike the bland looking plastic computer crap today 🥺
I learnt to drive in my brother's 1953 minx. It had no synchromesh between the first and second gear , and it was a column change. He did all the maintenance on it and so the engine bay looked very familiar. The interior bench seats meant he could take all 6 of my family on holidays in the UK where we had never been. The camping gear was in a trailer at the rear, and we had lots of fun. Your video was very entertaining.
Seriously, I am inspired by your attitude. Thank you for the videos.
Those old Hillmans were tough little cars in their day, with the reputation that you didn't need to wrench on them every weekend to keep them going. Same with that Opel Kadett I saw in the back ground. Back in the '70s I had one of each!
Thanks for the videos, they really make day. Big love from the UK 🇬🇧
This was hilarious and very entertaining. I remember these in the U.K. when I was a kid.
These cars were very common when I was growing up in New Zealand in the 60's and 70's,
My brother even had an upgraded version of this car which was the Super Minx, that had the 1.5L engine. His was a 1966 model I think. I drove it for a while in the 90's and it actually went really well for such a small engine.
Guy I went to school with had the super minx, we drove the angelbox and Imp, both around 1 litre, both fun to drive but had to rev them a bit, heh. I'm also a kiwi
@aftonline. I'm a 1940 model myself, born and raised in Westport, NZ, i remember them well. My friends Dad had a new Humber 80, which my spoilt friend drove like a racing car, around the Buller District. It was column change. Robert.
These were sold in the US I saw an article in a popular mechanics magazine years ago that talked about how the automatic transmission worked in these cars that had them. They used iron filings at different voltages and a lot of other things
The carburetor needs to be on it even if it is plugged up just to make the physics correct
The head on that engine looks like my Morris Minor or Nash metropolitan engine same thing basically I don't know this engine looks like one maybe one of you Brits could tell me
This guy is hilarious 🤣 hope he doesn’t live more than 30 seconds from the nearest hospital 😳😁
hehe 😜
Why
I see why now 😂
He's fine...
Agree. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time! The factor of success seems to be: FIRE! 😂
Dude, that's such a cool car! Loved seeing you get it going. Hope you make runner out of it. 😁
Nice, I had a two tone 1963 red and white one of these in the mid 1990s, Nice runabout. Hillman Minx Series 3c 1500cc. The starter solenoid on the bulkhead has a rubber button you can press instead of having to go turn the key if the ignition is switched on. Useful when your in the engine bay playing.
Hillman Minx was in fact built in England in various forms from 1931-1970 by the Rootes Group ( Later owned by Chrysler Europe then sold to Peugeot) take the nicer one and strip the way to far gone one for usable parts and make one good one ( at least that’s what I would do)
Yes in Coventry (about 20 miles from me), sold to Chrysler, then Talbot & then Peugeot
@@nickb5391 talbot ( the British side of it at least Known as Sunbeam-Talbot) was already owned by the Rootes group since the 30’s
The last Minx model turned into the Hunter from around '71/2 didn't it?
Ahh cool! My girlfriends grandad worked at the Maidstone, Kent (UK) Rootes factory in the 50’s to the 70’s. Peugeot were in the factory & showroom till a few years back.
Now the factory is being made into flats and the ‘listed’ ramp is staying to give car access to the 1st floor flats.
@@nickb5391 👍🏻 girlfriends grandpatents moved from Maidstone to Coventry in 1976 with the Rootes group. Her Uncle also worked in the Rolls Royce factory, whilst her Nan worked for Alvis.
AWESOME, My dad had one of these in the 70's. The main thing I remember about it was how comfy it was sitting on those leather seats, and how they burned on bare skin in the summer. 😂
Hi, my dad had one or more of these here in UK in 1960s. Hillman , made in England,were taken over by Chrysler and the name was removed and changed to Chrysler on the cars. The style and quality went down and sales plumeted. Many thanks for the memories of my childhood.
Why not push the button the top of the solenoid on the inner fender next to where the battery sits.
Brits of this era all had them there’s a rubber cap over it. It allows you to manually operate the starter solenoid.
Only on Morris, Hellman and Austin, I think some Humber’s had them
@@cameronrichardson3108 my triumph has one
@@cameronrichardson3108 you can also hot wire the whole thing by shorting the two fuses.
@@cameronrichardson3108 its there as clear as day
@@cameronrichardson3108 The Vauxhall Victor FB had one too
I owned a Singer version of this in 95 here in Blighty, it had a chromed engine, rocker and rad. Watch out for the boot lid, when it releases on the lock it will smack you in the face hard too. Surprisingly the almost impossible parts to get seem to be good on yours, the rear wraparound screen is very difficult and the exterior panels seem in pretty good shape but I imagine the inner body is going to need some work but luckily they are easy to cut and shape and make the inner sills from sections of box and then box section to make the across beams then plates over the top.
my late daddy owned one of these around 1965. Then he had a hillman hunter I think, then by 1972 or therabouts he had a daytona yellow Mk3 ford cortina. Driving was more fun back then I think.
My cousin had one of these back in the mid 70s up in Oregon. It had a small house built onto it. A one-off camper version I suppose - the Hillman Hillbilly. These old Hillmans were nutty little things even without a piggyback house.
My first car! Same colours as the first one....brilliant car, did lots of work on it, so easy. Never set it on fire though! Great videos, fantastic commentary, and wonderful fun! Thanks, and ......stay safe ??? Neil...U.K.
I miss the horrible first gear grinding sound
You get lit up more than anyone on CZcams.
Love the channel.
Suggestion, don’t use your positive to the starter as your jump point bad things can happen, use the ground.
agreed. same way you hook up battery terminals.
especially when the carb is leaking fuel onto it
Naaaahhhhh it'll be fineeee 🤣🤣
Now what fun would that be?
Or just hook a longer wire
Another great video! Thank you, and keep them coming!
Unbelievable. My mum use to have one of theses back in the 60s when I was a nipper. It was green with cream seats. That has brought back so many memories. 🇬🇧😎👍🏻
It would be cool to see that lil car puttin' around town! LOL :D
Hi there ... these are British cars very popular in their heyday. Your country has much kinder weather than my English weather - Great to watch this old heroes of past eras start up Thanks for these videos it's amazing that with a few simple tools and some handy chemicals that these can be seen to show signs of life.
I hope people see a way through to restore some of these cars there is really not that much rot considering their age and the lack of rust preventative bear in mind the Minx's shown here are almost 60 years old
A while back, I owned a 1965 Hillman Minx. Mine had the same leak on the carb, so I replaced it with a Solex PICT 28 from a VW bug. It ran GREAT. Somebody before me painted it bright orange, so we all called it The Pumpkin. Sold it off in 1976 to buy my first MGB, a 1968 roadster.
Do you remember this car in the Beatles movie Help!? When the head of the infamous cult had Ringo in the trunk, and almost made it before the car stalled, which gave George ample time to unbolt a wheel as Clang was feverishly chasing out the issues the getaway Hillman was having, and didn't notice, thankfully so. Once Clang got the Minx underway, he hadn't made any distance, because George's wheel tampering paid off, the car overturned, and George rescued Ringo out of the trunk.
Nope don't like the beatles way overrated horrible music
You beat me to it....i remember that scene well!
The early models from 1957 had a column gear change, a few years later they made them floor change and put a blanking plug in the hole where the column changer had been. So the floor change is original to that car.
I had no idea they sold these things in the US. Great content, I can watch for hours just enjoying your accent to be honest. Good on you!
Hot damn! Really enjoyed that. External combustion engines, you can't beat 'em... Except to put the flames out...
Great video glad you posted keep them coming thanks
I’m Australia mate we just love that southern accent you’ve got there. Cheers !
Ironically he isn't even from the south. He is from Arkansas according to his truck plate in a different video. I'm from Missouri, which is smack dab in the center of the U.S and this reminds me of home the way he talks, and the rolling Ozark mountains in background
@@433honda334 Arkansas is very much the South
@@433honda334 Arkansas is 100% part of the south.
I thought it was Georgia but then again I'm European that has never visited the US. Was close tho haha!
@@Adrian2140 most of the southern accents are pretty similar, with the exception of Cajuns and mountain folk like myself.
Those were quite popular in their day as race cars in circuit racing. The engine was upgraded several times with British tuning firm Holbay designing a alloy head which was introduced and used by Hillman right into the 70's on the Hillman hunter models. The hunter tooling was sold to iran where they continued to be sold as the paykan . So engine parts are not hard to find.
lol great combination of gas and carby cleaner with sparking from the starter jumping and only one fire. Love it! Sums up my decisions getting things going. a combination of due care and excitement!
My heart gets knocked off rhythm every time a coil shocks you lol. 1992 Honda Accord got me once and never again will I be as brave as you around those coils lol.
looks like you’re finding success in your videos, im happy for you
Few bits of kit you need - A lithium jump pack to connect in addition to your battery, they whiz over engines - OR jump from your truck to the battery, bare battery on all the cars you've tried rarely enough - You'll save hours of messing about. Oh, and a decent bucket of water to chuck on the bonfires you make sloshing about petrol/carb clean/other volatiles haha. Love the vids
The minx was my first car back in 1977 l bought it for £40 and taught myself to drive. Passed first time in Southport.
Hello from France where I watch with pleasure your videos.
Now that you got it running , YOU HAVE TO GET IT ON THE ROAD. ITS ONLY FAIR. Hillmans are cool. Standard British Fair.
Fare…..fair is a party 😲
@@mrdiplomat9018 Fayre?
Roots group motors were generally awful. Cool shape tho
@@doughvictor2893 * Rootes
@@mrdiplomat9018 My Fayre Lady
The Minx I believe was made in Coventry, England though but close to my home A lot of Hillman's were made in Linwood, Scotland mainly the Hillman Imp, it was a big car plant owned by Chrysler previously Rootes also had it's own railway line for getting the cars out too.
I haven’t heard your accent and styles of speaking since my military days. That guy was a mechanic, too. It’s like listening to him 25 years later!
What do you mean ``a mechanic too"" , this bloke is a comedian, should have his own show. Bloody entertaining though.
A good friend of mine had a Minx soft top a few years ago- which was made around 1960- very similar to this. I took it out for a day and was very impressed how smooth it was to drive. Lovely engineering. I wish you could post photos in CZcams comments because I have some nice ones of my wife and myself in it.
Must be some awesome photos !
Amazing you have these old relics from the UK. My grandfather drove these when they were knew, way before my time. Recently identified a Minx in an old picture from my wifes grans albums 👍
That Hillman is a pretty cool car. I think a lot of your starter heat issues are caused by using jumper cables to spin the starter. A lot of jumper cables are marked as 2 gauge but when you cut themm open it's all rubber and like a single strand of wire. Have you thought about building yourself a little starter Box for these cars? I actually built one recently for breaking in engines. It's built out of scrap plywood, and uses a Ford solenoid that I could put in between the starter and the battery with 2 heavy battery cables, I installed some old tach, oil pressure gauge, and a temperature gauge that I could attach to just about any motor. I also added an Ignition key so I have an accessory position and a start position. The other thing I did was added some terminals in the back to connect accessories too.. Like I have a 12 V output that you can connect to a coil another one you can connect to a choke. The idea is to hook this Box up and control everything from outside the car instead of having to run back-and-forth to check gauges or to turn the Ignition key anything like that can all be done outside.
That sounds cool. I know of a 37 Ford pickup sitting in pieces near a lumber mill. IDK if the engine is locked up, but your starter box sounds cool for getting stuff running. The pickup in question is pretty much rusted to kingdom come, but I would still see if I could get it running.
@@Cat-fy5lw Would love to see a video of IF you do it!!
@@thomasschwarting5108 I just might. I'm currently still in school, and I need to find the space and money to do it. There are no holes in the tops of the fenders or the cab. But as far as I'm concerned the engine is locked up. It's not even a Ford engine, it's a Chevy Stovebolt 6. I'll end up putting in a Flathead V8 or something.
However, keep in mind that this was 5 years ago. The pickup may have been sold for scrap by now. However, I might find a different one.
Just found your channel like 3-4 days ago and been hooked. Hope you keep these coming. I actually watch them all the way through
I so love stuff like this! Wonderful channel right here!🌟💯
This was epic. Ignore the haters, they're in evety comments section...i live in UK snd the simplicity of these things was epic! I think its cos every owner had to be able to work on it!! Lol
Great Work, keep it up AND DON'T FORGET TO USE THAT FIREBALL IN AN INTRO MONTAGE!!!
The interesting thing from a British viewpoint is that we don't have cars that have just been abandoned in a yard for 50 years.
You are correct, they kept the design simple to keep costs down and make it easier to maintain. The founders designed/build bicycles...
It was one of those cars that me and my mate stripped down when we where 13. I always felt it was a bad thing to do so its nice that you got one back running. Sounds odd, but I feel a weight has lifted off me.
Thank you sir for the entertainment!!
That lil Hillman sounded good!
Once someones pride and joy, i remember these on the UK roads when i was a kid, fond memories of a home grown car industry now gone !Cheshire UK
That minx is burning hot👍
Good fun. You don't often get 3 fires in one video! Keep on wrenchin'.
Mom and dad’s first car. There are pics of my sister and I in it. Dad would have been 104 and mom 94. Thanks for the memories!
Great video! Another one that I didn’t think would come around, but you got it!
Cool how about trying to start that Hudson Hornet on the side over there!?
I used to have a 49 Hudson it had an aluminum intake and pinned piston rings and a Waltham clock
So Hillman Minx were sold in the States, i'm amazed, Commonwealth countries there were many, Australia , New Zealand, but didn't think British cars other than top of the line vehicles would catch on. Robert. NZ.
In the West Indies too !
You did it!! Glad you chose to feature this after the 1966 Rambler American Wagon.
Wonder if he has made a video for the early 50s Plymouth which is parked in between.
Alex here from Alberta Canada. Love to watch the fire ups on these old units
this are really nice cars very collectable 😎
Ahh the sound of a 1960's Britsh Winter ! Whirr Whirr whirrr.
I own a 1959 Hillman Minx Special Saloon, restoring it. Engine 13k on it, front end rebuilt, brake system rebuilt, getting ready for paint
I enjoy these videos. Thanks for posting.
This has to be one of the more entertaining first start videos I've seen! I would have thrown a pint of MMO (Marla Misery Oil) in the crankcase, put the valve cover back on and used a gas can as a fuel tank and fed the carb that way. I loved your reaction when you got some 'spark'. Good job getting her going!
Man, once you test spark with the plug not being grounded one time, that is an experience you never forget, lol.
Especially if you check the spark by putting the removed spark plug on its wire to the cylinder head and touch the fender with your other hand haha
I own a 1991 Chrysler imperial sat for 14 years and almost completly restored ran like a dream the first time I ever started it over
GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY!! you need your own personal fire department on standby when you get loose with those jumper cables man..I owned a minx in the 1980s and it had a 4sp on the floor trans..It handled like a bucket of water on a skateboard, had crap brakes and clutch but gees i loved banging here around town..best work car ive ever had i think..stay safe marte and wear ya fire suit..lol
You did not use the remote starter solenoid button on the right inner guard?
I had no idea that Hillman Minxes were sold in the states, I thought I saw an old gold Vauxhall Viva in the background (at 6.34) someone around there liked old British cars
It's an Opel
@@cheezel71 Opels and Vauxhall are very similar though an easy mistake
@@animalian01 very true
Great work Sir thank you
That fireball was legit! Great video 👍🏾
To bad you didnt notice the starter push button on the solinoid at the end of the red wire, You needed that because if you drove this car,you would all ways be under the hood working on the engine!! LOL!
Not really they were reliable cars.
Man, you had me laughing.........really. Too, it is just because you're young, and do not know about British cars. By today"s standard, they're the epitome of simplicity. For instance, you could have just clip the jumper cable to the positive battery cable and press the rubber-covered button on the starter relay, instead of starting a fire electrically !!!! Trinidad & Tobago.
21w
This is a pretty dumb comment in my opinion, this dude has tons of experience, it wasn't even an electrical fire (this occurs when wires are running too much current and get hot, his was from pouring gas and marvel mystery oil in the leaking carb) and this car is so rare you'd pretty much NEVER see one in the United States so assuming he's ever even seen one before let alone worked on one is pretty dumb. His methods are pretty common amongst older mechanics in the United States, younger mechanics don't even mess with cars like this these days. So he deserves lots of respect.. This is pretty clearly just content and not a serious project.
That lite up like a cortina
Thanks for the vid man. Good content and good humor there !!!!
I owned a 1958 Hillman Minx Conv. 4 speed on the tree, loved that car! I was about 17.
We had them out here in New Zealand in RH drive in the MId 60s when i was a little kiddie. The bendix on the old lucas starters used to lock up and not through out if left unused for a few months. (Joseph Lucas Prince of Darkness)
I would like to see the car driving and get restored
I love it finding these old antique engines and trucks and parts and cars and firing them back up to life and it takes him doing but you proved it can be done
Vintage, antiques are 100 years old or older
It's nice to hear another southern brother. Keep up with the great content
Mine was a 1955. Older shape. Same engine though. First of the overhead valve! Wow! 43 BHP. 4 on the column. It was abandoned and my dad (a cop then) dragged it home for us boys to work on. I eventually got it going and learned how cars worked from it. Very basic car but practical and easy to work on. When I got it, it was 12 years old and in those days (1967) a 12 year old car was a wreck. worn out. Not just the engine but door locks, window winders, rubbers, faded lights, knobs, steering all wore out. Nowdays I run a 2001 model car which is not worn at all. Sure don't make them like they used to (thabks goodness!!)
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See that rubber button on the starter solenoid? Guess what that's for....
I see some old Hudsons sitting in the background. I'd be very interested in seeing them brought back to life. I love them old Hudsons.
I discover your channel . Great. Thanks to share.
Never seen anyone so laid back when their car is on 🔥 🤣
19:26 - exactly the way most of the mechanics "fix" the cars. And you expect miracles, that auto mechanic is like a surgeon and treats your car with dignity :-)
My dad bought a Super Minx sometime in 1962 or 63. It was two tone with either grey sides and brown roof or something along that lines. It was the talk of the road for months because everyone else had Fords which were pre war design and all painted black. I would love to have one now but converted to electric.
Electric cars still create pollution. How do you think they make the electricity to charge them? For God's sake, cut the act and put gasoline back in our cars, doggone government!
I love how you jump right in and hit the starter. That's exactly what I would do :)
postive ground, or you will wipe out the charging system,, dont ask how I know
I love the simplicity of the old European car design. Even a cheap car has an almost artistic look to it. Less than 20 years after the war times were still tight for them. Queen Elizabeth was young when this old girl rolled off the line.
I know I mean u look at all these cars and okay u had the Hillman minx the Humber sceptre and the singer vogue they were the same car basically (rootes group) but every car was the same they were all trying to design something new not follow the heard so to speak
On Friday 13th October 1967 I joined Leeds City Police and the Sergeants had these. I remember him driving up a cobbled road and the the sump hit a raised cobble. The car stopped instantly and they were thrown forward (no seat belts then ) and smashed their faces into the windshield (windscreen). Blood all over. In my mind they are classy modern cars and the years have disappeared......
I'm Koka from Thailand...good jobs.