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My Car - A 1959 Hillman Minx Series III "Special" Saloon |
In 1964 I was 18 and wanted
my first car. I asked Dad, and he said "sure Son, go out and buy
one". In the yard of a family friend stood this gray four door, and for
the tidy sum of $75, it became mine. Basically sound, had a red leatherette interior
with "4 on the floor" and 35,000 miles on the clock - it seemed OK. All
it needed was a battery, a few windows, and tires - so it seemed. A month later, I
was on the road, after learning that Brits use "positive earth" (burned up two
new generators and regulators). So my "love affair" with the Hillman
began.
The first picture shown is the car in it's natural state - being worked on. At age 16 I was as an auto mechanic in Washington D.C.. That experience was helpful during the next five years of Hillman motoring. The story behind the pix is interesting too. I had a hot date, and borrowed the family Buick. I gave my Dad the keys to the Hillman, and he assured me he wouldn't have any problems with the four speed. When I got home, no one was there. Dad couldn't find the parking brake, so he assumed there wasn't one. Needless to say, the clutch was totally burned. Dad paid for the parts. I did the work, hence the photo.
The Hillman took me through
my first five years of college, two years locally, and the next three in West
Virginia. I graduated in 1970 - did I say I changed majors a few times?
Needless to say the 53 hp of the Hillman were challenged by the steep mountains of West
Virginia, but constant stirring of the shifter helped. I'll never forget the fond
memory of being stranded one night in the middle of nowhere, in falling snow trying
to figure out why all the electronics disappeared without warning. After a half hour
of testing connections I gave up, took a seat in the car to gather my wits. Ten
minutes later I tried try one last time before trekking on foot, and everything
worked! It was as if the problem never existed. After that night the
electronics never gave me a problem again - go figure?
Strangely enough, over those six years of ownership I gained an appreciation for British engineering. Like the little hinged lever behind the pedals, and the often useful primer handle on the gas pump. Everything was accessible. I replaced every brake part, master cylinder, exhaust system part, clutch assembly part, rehoned the head and replaced all the valves, "renewed" the timing chain assembly, water pump, starter, regulator, front end A-arm frames, ball joints, rebuilt the radiator and carburetor - not to mention replacing various missing body parts and interior upholstery items without the help of garage or mechanic. Two years into owning the car, it was rear ended on the driver's side while making a turn. I hammered the body out by hand, repainted it with a rented sprayer, and replaced the taillight assembly. The photo below was after repair. I appreciated the thickness of metal these cars were made of.
The funny
thing is, to this day, I miss that car. For some strange reason I have the original
owners manual, and have strangely acquired several more manuals, brochures, and Hillman
"memorabilia". I liked looking out over that hood, seeing the bead that
went straight down the center, and the two fenders with visible headlight rims. I
liked the interior - surprisingly roomy and comfortable. I liked the way the exhaust
sounded - often turning the head of the occasional MGA or Triumph owner. It seated
four adults in comfort, but one time it held six! The trunk was bigger than it
looked too. All in all it was a great little car. But in 1967 on one 25
degree-below night, after venturing out of the heated garage on an errand the cold cracked
the block, and sold it days later for $50. Two weeks after that, I passed it going down
the road while driving my "new" 67 Rambler. In 1990 I rebuilt a
basket case 1974 MGB roadster, but later sold it. It just
wasn't right. Then I did a 1968 Chevy II, but it just wasn't what I wanted.
Now I own three Hillmans, and a garage to play in!
Email Doug at pdbragg@charm.net