Charles Ware's Morris Minor Centre
 
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Testimonials

Dear Tim, Andy and Adrian,

I just wanted to say a huge thanks for the work you did on my Traveller. It drives beautifully and it was a fun and easy drive back from Bristol to Oxford. Smiling all the way home!! I’ve got used to driving on the right side of the road now, so that helps! 

Everyone who has seen the car has commented on the beautiful finish and the Mulberry Interior, it looks exactly how we wanted it to. I dropped my eldest daughter back at school in Oxford this week in it and we had a queue of people wanting to look inside the car and teachers reminiscing about how they had a Morris back in the seventies!

It has been a real pleasure to be a customer of your company, from the first call to Adrian back in January all the way through to collection in September. The driving “test” was fun also!

I will have no hesitation recommending you to anyone who is looking for a quality Morris Minor. Its great to see such a company thrive, not just because of the cars and quality of work, but as much about the people who work there.

Please pass on our thanks to everyone who worked on the car, (the children have christened her, “Gertrude" by the way!)

We have just returned from a trip to Stratford Upon Avon, from the comments we received when we got back to car park, I think you will be hearing from some people from around there to buy one!

I will see you again next year for a service for sure.

Best wishes,

Adrian and Anne Flowers and Family.

Adrian__Anne_Flowers_01

 

For Tim, Andy and Wayne,

Just a short email to thank you for your excellent service and a fine job done on fitting a new hood to our Black Morris the other week.  Plus the brilliant service stretching to show us the best way out again and avoiding ghastly traffic!

Many thanks and will doubtless see you again at some stage.

Martin

 

Good Afternoon,

Thanks to your workshop rebuild in 2012 the car still looks marvellous, and the recon engine is delightful to drive.

2014 saw the car in N.Ireland for their "Spring Run", The Isle of Skye, "Minors on Tour" France, Belgium, The Netherlands and various rallies here in England.

Yours Faithfully 

Eric

 

Morris Minor welded floorA facebook comment about our head welder Paul Bidgood:

A very talented lad to produce this quality. I think he recently did some work on my black split screen tourer last summer... also to a superb standard.  It's the best investment ever to have welding done to this standard.

 

Good Morning Adrian & Andy,

Thank you very much for getting the car ready and to Andy for his patience with our driving around the estate.  Your customer service is outstanding.

We did get back safely, Ralf did do the driving, he is more experienced after all.

We see you hopefully in a years time for the annual service.

Many thanks and all the best,

Sabine & Ralf 

 

Marcel

Hi Tim,

First of all let me give you and the whole team the best wishes for 2015!

At last I send you a few pictures of my Traveller. December's been quite busy here, so I couldn't find enough time to write to you earlier.

DH3406 is still running fine. I recently changed engine oil (+filter). 

A radio and speakers will be fitted in the near future. I bought a retro-looking radio with extras (bluetooth, MP3, USB etc). To support the speakers we're considering some sort of a bracket just above the floor in the middle underneath the dash.

The car keeps drawing attention. You all did a grand job. I still have to write a small article in our club magazine 'Minorage'.

Please send me some pictures from the Traveller at the NEC. I might be able to fit them in my article.

Wassenaar, where I live, is quite close to the sea. Most of the beach pavilions are gone now but as you can see fish + chips might be available during the winter.

There's one mill in the centre. It's still being used now and then. 

One of the bakers here uses the flour for some of his breads.

On one of the pictures you're able to witness me in front of my little workshop.

It used to be a dairy shop (amongst others) and I keep all the crockery etcetera in there. I also make the sandwiches there for afternoon teas.

Best regards,

Marcel

 

Dear Adrian,

I feel compelled to write and acknowledge the splendid customer care you showed to me and my wife regarding our recent purchase of our beloved Morris Minor convertible from the time we agreed the schedule of work to be done to convert the original saloon to taking delivery of the finished car.  You kept us up to date with regular photographs of the work in progress and we became even more excited as the car was moulded to our specification.  You even met your estimated time for its completion!  It was a pleasure to deal with you.  Please also pass on our thanks to all those skilled technicians at the Charles Wares Morris Minor Centre who helped make our dream come true.

We are now looking forward to reliving the happy time we spent in our first (Series II) Minor in the late 60s.

Best Regards 

David and Toni

 

Dear all

Just to say thank you for the lovely job that was done on my traveller wood. It’s like having a new car and is much quieter which surprised me.

Also thanks for your help with my key problem!

Regards

M H

 

Hi Georgina,

Just to say many thanks for sorting out my problem with the DVLA. There is no way that I would have been able to do it as the young lady there was in the, no way, no bend mood, so I am glad that she met her match.

Once again many thanks and also pass on my thanks to Adrian.

David

 

Dear Tim and Andy,

Many thanks for your attention to my car. I had a pleasant run home. You got rid of the clunks, knocks and vibrations and the car is much more pleasant to drive.

Thank you both once again.

Sincerely,

R.E.W.

 

Dear Adrian, Tim and team at CWMMC,

... With a couple of months now passed, I'd like to place on record my thanks for your attention and care following my purchase in January. Once the sale was agreed I felt well looked-after as a customer.

Adrian patiently responded to my regular requests and questions and lept me informaed during the work.

After sales supporthas been very good from Tim, Adrian and Andy with help offered over the phone.

I'd have no hesitation recommending you to other potential customers.

All good wishes

Mark

 

Dear Adrian,

It was a great pleasure to do business with yourself and Charles Ware's Morris Minor Centre.  A very careful and detailed handover and a supervised driving lesson were much appreciated.  Hope the return trip via Croydon was not too onerous. We took her to the local pub for a celebratory lunch and she was greatly admired!

Thank you for the excellent paperwork.  I phoned her previous owner who was delighted to hear where she was.

Many thanks 

Susan

 

What to do in Bristol when you collect your Morris Minor

Hello Tim,

Thanks for your inquiry about our jolly boys! Here's an itinerary of our escapade:

When we left you we went straight to the SS Great Britain (Brunel's Second biggest ship).  I'd had a little run in the car but was still getting used to some of it's eccentricities namely; how close together the peddles are, where the indicator switch is and stopping the front passenger door from popping undone to the safety latch (a much more unnerving experience when you're not wearing a seatbelt!) but was easily remedied by locking the offending door.  Apart from the driver being  a little green the car performed perfectly even in heavy traffic.  We parked at the museum and spent a couple of hours appreciating Isambard's Great ship.

With the evening closing we decided to head for the Kendall guest house you recommended and after a short uneventful drive we were warmly received by Rose and her fascinating retired submarine engineer husband.  Time for Dad to watch his favourite soap "Emmerdale"  whilst I work out the best choices for places to visit tomorrow using the Wifi then down the pub to watch the mighty Blues (Chelsea) stuff PSG 2-0 (they don't like it up'em them lot!) whilst enjoying the fine cuisine served there and sampling all eight guest ales.  Back to the B&B to an old Sci-fi film and the rhythmic purr of an old man whose had a big day. 

After Rose cooked us a Full English we left her lovely B&B and headed for another of Brunel's great achievements: The Clifton Suspension bridge.  We struck gold with a lucky parking space right outside the visitor centre just as it was opening and after learning all we could there we set off for a walk across the elegant structure and up to the observatory which had a for sale sign screwed to it.  The views of the gorge, river and City were just breath taking. If only I had the asking price of two million I would have purchased the observatory there and then just to have the opportunity to look out the windows on a daily basis.  Now on to the motorway for Swindon and the steam museum.

The car ran perfectly. Interestingly when compared to the sat. nav. the speedometer is only 2mph optimistic.  I was reminded of my naivety when the sat. nav. low battery signal kept bleeping and I had no where to plug it in. I was a pleasant drive albeit revy and noisy (what can be done about that induction noise?).  That said, it didn't stop my Dad snorting himself awake as we came off the motorway into Swindon much to my amusement (with no head rests I thought his head may actually fall of with all of that nodding to and fro!).  The museum tells of Swindon's rocket to the biggest and busiest hub of locomotive production and activity in the world then its slow decline into obsoleteness. Riveting for two engineering buffs like us.

A leisurely lunch and then back to the reliable old grey lady in the car park. With a date of birth of the 2nd February 1952 she's two months older than my Mum! I'll try to remember that for when we get home - I'm sure she'll find that really funny.  There again maybe not.  I took the opportunity to check the levels and underside of the car noted there's an oil leak from the pressure relief valve and a little water staining from the head gasket neither of which are worrying.  

We set off for sunny Essex and try to ignore the loud droning gasp of the carburettor (that's what Piers Morgan sounds like to me).  In Reading I decide to refuel and am pleasantly surprised when I calculate we are managing just over 40mpg.  My brothers think it hilarious that my wife calls me "Captain Slow".

The oil leak is a little worse but the water leak a little better and the new chirruping sound is a loose fan belt (looks like the alternator has moved slightly) the levels are still within tolerance so we press on with a pleasant evening descending around us.  I marvel at the way people assume your speed is much lower that it actually is when you drive something old - punctuated by people getting in a pickle on the slipways and wally overtaking manoeuvres on the A roads.

We make good time and arrive home to tea and medals with much loud banter and mirth (our ears were ringing a bit from the induction noise) and our wives greet us with fain interest and hot cups of tea.  I great father-son jolly boys for us both. We already begin to plan the next one....

Please find attached some photo's of our little adventure.

The oil leak was just the oil pressure relief valve being loose.  I had to take the oil filter off to get at it though.  The water leak subsided after a quick re-torque of the head.  I am really pleased with the way the car performed in all respects.  I think it an impressive testament to CWMMC high level of skill and competence.

I am also impressed with the general level of finish of the car especially the interior which on a budget, I appreciate was really difficult to keep contemporary with the rest of the motor and restore to a practical level of function.  I'm glad to say I feel you walked the tight-rope of cost vs finish and got the balance perfect.

I'm on the look-out for a higher ratio diff (not sure 3.9 or 3.7?), hardened half-shafts and a 5 speed kit next.  I've contacted the club about getting an age related plate and have registered it Tax and MOT exempt.  I'll put my marina discs on when I figure out what I'm going to do about the wheels.  Will I have to do anything to the servo?

I've posted the gearbox from my Dads car today I hope it lasts longer than the last one.  It should be with you tomorrow.  There's a job I didn't enjoy doing on the drive way. Those captive nuts! I replaced the cross member ones with studs I fabricated which meant disturbing the brakes as well then it seems silly not to treat the chassis rails with waxoyl. Still all done now and it sounds a lot better.  I found a top tip for easing the torsion bar out the way of the master cylinder bolts is to wrap a big ratchet strap around them - safe and easy. 

I wish you all the best and thank you and your team once again for what you've done,

Alex.

 
They were extremely helpful and TRUTHFUL. If you get a Morris Minor I would get in touch with them straight away. When I got my car I had all sorts of people looking at it until I eventually got in touch with Charles Wares. They came and had a look and gave me an honest answer and what impressed me is that they did not try to sell. I wish they had been my first port of call. Another important point is that they are not expensive - In fact I thought they were cheaper than my garage. All in all they are a pleasure to deal with.
Sarah Sparkes
Via Google
 

Arrival: Dar es Salaam

Nicholas

We've just started the registration process here in Tz, which will take a while, but will result in a set of diplomatic plates for the car: is that another first for CWMMC?!! We'll take some more fotos when they've been fitted. I wonder if that means he will have officially changed his name...? ;-)

You'll also be pleased to know that a small crowd had gathered when the car was being off-loaded. When the doors to the container finally opened, there were several, very heartfelt 'wows' from the various onlookers!

 

And here are those photos

 

Dear Tim and Andy,

I’d just like to say how impressed I was with the recent service and work I had done to re site the rear spring hangers on my traveller.

From the first email you were able to explain the problem with my rear spring hangers being in the position and give me a price for the job I was looking at getting done, not only that but also being able to suggest a cheaper option for me to consider to overcome the problem.

Having made the journey up to you to check that my chassis was strong enough for the work to be done, on waiting in reception for Tim to become available the receptionist even took the trouble to bring out some felt tip pens and a Morris traveller picture for Henry (my two year old) to colour in while we waited.

On deciding that my chassis was robust enough I was left to decide which option to take and was not rushed into making the decision. When I had decided what to do I asked Tim to book me in expecting to come back in a few months’ time. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that it could actually be done straight away.

As you would need my car for about a week I was offered a courtesy car, A lovely saloon in its working clothes and full of character that did its job and did it well. This made travelling home with my son much easier and more comfortable than the two bus rides and train journey it would have otherwise taken me. It also made nipping out on a couple of short journeys in the week possible, which would have been difficult without a car. The only problem was that it didn’t have a rear seat belt for my child seat. Again this was overcome by you taking the trouble to fit a second hand seatbelt while I went off to have lunch. Yet another way you went above and beyond the service I’d expect from a garage.

On collecting my car I was even more pleased to find that you had been able to stick to the estimate you originally given me. The work done has greatly improved the ride and will hopefully be much kinder to the rear of my car.

After I got home and a problem had developed with my speedo due to the cable possibly becoming disturbed as the car had been on its side, I rang Tim, who as usual was able to give me suggestions of things to try over the phone and thanks to that I have now been able to fix the problem myself.  

I haven’t used you for work before due to you being so far away (about 2 hours) which means it’d be very difficult to get home if I had to leave my car for more than a day, particularly with a young child but the courtesy car really did make it easy on this occasion.

I have been so impressed that I look forward to using you again for bigger jobs such as welding etc. in the future.

Many thanks for your outstanding customer service 

Matt and Henry 

 

I am new to the morris scene having bought a neglected 1969 rag top. I spoke to two other parts suppliers then came across you I could tell from the attitude on the phone that yours was the best by far, so i came down from Hull on easter saturday to collect some parts, an engine, complete clutch and various other spares.

I have never come across a more helpful patient and knowledgable person. I was amazed. please can you thank John for his assistance and as they say in the movies I Will Be Back.

Tony

 

Adrian

Happy 2013!

Today the Morris Traveller has been certified, or whatever the word is, and delivered to me.

The car is fabulous and you and your people do a wonderful job and I adore it

It is a joy to have it here and approved etc and I just wanted to thank you and all your people for a fine job :-)


Tomorrow it will leave for the Hawkes Bay on a transporter and I will send you photos.

Again Adrian thanks for all your efforts, much appreciated

With kindest regards

Peter 

 

Hi Adrian,

Hope you had a safe journey back to Bristol with no hold ups?

Just to say a big thankyou to you and your staff for the excellent customer service and going the extra mile in forwarding pictures of the vehicle both pre and post restoration and obtaining a bouquet of seasonal flowers.

Margaret is over the moon with her car and has made her Birthday even more special.

Again well done, and thankyou. Please feel free to use this E-Mail for any other buyers that maybe considering a purchase.

Margaret has had 3 other neighbours that came over to inspect and look at the vehicle and when driving around it certainly turn heads,

Yours sincerely,
Ian 

 

Hi Tim,
Just wanted to say thanks for all your work to 'Myrtle', my 1969 saloon.  It really had made a big difference, especially now that she is watertight.  The heated screens are a big help and she feels much safer with the servo brakes and proper seat belts. I also feel much happier parking her now she has an immobiliser.

Thanks,
Matthew

 

Dear Tim Andy and Chris  Just a quick mail to thank again for the excellent work you did on my A35 van in particular the brakes have been tranformed along with all the other jobs you did to your usual high standard  thanks again

Gary

 
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