62 replies to this topic

[mini_mezza]

Let me give you a quick intro. I live in Hampshire, and have done most my life, Im 25 and in the last five years or so i have owned and sold about 5 or 6 minis. when i first started playing with minis, I was studying down at uni in Southampton.

 

Just up the road from me, about 20 mins from my student digs was a place called Minis - r - us, great for getting parts quickly and conveniently.

 

When i first started going to this place 5 years ago i thought it was great, they had a really nice collection of minis on the forecourt, and a good selection of spare parts. 

 

5 years on and I'm sad to see that nearly all of the cars i saw back when i was at uni are slowly rotting away still in the same place on the forecourt. What once were nice usable and very saleable cars are now BIG projects. 

 

I was driving past today and stopped to have a count up, sat there in the pissing rain with windows and sunroofs open i counted 45 minis, and two land rover series IIIs

 

I just don't understand why they are just being left to rot, I have been in there recently asking if any of the cars are for sale, and the chap running the shop rarely seems to have anything for sale, and when they do its at a ludicrous prices. A 1989 city e with a large amount of bodywork needing to be done, a whole new interior, no MOT or TAX and hadn't run for some time, he wanted close to 2k for it.

 

WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN! these cars need to be loved and restored not just allowed to die a slow rusty death.

 

It just upsets me knowing that the dream project car for myself and I'm sure plenty of people on TMF is just sat there, not for sale rotting away for absolutely no reason.

 

I hope that the owner sees this and bucks his ideas up a bit. 

 

Do the right thing and give these cars another chance.

 

Im not sure what else i can do to try and save these cars.

 

Thanks for reading 

 

Mini_mezza

[Ben_O]

That is really sad.

 

Such a waste

[coopdog]

Rust In Peace

[Tamworthbay]

This seems to happen from time to time. Some sort of hoarder issues I guess.

[SuperDeLuxeNick]

yeah, i have enquired lots of times about at least taking parts of the minis he has there and they seem uninterested! who knows what he is doing - shame because he is an alright bloke and good to have someone fairly local!

[Almond-1]

I'm too at a loss here. Only last week as I was driving by, I thought exactly the same.

Nothing seems to move & not a lot of space there either!.

 

I believe that they take one in occasionally & rebuild it. But they could half the amount & tidy it up plus somewhere to park. 

[Steely]

Were they for sale 5 years ago?

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

It happens, they own the cars and if they can afford to run a business like that it's up to them. It's a shame, but there is enough people restoring them, hundreds of updates in the project sections on here just for today. 

 

GCMotors is similarly overpriced with LOTS Of late cars, and many super low milage (delivery miles, ie RSP's with 15 miles on them) cars, but they do actually sell them somehow. I think they export quite a lot too.

[mini_mezza]

Were they for sale 5 years ago?

Nope

[Richey]

This sounds ridiculous. 45 Minis?! I'm guessing this guy could get at least a grand for each. Does he not like money?! Poor Minis

[mini_mezza]

This sounds ridiculous. 45 Minis?! I'm guessing this guy could get at least a grand for each. Does he not like money?! Poor Minis

I think a grand each would be pushing it for most of them, but I know what you mean, he could easily have the whole lot sold and banked so quickly! There are a few cars there that I would really like, but can't get! Carrot on a string!! Argh

[MaxAndPaddy]

I do despair at the GC motors stock list mostly sat outside but that's probably a thread on  here in its own right.

[Mini Manannán]

There a guy over here must have 200 cars - not all minis - rotting away in his (huge) garden. It's the same old hoarding thing.

[RossKnight]

Yeh minis-r-us is a huge graveyard, although, they're pretty helpful and have always had obscure bits that I needed when I ring up 15 minutes before closing!

[Old Bob]

Other than a question of scale, what is the difference between one guy hanging on to a single mini in the hope that one day he will be able to get around to restoring it, and another guy hoarding dozens with the same idea?

 

This is still a - relatively - free country.  You own something, it's yours to do with what you will.  Long may that remain so.

 

Bob