15 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

My 1959 Austin Seven Mini – icon or a pile of scrap?
by Quentin Willson,



Read more: http://www.mirror.co.../#ixzz1F9ntwQEC

"Bought a 1959 Austin Seven Mini the other day. It needs a complete restoration, but it’s one of the early cars that rolled out of Longbridge in the first few months of production. I think it’s a hugely important icon, but my wife thinks it’s a pile of scrap!
There are only about 100 ’59s known to have survived, and I’m going to totally restore this one. If you happen to be one of 900 FRL’s former owners, please get in touch. I’d love to unearth my icon’s past."

[minibarnerz]

oooo, cornish Reg!!!
seem to remember this on ebay!?

[yousmeg]

Very nice, doesnt actually look all that rotten from this angle anyway >.<

[mk1leg]

I will take it off his hands as his wife does not like it .....................

[mk3 Cooper S]

Its had a new front panel.

[ANON]

Its had a new front panel.

noticed that in the paper the other day, also can't see properly but does the rear screen look like the larger one??

maybe the title should be "Icon or pile of scrap or have i bought a ringer?"

Edited by ANON, 28 February 2011 - 12:46 AM.

[mab01uk]

Its had a new front panel.

noticed that in the paper the other day, also can't see properly but does the rear screen look like the larger one??

maybe the title should be "Icon or pile of scrap or have i bought a ringer?"

How many 50+ year Mini's are going to have their original front panel, whether its loss was due to rust or accident damage sometime between 1959 and 2011? (Authentic replacements are available from Mini Machine) As for the rear window almost impossible to see in that photo........I also replaced rusty or damaged Mk1 rear panels with Mk2/3 in the 1970's no one cared about orginality then but it didn't make the car a ringer. Think positive. I say good luck to Quentin Wilson for wanting to restore it and for raising the profile of the 1959 Mini as an icon with the general public!

Edited by mab01uk, 28 February 2011 - 08:55 AM.

[mk3 Cooper S]

Its had a new front panel.

noticed that in the paper the other day, also can't see properly but does the rear screen look like the larger one??

maybe the title should be "Icon or pile of scrap or have i bought a ringer?"

Recess round the screen too?? !!!

Ding Dong !!!

[Ethel]

Good spot on the front screen. Another motoring celeb taken in by a ringer Mini, doesn't he watch Top Gear


Every chance it's a legit reshell, done a long time ago, but it isn't an original Mk1.

[villa3]

Tis a 1960,was reg 1 1 1960 according to DVLA.

[liirge]

Sounds like this guys really done his homework!

Now its time for the public humiliation

[tieclubbyestate]

My 1959 Austin Seven Mini – icon or a pile of scrap?
by Quentin Willson,



Read more: http://www.mirror.co.../#ixzz1F9ntwQEC

"Bought a 1959 Austin Seven Mini the other day. It needs a complete restoration, but it’s one of the early cars that rolled out of Longbridge in the first few months of production. I think it’s a hugely important icon, but my wife thinks it’s a pile of scrap!
There are only about 100 ’59s known to have survived, and I’m going to totally restore this one. If you happen to be one of 900 FRL’s former owners, please get in touch. I’d love to unearth my icon’s past."

little beast !

[mini77]

how much is it?

[mab01uk]

Tis a 1960,was reg 1 1 1960 according to DVLA.

Registered 1st Jan 1960 means it was built in 1959...................unless it was built, shipped to the dealer and sold all on new years day!
(Mk1 Performance helped him locate the car and I think they know how to spot a genuine car...........)

The vehicle details for 900 FRL are:

Date of Liability 01 05 1982
Date of First Registration 01 01 1960
Year of Manufacture Not Available
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 848CC
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type Petrol
Export Marker Not Applicable
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour BLUE

Edited by mab01uk, 01 March 2011 - 12:31 AM.

[Jacko-lah]

His wife, isn't wrong.

At present it's a pile of scrap. 1959 mini's had all sorts of 'lack of development' problems, and if it's anything like my dad's first car, a new mini 850 in 1959, paid for out of his oversea nights away allowance, working on a guided missile project, it's probabaly had more gearboxes than sets of tyres.

Wilson will doubtless spend more money than it's worth paying someone to repair it perfectly, so that it's BETTER than new. (Not hard I expect), but he's right too. It is an Icon.

Luckily I'm sure that his wife won't be thinking "****, how am I going to feed the kids if he's spending all our savings on that, because No doubt he's in the upper quartile when it comes to ready dosh. And he'll be able to offset it against tax as it's a work related expence (gives him something to write about)