7 replies to this topic

[Ntperry10]

So just before Christmas I purchased a mini, previous owner advertised it as a "project" and didn't seem to no too much about it! It was sat in his garage for 5 years and he just wanted to get rid! Since taking ownership of it I did some research because he literally didn't tell me a thing. It came with a set of alloy wheels and black bumpers, grille, arches out the ordinary colour pant colour so I thought this was interesting! The log book told me it was registered in 83 and that it was a Sprite! After much searching on the web I realised there was only 2500 sprites made in 83 as limited edition! Some where red others where yellow! I did buy the car with the intentions of making it my own but now I no what I no I think it's best to restore it to standard! If any of you have any information no matter how big or small please let me no and give me your thoughts on what to do.. Il leave you with some pictures and I look forward to hearing from you! Cheers

P.s I have done nothing to the car yet! These pictures are as I got it even evidence of me taking delivery of it! Previous owner attempted to fit the front end POORLY!!

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[alex-95]

Hi, welcome to TMF. Look's like a good project, I've always fancied an early sprite or city. I would definitely keep it standard.

[Ntperry10]

Most of it is there as original, the only down side is someone has put two bucket seats in the front and apparently the "herringbone" seats for these are rare as rocking horse s**t?

[Munkee]

Looks like you have a bit of work ahead of you there, but got yourself a decent project.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about originality (only my opinion)- I went down that road with a mk1 midget I did a couple of years ago and it'll drive you round the bend! For me it was getting down to daft stuff like whether the wiring was in the original position, or whether the loom cover was correct etc. At the end if the day, do you own the car or does it own you? If it was one of a limited run of 25 cars or something, then maybe a different story.

As it happens, the colour it quite nice. Most other mods are bolt on too, so you can make it how you want and put it back to original (or someone else can) at a later date. You could do sympathetic mods too, such as having bucket seats re-trimmed in cloth that matches the original herringbone cloth.

[Ntperry10]

Looks like you have a bit of work ahead of you there, but got yourself a decent project.

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about originality (only my opinion)- I went down that road with a mk1 midget I did a couple of years ago and it'll drive you round the bend! For me it was getting down to daft stuff like whether the wiring was in the original position, or whether the loom cover was correct etc. At the end if the day, do you own the car or does it own you? If it was one of a limited run of 25 cars or something, then maybe a different story.

As it happens, the colour it quite nice. Most other mods are bolt on too, so you can make it how you want and put it back to original (or someone else can) at a later date. You could do sympathetic mods too, such as having bucket seats re-trimmed in cloth that matches the original herringbone cloth.

ye I can see where your coming from, the one thing that is steering me towards restoring it is the fact that I cant find many of these in this colour on the web and im also struggling to find any information on them.. its a tough one

[Munkee]

Keep the colour (if you like it) and as long as you're not permanently changing anything around or disposing of any unique trim, it can be put back any time. But if you have in mind the mini you want to build, own and drive, then do that.

When I started the midget, my intention was to make it a bike engined hillclimb car with GRP frogeye bodywork. Some people worked to convince me to keep it original being a mk1, which I then started on with. In the end I realised I'd end up with a totally standard car that cost me a load of money to do and wouldn't really be the car I wanted.

[Munkee]

Bit of info here in the 1983 brochure:

http://www.roblightb...1983-mini-range

One extra it came with it is 2 door mirrors :)

[Ntperry10]

Bit of info here in the 1983 brochure:
http://www.roblightb...1983-mini-range
One extra it came with it is 2 door mirrors :)

awesome thanks so much for that! Iv found a guy that has the same mini as mine but in original condition, he tells me there is only two of them on the road at the min! I'm going to look at his tomorrow to see what I think of them in the original state