36 replies to this topic

[Carlos W]

Go on then, PM me I'll text you. 

 

I'm going to East Malling on Sunday so may be able to disappear from there for a bit.

[SamFoster]

If you can't do the welding which WILL need to be done, allow around £1500 for welding, plus, say, £400 for new panels and £1000 for painting. Then add something for mechanical work as there is always something needed for MoT., etc.

 

I'd love to learn to do it, and hopefully I will once i've restored my bike and got some space back in the garage, but I'd want it to be a good job, so would need to get loads of practice in before I touch my mini haha.

[Carlos W]

 

If you can't do the welding which WILL need to be done, allow around £1500 for welding, plus, say, £400 for new panels and £1000 for painting. Then add something for mechanical work as there is always something needed for MoT., etc.

 

I'd love to learn to do it, and hopefully I will once i've restored my bike and got some space back in the garage, but I'd want it to be a good job, so would need to get loads of practice in before I touch my mini haha.

 

 

The mig welding forum is really good for advice. 

 

The way to do it is cut the old panels off, get some clean metal from decent bits then practice, practice, practice.

[dyshipfakta]

Personally I would pay up to £1000 for that car. That would allow for major structural work including all the inevitable new panels, welding and a re-spray.
It is not an ultra-rare model, or a more desirable one like a Cooper so even when restored it will not have a high value and the much altered interior might devalue it a bit as well. All that is assuming you can do the welding and any mechanical work yourself together with basic preparation for the re-spray. The re-spray itself should cost in the region of £1000.
Yes, I missed mentioning it, but the rh side of the bonnet is kinked which often indicates a crack or split in the flange at the edge. This should be repairable with a bit of welding.

 
Thanks for that Cooperman, That's all I was thinking of paying to be honest. I thought the bonnet looked a bit crooked. Generally i'm looking for a mini that will need a re spray and a few other bits, but mechanically and structurally sound so that I could just drive it around for a while and once the weather gets a bit better and my VFR 400 is restored (should be by April) the mini could then go in for its small restoration. 

What your looking for doesn't exist. Any cheap one will probably need substantial welding work. That's the reason people sell them generally. There are exceptions but nice ones command higher prices. That said I got a 800 quid one afew years back bodged it for a few years then passed it on. Was fun and a good learning experience.

[Cooperman]

It is probably better to buy one you know is rusty, then learn the necessary skills to do all the work. That way after buying at low cost, then buying the panels and doing it yourself you know absolutely that it is rust free and strong. That then makes it well worthwhile doing the mechanical stuff to make it a superb classic car and one you can be rightly proud of.

It is surprising what you are capable of when the motivation exists.

[SamFoster]

It is probably better to buy one you know is rusty, then learn the necessary skills to do all the work. That way after buying at low cost, then buying the panels and doing it yourself you know absolutely that it is rust free and strong. That then makes it well worthwhile doing the mechanical stuff to make it a superb classic car and one you can be rightly proud of.

It is surprising what you are capable of when the motivation exists.

 

Your right to be honest cooperman. I fully expect my mini to have rust, but would want it to be a project I could drive. I would love to learn to weld and I totally agree with the fact that doing everything yourself means you know 100% its been done properly and not just filled in & bodged!

[Carlos W]

 

It is probably better to buy one you know is rusty, then learn the necessary skills to do all the work. That way after buying at low cost, then buying the panels and doing it yourself you know absolutely that it is rust free and strong. That then makes it well worthwhile doing the mechanical stuff to make it a superb classic car and one you can be rightly proud of.

It is surprising what you are capable of when the motivation exists.

 

Your right to be honest cooperman. I fully expect my mini to have rust, but would want it to be a project I could drive. I would love to learn to weld and I totally agree with the fact that doing everything yourself means you know 100% its been done properly and not just filled in & bodged!

 

 

We'll have a look at it tomorrow and see what it's likely to need in the near future.

[Carlos W]

A quick update.

 

The car has a really nice sounding engine, although it was running when we arrived which made me suspicious. 

 

The owner has certainly put his own touch on it.

 

But

 

There's a lot of rust set in, and it'll want a lot of money spent on it in order to get it through its next MOT.

 

It wants

A full front end and scuttle

Oversills removed

Doors are both rotten

Boot floor is rotten

bottom of the rear panel is rotten

bottom of the 1/4s are rotten

 

someone has used expanding foam in the o/s corner of the engine bay possibly to repair the scuttle. 

rear subframe has been painted, but I'm not sure what's underneath the paint

 

 

The reserve is around £2500 and for me, it's not worth that for a car which should fail its next MOT on rust within 30cm of the subframe mounting points.

 

Unfortunately the seller was there for most of the time so it was hard to show Sam the problems in detail

[Cooperman]

Whenever I look at a classic car with a person who is thinking of buying it I never spare the feelings of the seller. I just point out the problem areas and how much work/money will be involved in putting it all right. then the prospective buyer can make up his own mind.

[Carlos W]

Whenever I look at a classic car with a person who is thinking of buying it I never spare the feelings of the seller. I just point out the problem areas and how much work/money will be involved in putting it all right. then the prospective buyer can make up his own mind.

Ideally the seller would've gone away and we could've discussed all the issues in a bit more detail but the bloke just didn't shut up.

I'm happy with my assessment, and its not the car for Sam.

[sonikk4]

That sounds like the best move. That car is seriously bad from your description and would need a lot of money and time throwing at it.

[Carlos W]

I missed out the bubbling at the top of the drivers A post on the roof

The other thing was, it was running when we arrived, it made me suspicious.

[Pingu]

God thats a lot of work! and if thats what you can see I would hate to think what would be left if it was to be sandblasted! My car looked lovely and had to have few "minor" repairs, so we thought!!! and we got it blasted and it needs A whole front end including scuttle, inner and outer sills, door step, front floors, whole boot floor and few other dodgy repairs. 

 

The bloke needs to drop his price ALOT by the sounds of it but sometimes its best just to walk away. 

Edited by Pingu, 21 February 2016 - 10:03 PM.

[dyshipfakta]

Could tell it was a lemon from the add to be fair.

[Carlos W]

Could tell it was a lemon from the add to be fair.

part of the reason for going to see it was to show Sam around the car. unfortunately we couldn't get rid of the seller for long enough to have a decent discussion.

I think if someone wins it unseen we'll be seeing it relisted in the near future