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Nice Mini - Need Opinions

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SeldomSeen

SeldomSeen

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My wife has a new 2007 MINI Cooper S and we have developed an interest in purchasing a well restored Mini. I don't know much about the old ones but having owned three '60s LBCs I think we can service it ourselves. Please take a look at this one for sale:

https://adcache.collectorcartrader.com/10/9/8/85551998.htm

Deb's MINI has the exact same color scheme which is rather interesting. Does this seem like a fair one?
 
Use your experience in the 60's LBCs and check seams, rockers and all the little areas for fit and finish. Interior should be clean and materials matching. Car looks good in photos, but would need close-up for good estimate. For the price should be almost perfect in shape and fit. See if exterior paint extends into boot and engine compartment, so there is no visible other color showing. Check for leaks and etc. in mechanicals, check shifting etc. Also, a big on restoration, is wiring, see if it has been renewed not patched. This is a 42 yr. old car and if wiring is original check grommets for wear, if worn could present shorts and fire hazard. Will make a good trip to see!
 
this is just from a personal point of view but I don't like the hydrolastic suspension. I found it ok on the austin 1100(america) but a little choppy on the mini. Check with Doug Lawson as he probably knows more about the suspension and repairs to it than I do.
 
I stand corrected. The seats do compare to those in the book in terms of appearance, but they are finished much better than from the factory, and don't have the "brocade" pattern vinyl.

Shouldn't it have the 998cc engine for that vintage car?
 
I may just go and look at it this weekend. It's about a 7 1/2 hour drive but Santa Fe is a pretty cool place to visit. Thanks for the help.
 
It's a nice looking car, very well put together. However, they have priced this as if it were original and correct, which it is not.

Now this will sound like I'm nit-picking but...
It's an Austin-Cooper, so in 1965 it should be a 998cc
This engine is a 1275. The engine also has a much later cylinder head from (probably from a Midget) as it has "smog ports".
That under-hood blower for the ventilation system doesn't look right for 1965. There were a lot of Mini variations but I've never seen one from the mid-1960s with that fan.
The coil is a good Bosch Blue, but for a restoration of this level I would have expected a Lucas coil.
The starter solenoid looks to be a Ford part, not Lucas.
The interior looks spotless, but there are some minor points I'm not sure about. The dash rails MIGHT need to be covered in black vinyl to be correct. The interior door handle levers should be the "spoon" type, not the aftermarket chromed pipes shown. The right-hand door lock/latch has week springs as evidence by the "droopy handle" both inside and out.
The seat belts would probably have been Britax or Kangol. The belts in the photo are a later design (probably safer, but not correct).
There are a couple of other VERY minor things I noticed but bringing them up WOULD be nit-picking.

I think this is a beautiful car, though not original. I think for $16k it should be original. That said, what's it worth? I think it should be between $12-14k.
 
Being a purist, the changes would bother me. My MGB is absolutely stock and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
Steve said:
Ah, but that brake pedal rubber is probably the only original part remaining on the car!
Click to expand...

Not on this car... it's not there at all!
 
I think you could buy my project car, have it restored, have all the correct details and escape for less than $16K. I have always liked making my own mistakes rather than fixing someone else's.
Bruce
 
I doubt the above remark. Of course, it depends upon the care taken during the restoration. Also, remember that the Dollar is not doing well against the Pound, so it will cost more to restore one today, than it did last year.

I have well above the asking price invested in my Mini. I know restoration can be expensive! My Mini is a plain 1000. I'll never see my investment return, however you'll have to pry it out of my cold, dead, hands, so it doesn't matter!!!

My opinion is that's a pretty nice price for a Cooper S, but it is a plain Cooper and if you shop for a while you can do better. The photos show it off well and I am certain that amount of money is in the car, but (again) if you shop, you'll be able to do better.
 
Having done auto restorations for the last 30 years, I still find than I can be out of touch with various costs. And with regard to my statement, I do ALL my own labor, and enf up paying myself next to nothing for labor. If I actually had to pay the current labor charges, I simply could not afford to play with fun cars. The FIRST RULE of restoration is never restore a car with the idea that you will make money. You just do it for the love of the car.
Bruce
 
Buying a mini for that price should mean that the car is unrestored, unchanged and in top condition with all original parts.
 
Like Bruce, I do all my own work (short of engine machining). Even with DIY at home restorations its easy to spend more on a project than the end result is worth. I keep all the receipts associated with a restoration. About 15 years ago I made the mistake of totalling them up for one of my cars. I will never do that again. I wanted to cry when I realized that I'd spent twice as much on the car than it was worth. As Bruce said, you have to do this for the love of the car and for the hobby... not to make a profit.
 
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