I was at my grandparents house yesterday for the first time in a while, and I looked outside and suddenly remembered there's an old car in the garden my dad learnt in. Annoyingly the camera's being stubborn this morning, but it's an old (duh!) Morris Minor, reg RTV *** (can't find any details...). It's a bit of a rust bucket; the shell is still there, and a lot of the shape and structure, but for example when I opened the door, the back bit of the front left wheel arch just came off. The floor pan is pretty much gone and it's covered in plants / animals / etc. It's basically been left there outside untouched for many, many years (dad's 50+ now!). The main question is, is something like this worth restoring? I'm at uni so nothing could be done til next summer, and it'd have to very much be a weekend thing as I need to work in the week. I wouldn't really want to drive it as I'm into bigger cars tbh. Like how much would a good version sell for, bearing in mind this would probably be more weld / plate than original! Thanks, profqwerty
Sounds cool. I have seen one running around my neighbourhood a decade ago. Today I see it under a shed, don't know if it's still working.
http://www.morrisminorsforsale.com/morris-minor-Convertible-sr-21.html On this website they can go for anything from £600-£8000, Dunno how nice of a job you can do with the rustbucket in the garden, but it could be a fun project with a good result.
There's still plenty of Minors out there so it will be pretty difficult to turn a profit from it. The costs really do add up when it comes to restoring a classic, if you've got friends who can lend you equipment / respray it for cheap that definitely helps. You'd probably get more money selling it as it is or breaking it for parts tbh.
besides its sentimental value it wont be worth restoring and you never make a profit from restoring unless you've got something really really rare and valuable, which minor are not. I would suspect once you've striped it down there wont be much left of the body shell. But have a look at practical classics current project. You could always find a Morris of the same age in bit better nick and transfer the reg over.
If you want to put some money into it and have some fun (I would) turn it into a long term project. Plate and weld it up, put a rover engine in it and paint it purple. Put in a computer, a sound system and lots of chrome. And then take it for a spin on Saturday nights I intend to do something similar when I buy a mini... I don't see much profit being made here I'm afraid. Maybe you could ask your dad for inspiration - what did all the cool Minor drivers back in the day roll in? Were hot-rods in then? FLAMES!!!
The same guy that designed the minor also did the mini you know. Its a fun car as if you watched fifth gear, tiff takes it for a drive and in the wet corners , with it being rear wheel drive he was drifting it around the bends, well more like power sliding, but for an old car it looks like fun to me. You wont turn a profit from it unfortunately, less you are really good with a welder and can respray it yourself, but as with alot of classics, you'll put in a crazy amount with no really return, a shame really cus once its gone, its gone. If anything i'd try find one that needs a little less work for it to still be an enjoyable project, and see if you can transfer the plate, so your father can still get that nostalgic feeling about it!
Hmmm yeah it's a tough one; I don't have any time at the moment and wouldn't really want to drive it to be honest. It's definitely a rust bucket and would require a LOT of welding and plating, and presumably new bits for the engine etc. I'm more into bigger cars (defender etc)... Damn, that's a bit of a shame really Anyone want a rusted Morris, near Leicester lol.
How about leaving it in the garden as a feature? You may have to relocate it, you may have to remove weeds, plant some plants that you like in there. If you wanted to restore one there are many better cheap one's out there to start from.
I think, it's going to be left there as a feature...I wasn't necessarily looking to restore it, more it just seems a waist something like that left there. If anything I might sell the bits for what they're worth, but I'm not looking to make a loss though... I didn't know how (relatively) common it is so was also just checking it wasn't a million quid wonder left to rot in the garden!
http://carsinbarns.com/Superbirds & Daytonas/index.htm Cars in barns makes me cry. As for the Minor can you do any work on it to prevent it deteriorating further?
Morris Minor Superbird One is an easily attainable cheap little car, the other is an extremely rare car that probably has the biggest factory rice spoiler ever made! You cannot compare them, they don't even have similar names
I know, I was posting the link to show examples of real million dollar wonders left to rot in the garden.
As for the Minor can you do any work on it to prevent it deteriorating further?[/QUOTE] Not really, it's "embedded" in the garden and we have no space under cover. I could put a tarp over it but tbh that wouldn't help it all that much, no one'd want it anyway!
I'm planning a similar restoration on my dad's motorbike soon, which he gave me and which is sat at home in really bad shape. It's gonna cost a lot though. That's the thing with restoration: you must never kid yourself it's gonna save you money, at all, in any way. "If I buy these parts, it'll last longer for less than the cost of a new..." -no. It's a money-sink. So it has to be, as said above, for sentimental value. The central question is, do you love the car, or are you just reluctant to be involved in scrapping it? If the former, get your tools out. In the socially acceptable sense.
I'd guess you'd need to start by getting it dipped to stop it getting worse, so there's £1500 to get it stripped and coated. After that process whats left will stay exactly as it is until you start welding in the missing parts. If you've got the time and cash, go for it.
I don't know if there's any sentimental value in it to be honest, I'll have to ask dad but that'll take a while. I can imagine it being a money sink - something my granddad told me never buy a classic they just burn money... And being at Uni, time and cash is the last thing I have!
