Views on Scrapping Morris Minor's

[robberred1993]

The more cars that are scrapped the more valuable the remaining ones become.
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Always a positive to a negative I guess

[Alex'n'Ane]

Not the only racing vote now then..

[chickenjohn]

We had a similar discussion on the MGoc forum a couple of years ago about MGBs being scrapped and someone made a very good point (not my opinion).
The more cars that are scrapped the more valuable the remaining ones become.
Discuss...........

That is a fallacy stated by scrappers to make themselves feel better/ justify scrapping good cars.

The truth is STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!

The more cars on the road of a particular make and model, the better and cheaper the parts availability! With so many parts available for the Minor there is only an excuse for scrapping the worst cars or accident write offs where the car is so bent it is impossible to get it back into shape.

[Dryad]

The truth is STRENGTH IN NUMBERS!

The more cars on the road of a particular make and model, the better and cheaper the parts availability!

Exactly!

One man's basket case is another man's dream project - just look at Taupe's restoration thread.

[chrisd87]

Agreed with the point above. Think about it - there are very few Marinas left on the road (less than 1000 I think), yet they don't go for anything approaching 'big money'. Same applies to a whole raft of popular cars from years gone by that have almost totally vanished. Rarity doesn't always equal high value.

The fact that there are a relatively large number of Minors in use on the roads helps to support the manufacture of new spare parts, which itself makes it possible to keep using them daily, which in turn makes them a more attractive purchase. So it's a self-sustaining cycle.

[Dean]

There was an interesting topic on the Mini forum a few weeks ago and they were amazed by the DVLA statistic that there is only 60,000 mini's in the UK either SORNed or taxed. Now considering new shells are available for cars from 1976 to 2000 and just about every conceivable part you could think of is still manufactured, they still break for spares. If you look at some of them, they would be a dream restoration project if every Minor you found without an MOT was in the condition these cars are broken for. Simply sills or flitch plates or rusty sub frames... such a waste and a shame, some are MOT'd but broken just for the 1275 engine! If you tackle any of them "I have to make a living you know". Year 2000 cars broken for spares... and they even sell the shells on with the V5! So they break but not physically scrap it... quite odd how they call themselves enthusiasts, because in my opinion they aren't enthusiasts but selfish in a way by restricting future generations the pleasure.

[robberred1993]

, but as a personal option i think it would be what i was most like to do if the shell really couldn't / wouldn't be saved.

Inclined to agree.

[mbo145]

Well I scrapped a series 11 2 door in 1987, it had no floor at all! But it had only done 37,000 miles, so the engine and gearbox were brilliant! The passenger door is still on my traveller today, even now I think it would still have been scrapped as it was too far gone

[chrisd87]

There was an interesting topic on the Mini forum a few weeks ago....

Interesting. Personally I'd be far less precious about scrapping a rusty original shell, if the car could be 'resurrected' with the aid of a new bodyshell á la Mini, MGB, &c. It's the thought that once the cars we have are gone, they're gone forever, that makes me very reluctant to endorse the scrapping / banger racing of shells that are savable with the right amount of time and effort.

If I were to win the Euromillions (unlikely since I don't play ), then I would certainly pay for the Minor bodyshell to be put back into production. Although I agree reshelled cars are 'Irish hammers' to an extent, it does at least ensure there is an almost perpetual supply of that particular car, and no car (so long as it has a chassis plate) is beyond salvation.

[chickenjohn]

Agreed with the point above. Think about it - there are very few Marinas left on the road (less than 1000 I think), yet they don't go for anything approaching 'big money'. Same applies to a whole raft of popular cars from years gone by that have almost totally vanished. Rarity doesn't always equal high value.

The fact that there are a relatively large number of Minors in use on the roads helps to support the manufacture of new spare parts, which itself makes it possible to keep using them daily, which in turn makes them a more attractive purchase. So it's a self-sustaining cycle.

exactly my point! Not just the spares situation, but "safey in numbers" applies to all the above factors. Plus the fact that if there are more Minors on the road makes more people see them and see the thriving club scene and think "I'd like to get one of those and get involved in that!".

[chickenjohn]

Well I scrapped a series 11 2 door in 1987, it had no floor at all! But it had only done 37,000 miles, so the engine and gearbox were brilliant! The passenger door is still on my traveller today, even now I think it would still have been scrapped as it was too far gone

Well, my view is firmly in the "save them all" camp, but even I concede that some cars WILL be beyond saving. Leave a car under trees over grass for 12 years most of it will just crumble away- due to the constant moisture. When you get seriously beyond the available repair panels, then only the very few restorers who can make their own panels can save that car, and even then when there is no solid core left to weld to then the car is beyond saving as it is basically just all rust by then.

[ASL642]

I'm in the market for a 2dr at the moment and went to view a car. It looked really good both inside and out with good paint. The owner stated it had a garage but he couldn't be bothered to put it in so had left it sitting on the front lawn for the last six months. He even had a large drive so he could have left it in the corner of that! The sills, floor rear boot and spring hangars certainly had not appreciated not being in the garage. What a waste of a perfectly good car. Needless to say I didn't buy. Still looking......

[robberred1993]

But classic car specialists.......isn't the intention to make money, not save cars? So would it be right to scrap them after breaking?

Just food for thought.....

[Dean]

Specialists are a business and agree they are in it for love and money. We though do it for a hobby and I struggle with the comments "not economically viable". No car is economically viable if you have to keep spending money and hours of sweat keeping them going. Classic cars is a hobby...hobbies very very rarely pull a profit, why would restoring or keeping a Minor going be any different. Keeping costs to a minimum yes.. but not for profit. Most of us spend more than we'd ever recoup.

[IaininTenbury]

Well, I should be in it for the money, but I got interested in Minors as a hobby first and that still shows now I'm a specialist.
I've saved quite afew Minors from being scrapped, given over valuable workshop space to store them until the right person who wants to restore comes along, or I do the bodywork then sell it to someone else to build up and finish (the time consuming expensive part). Workign on the theory the more cars there are still about the more business there is, possibly, but really I can't bear to scrap them.
I've broke up about 6 minors over the last 12 years, soem of them complete disasters sunk into the earth where they've been stood since the 70s. The sort of thing where you open the boot andjust see earth and the ends of the back springs! Impossible to recover in one piece never mind restore....

[robberred1993]

Working on the theory the more cars there are still about the more business there is, possibly, but really I can't bear to scrap them.
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I agree