Morris Minor Owners Club

I have seen comments some moggies are not repairable, is this a financial issue or are some pannels just not fixable??

look at my restro...any thing can be repaired

I've followed your restoration and think it should be made a sticky in the bodywork section to show both how the panels fit together and just what can be done...dont know if any mod would like to consider this ??

BigMark wrote:I have seen comments some moggies are not repairable, is this a financial issue or are some pannels just not fixable??

For me, it was rust in the windscreen pillars and scuttle that meant the end for one. There was an awful lot more, but those bits aren't available as repair sections, and at the time I didn't have the experience to fabricate/find other bits and weld tham in well, or the hundreds of pounds to pay a pro to do so.

Cheers Andrew

Being Green is enough for me

Seriously, you have to weigh up the cost in time and replacement panels against buying a good one in the first place. Experience has shown me what is the better way - and it's not spending hours and hours welding/painting/fabricating/cursing.
There are loads of good ones out there, so don't bother with the terminal cases - unless you want to.
There is no money to be saved believe me.

Pete

Very true. Sadly, being a pick-up bloke, the 'lots of good ones' thing isn't true. There are only a few good ones, and even ones in the state of the one that I scrapped go for silly money. I know - I paid it Best advice, I'd say, would be to stick with saloons

No intention of going for a Van or pick up at the mo, just having fun stripping down the grot box at the moment

I'd like to save a knackered one, just like "flying" has done. Partly for personal satisfaction and partly just to keep one more going.

It would be a new skill mastered and something would be reborn that would have died.

bigginger wrote: For me, it was rust in the windscreen pillars and scuttle that meant the end for one.

That's where you find another dead one and use it for repair sections

The reason I decided not to restore the rotten convertible I bought cheap was the condition of the crossmember over the top of the gearbox and which the shock absorbers bolt to.
It was damaged / distorted and, for me, made the car not viable.
Everything else I was happy to tackle.

Paul Humphries.

Packedup wrote: That's where you find another dead one and use it for repair sections

"didn't have the experience to fabricate/find other bits" - I know that now

I have seen comments some moggies are not repairable, is this a financial issue or are some pannels just not fixable?

I guess that any part of the bodywork can be made by someone who has the skills and the tools - but finance is essentially what determines whether a car is restored. If it takes a skilled craftsman 100 hours to fabricate a very complex piece it isn't going to happen because there are plenty of cars available that need less work.

1) Some Minors have rust issues that can be fully repaired for less than the car's market value.

2) Many Minors cannot be repaired economically by professionals charging £25-£50 an hour - but they can be economically repaired by amateurs who effectively 'give' their time for free.

Thanks for your comments guys, I am hopefull that bluey will not bite me in the backside too much but I can only imagine the wrench it must be to call it quits on a car half way through