Morris Minor Owners Club

Hey everyone. I know this is a bit odd, but if anything... we get to look at Morris pictures! Woo...

I'm going to look at a car (maybe)... and I was wondering if you could take a peek at these pictures and tell me if there's anything you spot from them that should be cause for concern...

...and as an extra little twist, can anyone guess how much it's up for. It's from a garage. (Just to see if it would be a complete rip off).

I understand that this is not definitive, and that they are only pictures. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something completely obvious!

Also, if anyone knows the car. That would also be pretty spesh. Thanks in advance!!

Driver's door not fitting too well - and some signs of past repairs on the lower edge of the rear door driver side - otherwise looks fine - but it's the pictures we are NOT seeing that matter ! Under the bonnet - boot floor - under the carpets and of course general underside of the car. Make sure it has a brand new MOT !
Edit - oops - I didn't notice the boot lid - I thought it was just a reflection - but yes it is a bit rotten!

well the first thing that is obvious is the boot lid bottom is rusty, new bootlids when available around £250.00, can get repair panels but costly to have done

paintwork looks a little dull

other than that looks a nice tidy car

but you still have to check out , front chassis legs, rear chassis sections and fron inner wings for any signs of rottting

also lift the doors to see if there is any play in the hinges or hinge pillars

check out cross member

and remember a shiny car is not necessarily a solid one

also the front wings, one has obviously been replaced, look at the join by the headlamp bowl, one you can see the seam and the other the seam has been filled in, looks odd

Is that trim normal for a car of that colour ? It looks a bit odd - although in good enough condition. And surely a car of that age should have glove box lids both sides - not open gloveboxes ? And the front passenger door pull looks a bit horrible - and from a dark red trim car perhaps ?

Interior trim and open glove boxes are correct for a 61 - 64 Delux and it looks like it fits into that age band. Looks reasonable enough to me if the price is right..... ie under £1000.00

with every think i think your guesstimate with price is about right

there are someissues pointed out

but of course what is the structure like

Yes, I was assuming a solid structure and MOT

I'm not as excited now! It's up for £1495... sounds like that's a bit too much then

It also has a 'new MOT'... so I presume the garage has put one on, which I guess means it's not *too* bad, but as ever, that just means it was passable on the day.

I like how everyone is cautious, it's quite refreshing that people aren't blinded by it's lovelyness, to go 'buy buy buy'. This is a nice forum.

James

Thank you people! I'm not so sure now... hmmm

James, remember a dealer will have factored in a margin for part exchange of another vehicle. If you are going with cash offer him £1000 and see what he says. Nobody has any money at the moment so dealers will want to shift as much as they can when they can.... You might just get lucky. If not, walk away.... There are plenty more for sale.

Yeah, I think that's wise words... tbh. It might be easy for him to shift it at a grand. We'll see. I'll report...

It's also done an advertised 44000 miles. Is that good/bad?

I know this will have been covered before, but what specific checks should I make tomorrow?

Thank you all!

yes a grand for a running mot`d mog would be ok, and it is a buyers market

there a lot of cars out there so no need to rush, and remeber shiny is not all ways best, and some restorations are not all they are cracked up to be

a garage will want to shift it quick. take your time

i just paid 1100 for my 2 door bought privately in similar condition,bit scabby around the rear wings and bootlid,and ive had to change the headgasket.factor in that it will want about £300 spending on it if you have high standards of mechanical efficency,like i do lol!

Most important areas are front chassis legs (both sides) and the cross member that runs sise to side across middle of car. After that look at the rear spring mounting points. If all this is good and solid then the rest you can tidy up at your leisure...

Didn't knoiw that some cars had both gloveboxes open for a while. Again - learned something new. Ask to see evidence of the 44,000 miles - ie pile of old MOTs with mileage on them, that sort of thing. Mileage is not that important - the mechanical parts are easy and cheap to fix - it's the condition of the body that counts! Use the rusty boot and as many other 'bad' things as you can find as a major bargaining factor - and yes I would say offer £1000 absolute maximum - in fact only take £1000 with you - in used £10 ers - and let him sniff the money! It's very likely they only gave about £500 for the car from the last owner. But only buy once you have had a good look inside the boot (press down hard on the floor just inside the lip of the boot) and under the bonnet, and under the carpets front and rear! If in any doubt - ask if you can take more pictures to show us on the MMOC site - that should frighten him into taking your deal! And of course -squeeze them for a 3 month parts and labour warranty !

"in fact only take £1000 with you - in used £10 ers - and let him sniff the money!"

Spoken like a true Scottsman

bmcecosse wrote:Didn't knoiw that some cars had both gloveboxes open for a while.

Yes, but not for long as they didn't do anything about the steering column location or the indicator stalk nacelle, with the result that the driver's side glove box only opens a couple of inches - much less use than an open one!

Doh!

Apprentice design at it's finest, or so I read somewhere!

Cheers!

It might be 44k miles or 144K. It's clearly had a major rebuild as the b-post has been replaced - the trafficator holes are missing rather than plated over (no indicators at the front).

Just to repeat one point:- when you go back to look again- open the front doors and try lifting them- if they flex on the hinge mountings its nasty news!

Pete, dont think your right on that about the b post, this is one of the change over cars that flashes the sidelight on the front and flashes the brakelight on the rear for indicators. Do make sure they are working correctly as the relay is expensive and has loads of wires! Other than the dodgy bootlid it looks pretty good to me. Check very carefully were the back wings bolt on, especailly were the back door opens as this is an nasty place to repair.

I do like these older 1000s and have 2 like this (green and grey), one is 948cc and the other 1098cc which has the better 8" brakes fitted.