Morris Minor Owners Club

Ok so I think i've got to the stage where I have enough money and can make the leap into buying my 1st minor. It would be very much appreciated if people could offer me a bit of advice on what I should be looking for when viewing a potential buy. I am very much a newbie. lol

Maverick.

ha doesn't matter just found that great guide in the tech tips.

Whereabouts are you in the country? There is usually someone nearby who can help.

Best advice - buy from a well establish member on this forum. Be ware some come on here just to sell their car - they will have very few 'posts' beside their name. Someone with posts in hundreds or thousands has obviously been around for a while. So - look in the Sales section, and good luck!

A few pointers.
First decide what model you want, eg saloon, convertible, traveller, van, etc.
Next, what engine you want, side valve, 803, 948, 1098, 1275.
Now decide what condition car you are after and how much restoration you are able to undertake.
Finally how much have you got to spend. That will affect all the previous choices.
When you have found the car you are looking for grab the nearest Minor owner and drag him along to advise you.

Thanks to everyone for being so friendly. And offering me great advice. I live in lancashire I would have liked a 1275 2 door saloon. I only have £750 as I'm a student I am going to try and go to the leyland meet tonight but I would feel a bit stupid as I don't have a Morris and I don't know anyone.

Hi Maverick, I'm certain you'll be made very welcome! Especially when you tell them you're on a "Morris Hunt"! They may even know of a car for sale in your area. Go along and enjoy yourself - that's what "Moggying" is all about.

I don't want to dishearten you but £750 is well down the market price and would not leave you much time for studying. Have you figured in the dreaded insurance?
You would be looking at 948 / 1098 2 door needing a fair bit of work. But you never know, there is often the odd bargain out there waiting for a good home.
As you have been advised, pop along to your local branch, introduce yourself and keep looking.

I know £750 is not much but it's all I have I havnt thought of insurance as I intend to do a lot of work on the car and keep it in the garage for about 6months giving it a little run everynow and then planning to rebuild the engine. And getting the bodywork in good condition ready for repraying. Changing the brakes suspension wheels and interior. Actually a complete rebuild. I hope I can find a 1275 as I had my heart set on one.

The folks at the Leyland meet are a pretty freindly bunch, well worth popping along to meet up with them ... I should really get round to going up there again, but I want to get Masie all sorted before I do - it never feels quite right going to a morris meeting when you are driving a punto!

As for the 1275, you will probably want to hold-fire on that for a while ... for the money you have you might be better off going with a car whose value is in the shell rather than the engine, since the engine can easily be replaced but repairing the chassis can be expensive.

Do you weld at all?

If you manage to find a car in this area, give me a nudge when you go see it and I can have a prod about in all the usual places and hopefully avoid you buying the same kind of lemon that I did for my first minor.

before deciding that you want a project car for full rebuild - check out what a respray will cost you!!
Minors are great cars so there's little point having one that you can't drive - an ideal first Minor is one you can use!

Ditto

Thanks alain for your hospitality I may hold you to your offer. As for welding I do it as part of my practical side of my degree at Uclan. Maybe I was being a bit optimistic about buying a 1275 then. As for paint I have a contact with a garage and spray shop. I could do it myself but I don't want to botch it. Ha.

I know a bloke in preston that will do you a fairly shabby respray for £600

I actually now wish I'd spent the money on a compressor and HVLP spraygun ... bits of this blokes work are already bubbling up as the rust he didnt deal with starts to show through ... I *knew* I should have done the prep myself ... sigh, hindsight eh?

To his credit though he did say he would sort it out .. I may try and deal with the rust myself before I give it back to him tho.

So popped out to the Morris meet at leyland they were a really great friendly bunch. Will probably be seeing them again as i am thinking of going to the east lancs meet.

Yeah, the leyland lot are a great crowd ... it's definitely worth checking out east lancs too since they are bigger and much more organised ... I personally prefer the more informal disorganised chaos of the lancashire group, but hey what do you expect from a hippie!

The main difference between the two however seems to be that east-lancs wants a year's worth of subs up-front, however lancashire takes your subs if you turn up on the night ... although it has been quite some time since I actually turned up so things may have changed.

Hows much are the subs?

Sorry, I have the memory of a hippie too ... best ask them at the meet!

They wont want subs the first couple of times you turn up anyway, you do after all need to get to know the group before you decide whether you want to join them.