Morris Minor Owners Club

I have noticed that a modified 1962 Traveller on the Shropshire Borders (that looks quite good in the advertisements) has been for sale for some time despite its apparently reasonable price: does having conversions like the 1300 engine, 5-speed gearbox, disc brakes etc. reduce the price of a traveller like this?

not knowing what the price of the car is it is difficult to make a call, if the car is in "average" condition then in my opinion the changes outline do not reduce the price. However if the car is "concours" ( oxymoron I know ) then the mods would probably reduce the price.

The changes made will alter the audience for the car.

Unless you have seen the car in the flesh it is very difficult / impossible to say that a price is reasonable.. a car can look fine in a photo but in the flesh it could be rotten at which point the reasonable price becomes excessive.

Hello Geo and Charlie,

That Minor looks very interesting and I was tempted to drive all the way to Shropshire from the South Coast (I've nothing better to do.....) to take a look at it. So I contacted the seller through eBay messaging, asking him to send me more, and bigger, pictures and a reassurance about the overall condition as it would be a long drive.

His response was 'The pictures are on eBay', nothing more. When I sent a follow-up message explaining that it was difficult to make out much on the small eBay pictures, so could he send me larger ones, I got no reply at all.

This is the third month running that it has been listed, given his unhelpful attitude and the remoteness of its location I don't find that at all surprising.

It's a lot of Traveller for £3,600 all the same. Which also rang alarm bells: 'If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.'

I was also concerned about the extent of the modifications, if you have not had the work done yourself where do you turn when something goes wrong? You would need exact specifications for every single mod in order to obtain parts etcetera.

So I left well alone and bought another one.

Robbiesmith replies

I contacted the seller through eBay messaging, asking him to send me more, and bigger, pictures and a reassurance about the overall condition as it would be a long drive.

His response was 'The pictures are on eBay',

That is more of a response than I got! I also noticed some confusion about telephone numbers.

This is the third month running that it has been listed, given his unhelpful attitude and the remoteness of its location I don't find that at all surprising.
'

Again, this was what caused me to ask the question in the first place, just seemed a lot of Traveller for the price (if the alleged work had been carried out properly). Not all of the lengthy description adds up either.

'If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.'

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. After all, it must take more than those front seats to reduce the price!

Geo

if it this one..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MORRIS-MINOR-TRAV ... 2c56abb4ed

than yes 3600 is too much in my opinion.

I would be looking for a lot better interior rather than a mix of everything

Some of the paint work looks dull, it could just be the photos begin taken under the trees.

The wood is dark ok personal but i prefer "light wood" it is difficult to tell if the wood has any problems

The chrome on the rear bumper is dull..

looking at the photo of the b post i am not sure if the wood is ok at the bottom of the B pillar.. again could be shade from the trees

Personally I dislike Ital wheels on the moggy i think they look too small in the minor wheel arch

With the excpetion of the interior which will not be cheap to sort out the other points are probably small and haggle points

Thanks Charlie

if it this one..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MORRIS-MINOR-TRAV ... 2c56abb4ed

than yes 3600 is too much in my opinion.

Yes, it is this one and, to my eyes, at first sight the price looked reasonable, but the more I looked at it (and lack of any further information from the seller), the more suspicious I got.

I would be looking for a lot better interior rather than a mix of everything
Some of the paint work looks dull, . . .
The wood is dark ok personal but i prefer "light wood" it is difficult to tell if the wood has any problems

Yes, the interior is a real rag-bag of bits and pieces, and the paintwork looked dull but serviceable (although this is so difficult to know from a small photograph and as you suggest, ditto with the woodwork).

The chrome on the rear bumper is dull..

looking at the photo of the b post i am not sure if the wood is ok at the bottom of the B pillar.. again could be shade from the trees

Personally I dislike Ital wheels on the moggy i think they look too small in the minor wheel arch

With the excpetion of the interior which will not be cheap to sort out the other points are probably small and haggle points

I presumed the bumpers would require re-chroming and those wheels look as strange as some of the interior: I had missed the B-pillar point, thanks for pointing this out, I am sure you a right about it.

With the lack of communication with Robbiesmith and my enquiries, it would seem that haggling would not form an obvious part of a purchase (and probably why it is still listed for sale some three months later).

Thanks to all for your comments.

Geo and Charlie - you saw a lot more in the photos than I did.

It makes me wonder whether his reluctance to provide larger photos reflects something more than just unhelpfulness.....

Read his feedback, he has bought a load of spraying equipment so the car has probably been resprayed, by him.

beero wrote:Read his feedback, he has bought a load of spraying equipment so the car has probably been resprayed, by him.

Yes, I noticed this: it is a truly huge amount of spraying kit that caused me to suspect he traded in it rather than used it?
Still, either way, I do not think I shall be making the trip to Shropshire just to find out what this vehicle is all about.

Geo

The lack of answering your questions does not sound to clever, also a couple of other points from the add.

MORRIS MARINA 1300 UNLEADED ENGINE (Plus a brand new leaded gizmo put in the tank !!)

That makes no sense at all especially as those in tank efforts dont work.

THE ENGINE BAY WOULDN'T WIN ANY AWARDS,BUT IT IS ALL GOOD AND SOLID,AND HAS A GOOD LAYER OF SEAL AND WAXOIL ....

No wonder there are no pics of the engine bay as its probably as shiny as the underside