Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

Just joined the forum so apologies if I am asking for information that has been previously addressed.

I hope to purchase a MM 1953 split screen within the next couple of weeks and have been advised that all body work is sound (I've seen a lot of pictures) but that it currently has no MoT. There is also the need to refub the two front seats and they are badly split.

Can any members suggest any reputable garages in the London SE8 or SE13 area that would have the necessary experience to address any MM MoT issues and, following that, refurb the seats? I don't mind if they are separate garages but want a firm(s) that are confident with what they are looking at.

Any suggestions or help offered greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Welcome to the messageboard Gareth. I'm afraid I don't know of any good 'Minor friendly' garages in that part of London but we do have a few members here from that area who might be able to advise you. A word of warning though, Minors, like most old cars, can hide a lot of rot so if you haven't already done so I'd suggest a thorough inspection of the car before you purchase. It's difficult to judge the condition of a car based purely on pictures or from what the owner tells you so it's always best to thoroughly inspect a car before you purchase so that you don't get any nasty surprises and end up having to pay a lot more money than you expected on putting things right Seats are relatively easy (and reasonably cheap) to recover but structural repairs, welding, bodywork etc can work out very expensive, especially if you are paying someone else to do the work for you. You might already have done this, so not meaning to tell you how to suck eggs, but if you're unfamiliar with old cars it's sometimes easy to end up with a lot more expense than you bargained for. Is there an MOT failure sheet which itemises what work needs doing on the car?

do NOT buy it without a current mot,allthough not a 100% indicator of soundness underneath,it does at least indicate that the basic frame is relatively sound.if the seller is not prepared to get a new mot then WALK away from it.with a new mot the car is basically drivable,but still might need work on the engine and minor cosmetics (thats dependant on a reputable mot) you could be buying a money pit,thats based on how much revovation you are capable of or willing to pay for,there are plenty of good one out there so be carefull,A friend of mine once bought a very nice looking 1000 but without my looking at it,it was absolutly rotten underneath,fortunately he was able to get in money back. Join the club there will be someone near to you who will give it the once over,I'd be very suspicious of anyone selling a car ,of any make without an mot unless it was advertised as requiring work for mot. GOOD Luck but be carefull.

Good advice there - tell the seller to get the MOT. Newton Commercial are specialists with seats - you can pop in a couple of standard Minor seats so you can use the car while NC are fixing yours 'like new'. Not inexpensive though! But do get the car legal and running on the highway before worrying about the seats - likely to be the least of the worries.