buying price advice - Minor 1000

[Sida]

Hi guys,

Ive been long dreaming of owning a classic and have been looking for a few months to pick one up around the £1500-£2000 mark.

I have come across a lovely late 60's Morris Minor 1000 2DR which I have visited and am wanting to make an offer on but am a bit unsure what's a sensible price to pay.

Generally the car seemed very good, took most of the carpets up, everything looked good there, very very clean and fresh under the bonnet, all lights worked, very nifty out on test drive, no gears slipping out when letting off accelerator, has had neutral earth conversion etc, full MOT.

There were of course a few down points as always and Im not sure how hard this would affect price.

Firstly and most importantly, there was a slight leak on the rear diff. It looked damp with oil there and watching it for 5 minutes a droplet eventually formed which i touched and was light brown oil.

The drivers door didnt sit properly, as you looked down from top to bottom of the door, the further down the further it stuck out. also the very inside jutting out bit at the bottom was rotten.

Thirdly, the wings have all been changed to fibre glass, my dad thinks this on its own might harm value, but on top of that one of the rear wings was rotting around the seam and you could see a bit of a gap forming.

The chaps asking about £1700, I was wondering if settling on £1500 absolutely maximum if not 1400 would be sensible or am I completely off?

Grateful for any advise! - Simon
Door:

Wing

Wing Close up:

Bottom of wing:

[LouiseM]

Welcome to the messageboard. What's the underneath like? The condition of the sills, cross member, spring hangers etc will be a big factor in determining price. Did you check the underneath, as lifting the carpets wouldn't identify any rot in these areas.

[The vast minority]

Sounds very cheap,
But believe me, a leaking Diff isn't the most important thing here. Mechanicals are all easily fixed. Condition of body is everything, one with a bit of cosmetic rot like this is worth the 1700 Plus as long as it's otherwise ok.

Get under there and have a proper look, you can download a what to look for when buying a minor check list from this website if I remember rightly.

Al

[Sida]

Thanks for your quick replies guys.

I must confess I'm not a mechanic, more an enthusiast who knows how to do the odd bit here and there and wants to learn. I had a very good look under the car with an inspection lamp which got me caped in mud as it was parked on grass but didn't deter me. I couldn't see anything worrying. Leaf springs looked ok as did spring hanger, no rust showing underneath, was all just painted black like. though I guess something could be sprayed underneath to cover up rust? I wasn't brave enough to get under with a screwdriver and ram at it in front of the seller. but looking at it from an albeit amateur perspective it looked probably nicer than my 10 year old Skoda. I noticed a lot of green lubricant in places too like at joints so it looks like he's made an effort.

Went on a good long test drive and really ran it up to speed for 10 minutes. Nothing obvious became apparent. Biting point on clutch was very high not sure if thats normal but gears changed and took nicely. Mileage shows as about 26,000 and there is about 10 years MOT history online confirming miles but presumably an old car clock is easy to wind back a few hundred/thousand before you take it in for the MOT, so who knows I guess...

What I will say though is I've dreamed of being a classic owner for a while and driving this moggy certainly put a massive smile on my face

[ManyMinors]

As others have said, it is the condition of the body structure (underneath and on top) that is most important. I wouldn't call that rust around the wing mounting flange "cosmetic" myself. What you see there is the tip of the iceberg and that area is very tricky and expensive to repair when the time comes. Fibreglass wings themselves wouldn't put me off but it doesn't look as if the attachment points are in very good order and if the door doesn't fit then that too suggests problems. I would take somebody who knows about these cars to have a good look before you buy because although £1700 might seem cheap for a roadworthy car it is expensive for a restoration project.
Is there a local club or specialist in your area who could look for you?

[crackers]

NEVER buy a car in the rain, there is no way you can tell what the paint is like and will probably be uninclined to look too closely underneath where it counts. Your photos show a lot of rain on the body so go back when it's dry and be prepared to get really dirty.

I can't comment on the price vs the condition because I'm an Australian where it's all different and it's possible I've just bought a 'cheap' car that'll turn out to be an expensive car... or maybe not.

The BIG questions to ask revolve around how long you intend to keep this car, what you're asking from it and what you're willing to do. I bought a car with rust... but I've already enrolled in a welding course and intend to learn how to repair it. I wanted a car I could drive and enjoy... but don't mind it being disreputable while I put the effort into turning it into a great little motor. I don't intend to sell it so any financial pain will be lost in the mists of time.

To be honest, unless you buy one of these vehicles for the joy of spending hours fixing and replacing stuff, complete with hours lost in hopeless confusion combined with painful visits to the credit card, you will NOT enjoy owning a classic car. The payback is all the pleasure you get fixing them, all the joy you get driving them AND, the pleasure you see on other people's faces as they look at your car - Morris Minor's get a lot of attention.

If you want pragmatic motoring, go to your local new car dealer and buy a plastic, computerised box on wheels. These beasts are real motoring and are from a world that only exists in back sheds owned by men with beards (if you believe Jeremy Clarkson).

[bmcecosse]

As above really - that door fit and rot is a worry, it looks like the pillar is rotten?? And the rot showing around the rear wings is (as said above)| difficult to repair. But the real story is underneath - it needs to be seen on a ramp or at least well jacked up on a hard surface . The 'black' is almost certainly hiding rot. And yes - DO poke with a screwdriver. I suspect it is a money-pit, but if you feel determined offer no more than £1000 and be prepared to spend money on it. I know it says new MOT - but make sure it has a BRAND NEW MOT. Don't listen to stories of 'oh it doesn't need an MOT' - he's right - it doesn't, but get him to put it through an MOT at a reputable garage (so not a 'postal' MOT) to make sure it's at least roadworthy. If he won't MOT it - walk away...seriously -don't listen to any excuses - walk away.

[ASL642]

My "quick" observation of the wet paintwork. The car has had a respray with the wings/wing rubbers still attached. There is evidence of rusting/cracked filler above this. At some stage in the near future this will have to be repaired. Removing those wings and the rubber seals will crack the paint. Unless you are handy with a spray gun this could be expensive.