hello everyone

[chris hunt]

how do you do! my names chris and have become gladly involved with a 1966 morris minor 4door saloon. i,ll tell the tale from as far back as i know, here goes! my wifes great uncle john sadly passed away about 2 months ago but for many years he owned the morris minor in question, in fact he maintained it from new and became the owner of it not long after. anyway i believe he ran the car but only the odd occasion during his working life. upon retirement 23 years ago he laid it up and started a sympathetic restoration although the car has only done 8705 miles, as you do as you get older he slowed down a bit until the car sat under sheets in a clean and dry garage, all the work he had done was and still is cock a doodle diddley-on!. as i say he has now passed away and has left potentially a very nice minor behind, the executors of the will, my mother and father in law and aunt have agreed to let me get it going and recommed with a view to getting the best price when it comes up for sale. so thats that, i have a few questions which i will pose in the relevant sections and also will keep an update of my progress. thanks for having me and regards chris!

[SteveClem]

Welcome Chris! Lots of great advice on here,but feisty at times.
To be honest,if having a Minor isn't what you aspire to long term you might do better selling it as a project to an enthusiast. It's easy to spend lots on a minor and lose money when you sell.
If you love it,keep it and do what you need to/want to and then use it! Otherwise pass it on for the best price you can get to someone who will tend to its needs.

[chris hunt]

cock a doodle diddley a doodle diddly on??? have i said something wrong?

[bmcecosse]

Obviously we need pictures to know what you are talking about here - a bare bodyshell?? Or an 'almost complete' car just needing to be MOTd? Pity they can't just see the sense in GIVING you the car to fix and use.......

[chris hunt]

bmcecosse, i would indeed love the car and have thought of putting a bid in, you see as executors they are legally bound to get the best for it, steve has a point really in that its better going to someone who will cherish it, i for various reasons cant have it but it does me in to see the sharks circling if you get me? i have a fiat 850 camper awaiting attention. the car is proper solid and bang original even down to the screw on type battery connectors, i tell a lie, it has had paint but its very period looking. soon as i get it mot'd i,ll get it on here. the solicitor has even got his nose poked in which im not sure is entirely ethical but hey hoe joe! its going to slip through my fingers!!

[chris hunt]

just read your post again, not a bare shell at all. the screen was broken during storage so i have to replace that, it needs carpeting and basic recommisioning which im well on with, started it today and sweet!! as i say when john did something it was done co.... im not it seems allowed to use this term, it was done very well. i,ll get some pics up on here when i have had a better look at forum etc

[bmcecosse]

Well - seems a shame they can't just say 'John always said the car was for Chris' - but if you don't want it anyway... Still - pictures on here are the best way so we can advise a basic worth - then put it on ebay. No need for you to 'improve' the car by fitting screen/carpets etc and getting MOT (which could be a LOT of hassle with brakes /new tyres/seized up clutch/frozen engine ??/fuel pump/new battery etc etc if it's been standing long time) unless you feel obliged to your Uncle to do that. But it could involve many many hours of work - for what? You could just put it up on ebay exactly as it is - for the shortest time possible (3 days??) with a slightly mis-spelled title (so it's not easily found... ) and bid for it yourself. That satisfies the Executors (how much better it is to leave a simple Will........) then fix it all up once you have 'won' it - and sell it on if you don't want to keep it. That's what I would be doing!