Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi chaps,
I am new to the forum as I am considering purchasing my first Moggy. I have owned a broad range of classics in the past, including A35 van and saloon, Rover P6, SD1, Jag, BM, etc etc.

I am presently looking at a 1969 2 door car with two months MoT. The outer body panels are fairly straight with minimal bubbling. She has had a fair amount of welding underneath, and in the inner wings, but recent new parts including brake master cylinder, water pump etc. The eighty year old owner has had the car for ten years, but despite being more sprightly than me at 49, he is struggling to maintain the car.

Under the carpets theres the usual surface rust on the floor, and a little homemade wiring, but the engine and box are good. I shouldn't even be looking at this, because I could come a cropper at the MoT, but I don't know what it is about this car....I am not looking for a show stopper, although I normally keep my cars in mint order, and I am very finicky, but I feel I could live with this car as a rolling restoration, keeping it on the road, and improving it as I go along. Am I nuts? He wants £800 - I think thats fair. Please, do your best to put me off buying this!![frame][/frame]

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Two previous owners....a nurse, and then a vicar...no, this isn't the cast of a Carry-on film! Oh, and the 80 year old took me for a test drive, prior to letting me drive the car myself, and drove at a colossal speed to show me what the car is capable off. I won't need my Senakot tonight!

Can't put you off unless it has problems which are not obvious from pictures. Price certainly seems fair to me.

Gavin3659 wrote:Can't put you off unless it has problems which are not obvious from pictures. Price certainly seems fair to me.

Many thanks. The car runs well, and as I said the exterior is original and straight. The old chap has even treated the underside with a combination of oil and underseal and although there are evident welding patches it seems solid, as far as I can see. Brakes have just been overhauled too. I guess I have ideas of saving this car from the scrap heap, but I think most potential new owners would put some money into it. I am fifty next year, so this car is almost as old as me. I was going to treat myself to another classic, but didn't envisage this.
What attracts me to buying it is its inherent patina and character and the fact that it's from Chester where I work as an archaeologist, so it just "seems right" but I guess that sounds crazy as a basis for taking this on.

Welcome!

Hope you have bought it by now

Doesnt look expensive at all but bear in mind a minor can rust almost anywhere. Open the boot and have a good look were the back wings bolt on and accross the boot floor. Id recommend lifting out the base of the back seat and looking around were the spring mount to the floor. Lift the carpet and look at the floor just behind were the front seats tip forward. If its all good here then have a look under at the crossmember at the back of the chassis legs and then the chassis legs too especailly between were the eyebolt goes through the chassis and were the tie bar mounts.

Good luck!

DAVIDMCCULLOUGH wrote:Welcome!

Hope you have bought it by now

Doesnt look expensive at all but bear in mind a minor can rust almost anywhere. Open the boot and have a good look were the back wings bolt on and accross the boot floor. Id recommend lifting out the base of the back seat and looking around were the spring mount to the floor. Lift the carpet and look at the floor just behind were the front seats tip forward. If its all good here then have a look under at the crossmember at the back of the chassis legs and then the chassis legs too especailly between were the eyebolt goes through the chassis and were the tie bar mounts.

Good luck!

That's great advice thank you! I'm still in two minds but I am having my local garage look over the car as a pre-MoT check. I don't expect too much for £800, but there's no point in buying a basket case, which I don't believe it is. I just don't have much spare cash at the minute so I could do with getting twelve months MoT under my belt, and then start to work on it next year. This is the first one I've looked at, but it is local and, like most vehicles of this age, it has an interesting history and character to it. I've had many classics in the past, so I know the score in terms of what to expect. I know in the long run this car will cost a great deal of money to sort properly, but I wanted a car to keep, rather than polish up and sell on, which is what I normally do! This time I want a car that's "mine" for the duration. Many thanks again for the welcome and the advice.

A few more pics I took this morning....still not made my mind up!![frame][/frame]

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If its solid underneath and runs well id say £800 is pretty good.

ianmack wrote:If its solid underneath and runs well id say £800 is pretty good.

Thanks, yes it looks about 95% solid with the odd bit of surface rust, a little laminating of the metal, and one small hole, but not in a crucial place!

that looks a great little car for the money.
local to you so not much traveling,
very few owners,
i would buy that,
its a fair price for a genuine car
go on you know you want it....

If it's half as good as it looks it's still a snip at that price.
We went to Chester last year. Great little city. The city walls and the Rows are fascinating.

Buy it...!

Sometimes, something just has your name on it...my Traveller was the one I was compelled to buy...
it's one month older than I am!