Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi I have not posted on here before but been an avid follower for a while now and was hoping someone might have some last call/advice/suggestions for me. Hopefully I am putting this in the correct place on the website.

I own a Morris convertible (original). It has been in my family for 25 years (I learnt to drive on it a few years ago now!) and three years ago it was passed on to me. It has been in a garage for the last ten years and when it was given to me I had high hopes of restoring it and getting it back on the road. I took it to a Morris restoration specialist about two years ago who were really helpful and gave me a detailed quotation detailing the extent of the work. The work was much more than I ever expected (that was due to my ignorance of mechanics and how much things cost).

The garage in Devon that it is currently stored in will no longer be available in the near future so the only thing I can think to do is try and get rid of the car. I really do not want to do this but can’t see any other options. So this is a last ditch attempt to see if anyone has any suggestions/advice that I haven’t thought of for what I could do with my car. Thanks for any ideas and completely understand if none are forthcoming!! Also I no longer have the vehicle registration document as it has been lost over the years, does anyone know if it is possible to sell a car without this document?

When you ask for suggestions as to what you can do with this car, there are only a couple of options, get it back on the road or sell it. As you don't want to do the latter, it looks like the former wins. Either send it away for repair or do things yourself a bit at a time, more interesting and less expensive!

As above. Your choice is (a) keep it, (b) give it away, (c) scrap it, (d) sell it - the value will depend upon the condition, and we really don't have any information on which to base a valuation. I urge you to avoid the scrap option. Unless it's really bad, someone would take it and restore it.

The quotation that you received will have been based on what you wanted done, so there may be a less expensive option for restoration. Some pictures of the car - external, internal, engine bay, boot area and underneath plus a summary of the quotation will help get an idea of what is really needed.

If you want to keep the car then you can find another garage or storage option.

Hi Cath
I have sent you a pm.

Being a convertible it most likely needs serious sill work done and floors. The most labor intensive (costly) can be done by anyone. Dismantling the components, cleaning and painting, and then reassembly. It will still be costly to get the structure professionally fixed, but may be doable. You do have to be ready to accept the time it will take and you need to be organized. Basically breakdown the process into the various steps and decided to hire it or do it yourself, one step at a time. Storage is the major factor.

Many thanks for all the helpful comments on here. Although most things I had thought of, all comments have helped clarify my thinking on it. Scrapping it is definitely not an option! As much as I like the idea of restoring it myself, I don’t think I really have the skill set or room to do the work. I have managed to find some alternative storage, so although I am probably just delaying my decision it does give me some more thinking time. Many thanks to those who responded - your comments very much helped my thought process.

Evening All
Ask around to find a symphatic garage to do an M O T with an estimate to get the Morris roadworthy so that you can either sell the car easier, or enjoy driving a classic car.
If you live around Exeter look up the DEVON VINTAGE CAR CLUB web site who do mention several M O T garages, or go to the CRASH BOX AND CLASSIC CAR CLUB and ask on there facebook.
Hope this info isnt too late to leep another Moggie on the road.
Regards Pandaman