Hi there everyone!

I am yet to own a mini but would love to undertake the process of restoring one over the next year or so. Basically, my goal would be to respray the exterior, trim the interior in full leather and do a custom dash and make the engine reliable. I guess I would probably be looking at disk brakes also. I do have a few questions regarding the restoration and i apologise if i am repeating myself.

1) There are that many mini types out there that I am confused as to which one to do. Are there any which are rarer than others. I plan the mini to be pretty custom so i am not really after a genuine factory restoration.

2) Am i better buying a complete car of purchasing a shell, engine, subframe etc. I figure by purchasing individually, you can buy components that are in decent condition whereas if a whole car, the brakes may be shot etc. How much should i be paying for a car needing restoration.

3) Can a restoration (like the one i am planning) be done for less than $7000 ?(not including the purchase of the car). And what sort of timeframe do these restorations take in terms of hours?

Thanks so much guys, this is a valuable source of information and I am sure I will be spending lots of time here!

Nick

All i can suggest is, dont do it!!!! Buy something already done. My paint job was more then $7000..... I would be budgeting a great deal more then that... My car took 2 years to build the 2nd time round...

If ur gunna do a resto, u mite as well do it right the 1st time instead of taking shortcuts and trying to do things on the cheap.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/Hanras

My car project has been going for almost 2 years, and owes me 7k at least, and I haven't got to paint yet!

gees 7k for a paint job! I am getting my boat sprayed in 2k for $650 not including paint from a painter with 35 years experience!

Also, i'm not sure whether i made myself clear, I'm just after a daily driver and not a show car.

mate it is possible, i npersonally havent done it , i saw 12k go long ago lol

so if u can get the painter to do ur car for cheap sweet as.

with the types theres the clubby/leyland, which has the large "square" type front, these are more easily available

there are a few different types of clubman, the gt, sunshine ,ls, clubman s etc

of them the gt is the rarest and will be most expensive

then you ahve the round nose or morris minis.
they have the "round type grille"
im sure u can work out the difference between them, if in doubt check the members mini gallery.

there are also quite a few types of"roundnose" minis.
we have the cooper s, the cooper, the austin, minimatic, delux, and the 850.

again the cooper s is the most rare and dont even think of modifiing one lol
then the 850 is probably the cheapest.

now with the resto, the costs really go up when u dont do things yourself.

all body work and prep, done by yourself will save thousands, and everyone on here is always willing to help. dont be afraid to ask if ur unsure.

personally if u want a tidy street car i would by a complete one , tehn modify it to ur taste, that way u have everything there, and just have top replace what u want, tehn u dont have to worry about buying the roong parts.

also get urself some engine manuals, from ur local bookstore or ebay.

with the reliable motor, work out when u will mainly be driving it,a nd what the conditions are.
i would suggest getting a rover mini motor from steve at brickworx( www.brickworx.com.au )
(a rover mini is a newer version of the old mini, which steve imports from japan, great bloke, always wiling to help out.

nay more questions just ask

cheers jamie

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-jamie-
1963morris 850
1965 solid side van
1994 rover racecar

Thanks so much for the detailed response. Most informative.

Does anyone have a mini for sale that they are will to part with. I am after a project mini. Some rust is acceptable as I am happy to do some panel work, Engine doesn't have to be running etc.

Oh and I'm in Melbourne

Thanks

Nick

I'm another one that just started doing a few things to my car just to get it road worthy and have seen $10k pass about 3 years back (stopped counting after that - was making me feel depressed). I didn't try to do things on the cheap and I bought quality components.

At a guess I would say $13-15k would be about what I would have put into it so far.

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"In two years time your car will be like a lady's clothes, out of date, my car will still be in fashion when I am dead" - Sir Alec speaking to Pininfarina

1) It's personal taste, but I'd say find a nice round nose car without too much rust.

2) Complete car.

3) Yes, if you have decent car to start with and are willing to do things yourself.

I think I've spent about $7k on my rebuild, but I'm too scared to go add up the reciepts. But that's a bare metal rebuild. The 1275 A+, disk brakes, and new rubber suspention cones were the big ticket items.

http://zizzle.blogspot.com

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"Life is not like a box of chocolates... it's more like a jar of jalapenos. Whatever you do today, may burn your arse tomorrow."

I have been doing up a 998 1977 LS Clubman over the last 18 months.. Engine rebuilt, gearbox repaired, disc brakes fitted, new suspension, painted and the list goes on...

Bought the car for $2600.00 as a goer and so far I have spent $17,666.90 on it and I am still not finished with it yet...

its possible to do it for 7k, but like what most people say its what your after.
good things come to those who wait, wait for the cheap bargins and you may find them, i got 2 right hand tanks for next to nothing, heaps of little hard to find bits and bobs etc. my build started about a year ago, but sat in a shed doing nothing, while i waited and collected the bits i wanted for it, arches, seats, wheels etc and i havnt spent more then 3k yet. got the shell for $600, getting a friend to help with the body work and spraying, im doing everything else until i drop the engine off at the builders to get the 16valve head put on it.
so you can do it.
i wouldnt buy a mini for 7k and then fix it up etc, but i can understand why others would. i just had to take a shell back to bare metal and do things properly, once and once only because i never want it to rust, and i've always wanted to do it.
and whats that they say? if you want it done well you have to do it yourself.
just my opinion

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

Thanks guys for the detailed responses.

1970 mini K, did you just buy individual components like sub frame, shell, suspension etc.

How much do you expect for the completed project?

Nick

so nick as whats said above, dont"impulse buy"

just look around saving ur pennys, then if u se something thats cheap buy it,

theres lots of ways to save money ina build, but 99% of the money saving involves ur time, scrounging for stuff rather than buying awesome 1s

anywho good luck

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-jamie-
1963morris 850
1965 solid side van
1994 rover racecar

It's much easier (and cheaper) to start off with a complete car so you aren't chasing odds and ends as well as major components . Also look to people with "clearing out sales" like siclad's in the for sale section at the moment , if you can get things like a rebuilt subframe with disc brakes for less than it'd cost you to get yourself then you're in front . Save money wherever you can except for brakes and paint , these are the really important bits that shouldn't be skimped on (well , brakes more than paint for safety's sake but a poor paint job will piss you off for a long time ...) .

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