I'd like to fully restore a mini, and was just wondering what is a good price for a rolling shell with minimal rust? Also would it be hard to come by?

how about this beautiful Malmo green '67 deluxe, with perfect paint, zero rust, and one tiny ding above the right rear wheelarch that could be pushed out pretty easily without paint damage... $1800



also a good, straight rust free Mini K without doors, boot lid or bonnet $500

PM me for contact details

oh... I always assume roundnose, a couple of good clubmans available as well

Simon... any pics of the K... and does it have push down handles or lift up (Leyland- eep) handles?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=004&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=140072643301&rd=1&rd=1



good old Paul, he comes in handy for some things

_________________
No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

its an early '69 K... car #3201, so push down handles

I love Malmo green.
How about a swap for a Montego? (Or just the 1275 A+)

any other pics of the green?

So is this a typical good deal? or is it too good to be true? I'm not ready to buy one just yet as I have to figure out if I'm to sell my current 1100 daily...

Tbone,

For comparison, I tried to sell a morris shell for $200 but it didn't go. In the end I worked out it needs A-panels, passenger sill and other fixes. Some are optional depending how "perfect" I choose to get it, like do I re-do a previous spare wheel well fix that isn't too flash. I got a quote to repair the shell to "Very Good, but not concourse" from a Mini professional. It includes Sills, A-panels, boot floor, foot wells, beaver panel and other little bits $1250 for Heritage panels + approx 40 hours labour @ $88 per hour. This guy stretches & shrinks panels and uses the minimum amout of filler, unlike many others. His welding is top notch too. He uses Heritage panels because he reckons it's not worth buying cheap then spending extra time fitting them.

So the cost of the shell isn't really the cost of the shell to buy but the cost of the shell to have "perfect" ready for paint.

There are plenty of people about who try to sell shells as "excellent" or "only one or two tiny spots of rust". Well, that's what my shell above looked like when it was a whole car. You have to (A) know where to look for the problems and (B) strip it right back to uncover all the little pin-holes to REALLY know. Do not take the word of the seller! Some are just innocently oblivious while others know the real story but are helping a mate off-load a time-bomb (fairly recent personal experience)....

Because of the cost of repairing one shell has turned out to be the entire budget I set aside to repair two shells, I'm gearing up to sell one. It needs sill repairs, but not the whole lot, A-panels, minor rear left quater straightening, perhaps a foot well and repairs to driver's door frame. It will have dry subframes, spacer drums on front & rear, Cooper S style arches, 5 Contessa wheels with tyres, Suzuki Swift GTi MkII front seats, rack & column, all glass and other bits & pieces. I'll be asking for about $600. As with my keeper shell, this one could be fixed by a talented home enthusiast for very little or patched up & made to look brilliant for $80 worth of bog and fibreglass.

I hope this gives you a price comparison. Wait for the right one, check all common rust areas for holes and bog, find out which panels can be fixed easily and which are hard. Don't believe a word the seller says! See the car for yourself.

Happy hunting!

no more pics..... unless someone REALLY wants them. What Mokesta says is true... caveat emptor!

I'd like to see this K shell, Simon!

One persons idea of "Fully Restore" can be sooo different to anothers & quite often is

i get heaps of people saying how good a particular mini is, when i reckon it`s a bucket o-puss & then i`ve told people about a mini for sale that i reckon isn`t such a bad thing as a starter & they will/have rubbish`d it also,,, it all depends on your own idea of what you are looking for as a starter """&""" the condition of the shell "AFTER" it`s been stripped back to bare-ness,,, but then that`s only "IF" you are willing to strip it right back,,, some people prefer to just repair what is obvious & then paint over that, others like to be super dooper picky & spend huge amounts of time & money

You just have to ask yourself how far you want to go, or how far you`re prepared to go & how much money & time you want to spend first, & what you want to end up with,,,then look around at shells after you have answered yourself.

Don`t get me wrong here tho,,, i`ve done fully restored minis all my life, but i`ve also been asked to just repair up & make a good looking runner too,,, The money talks & the bullshit walks

what do you really want in the end is the real question????

_________________
No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.