today i went to a nearby town and i had heard of two cooper s's sitting in a fellas yard. They have been for about the last 20 yrs and a mate tried to buy it like 15yrs ago and more times since and another fella tried about 3yr ago. both without sucess

So i thought i would try my luck. Went there and asked what there doing with them, i got the lady (his wife/mother as he wasnt there) "he's going to restore it"
i asked would they be interestd in selling it "No, he's going to restore it, he's got all the parts"
I asked if i could have a bit of a look at it "no point looking at it he's not going to sell it" and then she went in side so i had a bit of a look anyway

It just makes me so angry that this car has been sitting there for like the last 15-20 yrs or so and has not moved and they have another up the back ( a mk 1 S) doing exactly the same thing. Sitting rusting. Its not under cover

I just find it SOO!! DISTURBING that some people have items like this and will never do anything with them and they eventualy rust into nothing until all it is good for is the local scrap metal recycler

Anyone else had an experience something like this?

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Not personally but i find it pretty stupid of him.... the chances of him restoring them is next to nil and if he does i bet he will combine the three cars to get one ! Stupid and sad....but i guess they are his.....

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Its not the size that matters.........
Rover Mini Cooper 1993 spi - current
Rover Mini Cooper 1998 ( Tahti Blue/white)
Rover Mini Cooper 1992 ( Brg),1987 Mayfair

This sort of thing happens quite a lot,,, it`s been going on since man landed on the moon ... But what would be worse is if you see someone else trailer-ing it away from there because he`s sold it anyway,,, hee hee,,, now that`s a real mongrel act hey?

I feel your sorrow & yeah it`s very hard to sit back & watch it happen... some people are just stubborn oxes & don`t realise how quickly time gets way from us.

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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.

Yep. but for a beautiful Lotus Elan Sprint, sitting down the end of my road. The old guy there (looked like the old guy from Harry Potter) also had a Citroen classic car - one with the turning headlights.

Anyway, my mate used to drive past for over 10 years looking at the car rotting under half a tarp. Went and asked him if he would sell it. Nope.

My mate was pretty frustrated, but the old guy never sold. Probably died by now and the car - well, who knows? Bugger.

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Cooper S Mk2
Cooper S Mk1
ex Cooper S Mk2, various Morris 1100s, 1300s, 1500s, Leyland Sherpa!

Ask any Melbourne mini person about the mini on Middleborough Rd in Box Hill.

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Im here to learn!

Poo happens, i've seen it many at time in my 20 years of playing with minis, you will have to just get over it.

Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

I agree, poo happens.......just shows how enthusiastic all of us are about minis - easier to get over when one has a mini in the garage, I reckon.

I really appreciate people, when they do sell their minis or whatever classic it is, who try and sell to an enthusiast who will appreciate it for what it is. And to those people who are letting those nice minis rust away......

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Cooper S Mk2
Cooper S Mk1
ex Cooper S Mk2, various Morris 1100s, 1300s, 1500s, Leyland Sherpa!

Yep , a very regular occurance , they sit under trees with the roof gutters full of leaves and rotting but the owners can't part with them as they'er going to do them up for their kids one day . I know of one place with a dozen or so mini's in the yard , some stacked on top of others where the top mini is 3 foot off the ground because the one on the bottom is crumbling into rust flakes . Very damn frustrating . I don't mind people having long term projects or dreams but for gawd sakes cover them up and preserve them .....

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HA!!

I've seen this many times.

There was a guy in Dundas, who had more than a couple of Cooper's in his back yard.

"I'm going to restore them!!!" ~ years later scrapped.

Then there was a guy on North Rocks Road, North Rocks who had a couple of Coopers in his front yard.

"I'm going to restore them!!!" ~ years later (early 2000) scrapped.

I found the latter episode amusing because the guy was so lazy he left the engine units on the grass where the cars were and wrapped them in a tarpulin.

Of course we could call these people mindless idiots, but there are some well know mini identities guilty of the same offense.

There is a medical name for the condition, see similar the following non mini related examples.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Pack_Rat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers

Perhaps if the Australian government hinted at charging for the compulsory environmentally safe destruction of cars (as is the case in the UK), these chumps would realise their funds and abilities aren't up to restoring these cars. They'd then want to ditch them for whatever money they could, freeing them up for caring owners.

However, if Aussies are anything like kiwis, they'd file the numbers off them and pitch them into a gully.

Best is to have a note ready printed up for them to put on the fridge or by the phone. Often people get caught up in a momentary decision and stand their ground.

But if they flinch later on for just a few seconds.... and then give you a call....SNAP!

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

try going into a wrecker and the guy wont let you near the minis cos they're worth so much nowadays and he's gonna restore em

Yeh, I know a Guy in Levin, New Zealand, who has 1 Morris Cooper S I think it is the 1071cc, and 1 x Austin Cooper S 1275, in his Roof, both were lifted there by forklift in the late 70s. He has had lots of offers, but both cars were given to him by his Dad, and I think the sentimental value has him. Shame, both cars havent seen water or a road for at least 30 years!!

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The Only Easy Day was Yesterday

the one in middleborough road has been there 25 years or more the father who's house it is in wanted to get rid of it years ago ,used to start it up and move it regularly but gave up years ago .you can put your hand though the gaps in the body and the blackberry's are growing through the floor.she won't even discuss it
and there are 2 in box hill 1 coopers S 1 clubman GT(bent) been sitting for some time but he has started
some people just don't deserve to have minis

i bet i know which one your talking about.