Shite maxi recovery.

[Lankytim]

Hi gang.

 

As an active Allegroist and general shite enthusiast i'm always on the lookout for sources of spares and interesting shit heaps to keep me amused.While browsing the web recently I came across an Austin Maxi that was listed as spares or repairs. It was parked in a field in Monmouth, South Wales and needed to be removed as the owner was selling the house and land that belonged to it. A few phone calls later and a deal was done. I didn't get to see any photos of the Maxi but was assured that it was probably only fit for spares as it had sat in a field for 8 years and had started to return to the earth.

 

I was met my the Maxi's owner in Monmouth, and had to follow him 6 miles into the surrounding hills to get to where the car was stored. Talk about the middle of nowhere! The maxi had sunk down on its hydragas suspension, the tyres had rotted and gone flat and the ground and surrounding plants had begun to swallow it up. Amazingly when blown up the tyres all held air, although were severely deformed and perished. The drivers side brakes were seized solid but soon freed up with a bit of a battering with a coper mallet. After alot of pushing and pulling the maxi was loaded up onto my borrowed trailer and its now safely back home.

 

Apparently it's one of the last ones built, it was registred in 1982.

 

WARNING, FATHER IN LAW CONTENT.

 

 

 

 

It was the first time for the240 towing a loaded car trailer, it handled it with ease!

 

First impressions on the Maxi are not great, its a right minger! the inside stinks and looks a bit moth eaten. Not nice at all! Externally is equaly as minging although it doesn't look a rotten as you might expect. The sills are a bit holey but all there, floors look mega sound, as do the rear arches. Front wings and doors are a bit knackered but not beyond a bit of glass fibre, I'm sure I'll find stacks more stuff wrong with it though.

 

Mechanically the brakes are all borked, the clutch pedal is solid and the hydragas is flat. I tried to blow it up again but can't find the valves to do it! Can anyone elighten me on this one? The engine isn't seized but I havent tried to get it running yet.

 

In conclusion, its a breaker. I'll hoik the useful 1750 lump out and chop the rest up. Unless Maxi panels are very easy to find parts for!

[eddyramrod]

Unless you need the space, Tim, I wouldn't be too quick to whip the engine out. There's a LOT of love here for the old Maxi (except in this chair!) so you might find some brave soul among us who will buy it whole and restore it. Won't be me, I hate the bloody things having had one.

[Lankytim]

I dunno, I think youd have to be an absolute sadist to take this one on. It's all easily doable, but is it worth it? Theres an on the road example for sale on RR for £500 right now.

[eddyramrod]

I dunno, I think youd have to be an absolute sadist to take this one on. It's all easily doable, but is it worth it? Theres an on the road example for sale on RR for £500 right now.

 

Given that ^, an awful lot of people, even among us lot, would trample over the Impala that R9UKE has found to get at the Maxi. I'm exactly the opposite, so there's no accounting for taste. If someone wants a Maxi enough, and it comes at the right price, he won't care what work it needs, or what it will be "worth" at the end. Anyway, thanks for remembering your camera when you picked it up, and good luck with it whatever you decide.

[M'coli]

Yeah that's true - but there's always the challenge of bringing sonmething back from the dead! Top bombing there LT, this could be nice for someone!

[Lankytim]

YOUTUBE AM MY FRIEND.

 

 

If anyone is seriously interested in this shitter let me know.

[trigger]

Did you measure up that Maxi before you took the trailer over there to collect it?! It looks like it only just fitted on that trailer!

[Lankytim]

Did you measure up that Maxi before you took the trailer over there to collect it?! It looks like it only just fitted on that trailer!

 

 

Yes, the trailer has a 10ft bed and the Maxi wheelbase is something like 9ft1in. I forgot that wheelbases are measured to the centre of the wheel though, so once it was on it was pretty tight!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

That is a neat little trailer, is it JonCedrics? I reckon my Rover could pull that (plus a suitably small cargo) alright.

[theorganist]

I looked at a beige series 2 last year which looked like that, I walked away, mainly because I was unable to hear it running.

 

Maxi's don't seem to fetch much, although they are getting very rare now so I suspect prices will begin to go up. Seems a shame to break it but I suppose a grey series 2 is not the most desirable!

 

If I was not to my armpits in my current Maxi I would be interested, however if you do break it I would definately be in the market for some spares!

[Lankytim]

The trailer is indeed Jons, it's all aluminium so is very light, only 200kgs or so.

 

Organist, what parts would you be interested in? I haven't decided to break it just yet but give it a few days I recon i'll come round. I have to wait for the initial enthusiasm to wear off, and reality to take over, see.

[Pete-M]

That petrol station is on the A48 innit? Cutie in the shop, battle axes everywhere else.... expensive, too.

 

Oh, and you bought a Maxi. Top Shiteing.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Have you got this Maxi round your house LT? If so i might come and cadge a cup of tea to drink while looking at it.

[RedSparrow]

I still find it amazing they were still churning these out in the early 80s. I quite like the look of late model Maxis and Allegros. So much plastic tarting up.

Nice find by the way, hope it yields some usefull bits.

[dollywobbler]

I reckon it's worth asking if any of the Maxi lot want it. If not, then as you say, not really the sort of car people are crying out to restore sadly. Well done for saving it from just being baled though!

[theorganist]

Actually there was an advert for a grey late Maxi the other week on the owners clubs, I imagine this was it!

 

Austin Maxi

 

I have a Maxi that I cant make time to restore,I would like to pass it on to someone who can.It is silver in colour and I believe it is one of the last 1500 made.Is anyone interested?

 

It is located between Monmouth and Mhepstow in south wales.

 

I can be contacted on 07986 292 867 as well as [email protected]

 

Vinda Saax

 

25/11/2011

 

I am not sure what I need yet as I do have a load of spares, it just that I be happy to buy anything going which fits as I want to build up a collection of spares as I am pretty certain I will be adding to my Maxi addiction this year!!

 

I am hoping to fit my new (courtesy of Craig the Princess) exhaust next weekend, then I can see how it runs. I may need a displacer but mine is Hydrolastic and yours will be Hydrogas.

 

EDIT: Just noticed that says it is a 1500 so not the same then!

[eddyramrod]

I believe it is one of the last 1500 made.

 

EDIT: Just noticed that says it is a 1500 so not the same then!

 

To me, that reads like it's one of the final run, one and a half thousand Maxis made before the line closed, rather than the smaller-engined variant. Of course I could be wrong, it's a mathematical possibility that I'm prepared to accept in theory...

[M'coli]

I read that as being one of the last 1500 numerically, not one of the last with the 1500 engine.

[theorganist]

Ahh hadn't thought of it that way!!

[Cavcraft]

I read that as being one of the last 1500 numerically, not one of the last with the 1500 engine.

 

Likewise.

 

There was a Maxi for sale on that board in Chester a year or so ago. Sounded promising but the seller was hard to get through to and sounded like he was expecting telephone numbers for it. Nice enough fella but a bit vague and he never got back to me despite promising to.

 

Tim, did you ever get anywhere with that free one near Mold somewhere a while back?

[Lankytim]

 

Tim, did you ever get anywhere with that free one near Mold somewhere a while back?

 

Nah, just to recap, it was a bit of a shitter, plus had suffered a pretty bad engine fire. The guy was well up for it, then stopped answering his phone, then the Maxi appeared on ebay. Must have changed his mind!

 

Bollox, it is indeed round my house, in the garage. you are more than welcome to have a poke about!

 

Organist, yep that ad was for this very Maxi. I too read it as one of the last 1500cc models made, but as has been mentioned, its actually 1750 and one of the last batch of 1500 to be built. It was a dealer demonstrator initially, before being sold to a worker at Vanden Plas who then sold it to the guy I got it from in 1998. It was last taxed in 2001, so more than likely has been stuck in a field since then!

 

In other news, I had a go at blowing up the Hydragas. Thanks to the great Youtube vid the whole exercise was done in dusted in no time. Unfotunately the O/S tyres had both gone flat so I only managed to push it out of the garage a few feet, just enough to get into the boot where the suspension valves live. When I inflated the N/S the Maxi leant over and broke its drivers mirror off on the garage wall. Should clip back on OK I think! I've pumped everything up to the max, so its standing on its tip-toes at the moment. Nothing went bang and theres no pools of fluid underneath. So, its so far, so good!

 

Hydragas cars always look a million% better with the suspension blown up!

 

I even have some spare tyres to fit in the shed. Can't wait!

[theorganist]

There was a Maxi for sale on that board in Chester a year or so ago. Sounded promising but the seller was hard to get through to and sounded like he was expecting telephone numbers for it. Nice enough fella but a bit vague and he never got back to me despite promising to

 

I went to see it, he was hard to get through to, always seemed to be in China!! It is a Brooklands Green R reg 1500 low mileage. It was his fathers who died in 1993 and the guy drove it to his house and it has been in his garage ever since.

 

It looks pretty tidy and very original. However due to sitting there with the handbrake on it was very seized up and the suspension is totally flat. We did manage to tow it out of the garage.

 

He still has it he says he can't bring himself to sell it, although he knows he has too. He said he would let me know when he feels ready too but I too got the impression he thinks it is worth a lot, trouble is I did not want to insult him by offering him peanuts for it, even though it is obviously not worth much.

[Richieg]

Hey Tim,

Well saved Mate!

Just something to bear in mind . . .

Most of my cars i own are or were in dreadfull states,i have spent thousands of pounds on getting them repaired or restored and if i had the mentality that "it isn't worth it" then a lot of my cars would have been scrapped years ago.

The Talbot Alpine i recently got back after having it restored is one of only 3 Alpine Rapiers left on the road and i feel i have done my bit to preserve a piece of british motoring.

I have spent more than it is currently worth but in years to come it will gradually go up in price.

Just something to bare in mind.

Also if it is too much for you to take on why not put it up for sale in the maxi club or on Ebay and give someone who loves these cars a chance to do it up.

I hope you don't mind me saying this Tim, but i just get very sad when people give up on old cars because it isn't worth it.

There are so many new boring cars on the road and we need to keep the old ones going to give all the classic /retro car fans a treat when seeing it driving past.

 

cheers

 

Richie

[Lankytim]

It was only ever intended that it be used for spares for my Allegro, If it ends up back on the road then i'd class it as a bonus. I dont have thousands to spend, a young family and mortgage means I just can't "loose" money on major projects. That said, i'm looking around for a pair of sills and wings, plus an interior. I wouldn't mind using it to learn to weld properly, i.e weld a rotten old car rather than a few bits of brand new metal like at college!

 

It had been on sale for a month or so before I showed an interest. The seller had a couple of enquireys, but nothing concrete. One guy wanted to turn up on trade plates and drive it home . It was a few weeks away from the crusher as the guy had sold his house and had already moved out.

 

If I find out its going to be a bit much for me, i'll offer it about for sale before breaking it. Atleast it will be in a better situation when it goes. Inflated suspension, hopefully running and a damn good deep clean!

[Richieg]

Hey Tim,

Thats good to hear Mate.

Nobody wants to loose money of course i understand that.

Earlpart can be quite helpful for parts Mate.

Interior could be found at BL transverse in London as they have lots of cars for spares,they may come up trumps or have a good wing you can cut off (just a thought)

Hope that helps Mate and good luck

 

cheers

 

Richie

[theorganist]

Well you can't save them all!

 

The Maxi I have looks a bit of a state! Certainly my neighbours would like to see it broken up but I am sure in three months time (that is the aim) it will look a lot better than it does and be road legal!!

[Lankytim]

I saw a vid of it on youtube, the first drive in 14 or so years! Was anything seized up on it?

[theorganist]

The brakes were okay as it had been left with the handbrake off. The engine was fine and started after I changed the coil! The clutch was seized until I started tapping it with the hammer after the engine had warmed up a bit!!

[Lankytim]

There's maybe hope for mine then!

 

Had a better look round it, got underneath with a halogen lamp and found very little grot. There's no signs of any previous welding and the floors including the boot look 110% solid. The sills may even patch up, although replacement is obviously the best course of action. Wings will fibreglass, but ditto the previous comment. Apart from a small hole on the inside of one of the rear wings, i.e underneath the car and a hole each side under the bonnet by the hinges the rest looks great.

 

I fixed a leaking valve on one of the tyres, and replaced a badly perished and leaking tyre with the spare, so it will roll in and out of the garage easily now.

 

I suppose the next logical step will be to add a good battery and see what the result is.

[Wilko220]

Exciting stuff! Really keeping my fingers crossed that this turns out to be saveable...