Austin Maxi repatriated from a Barn (a real barn find)

[theorganist]

I have a thing for the Austin Maxi and have just aquired my third. The first which was a Brooklands Green HL was sold as it needed quite a bit of body doing and I did not think I could afford it at the time. The second was the flaky black one which I got on the road and sold as I did not think I could anything with the paint. I can happily report its new owner has stripped it down and repainted it Sandglow. I went to look at my new aquisition earlier in the year and finally collected in Saturday via a friendly and helpful Shiply guy.

 

It is a 1980 V reg 1750 in Russet Brown, it is the "1 1/2" with the later dashboard and cloth interior but retaining the earlier chrome bumpers and wheel trims.

 

It was parked up in a disused chicken shed outside Winchester in 1997. The owner of the car had died some time ago but due to the death of his wife the house and grounds were to be sold so the daughter was selling the Maxi.

 

It is in quite a state, it has some rust although the sills look recent. The suspension needs recharging, we had fun getting it on the recovery lorry. The interior is okay a but dirty but seems complete.

 

I have got the engine to turn over but it does not fire. I have changed the coil and still there appears to be no spark. Will try replacing leads, plugs, rotor arm, points etc over the coming weeks.

 

As long as it does not need copious amounts of welding I hope to get her on the road and hopefully keep. I particularly like the fact it has a roof rack and a towbar.

 

Anyway, here are a few pictures for you to perve over!

 

 

 

[RedSparrow]

Hoh! What an old shitter.

Great work.

[oman5]

Excellent job! I have a maxi shaped itch I've wanted to scratch for a while. one day.

[Lankytim]

Great!

 

I still have those fibreglass wings if you want them back.

[Grundig]

What was the cats opinion???

[theorganist]

Great!

 

I still have those fibreglass wings if you want them back.

Cheers I may well do as the wings are too great to be honest.

[theorganist]

What was the cats opinion???

 

Affirmative he went and lay on the bonnet when the sun came out! He liked sitting on my old Maxi as well but never the 14 which used to occupy the drive!

[Split_Pin]

Fantastic! I remember seeing lots just like this in about 1989. Hopefully you can get it ship shape again.

[theorganist]

Hoh! What an old shitter.

Great work.

Cheers, this is how I like them! It is only showing 60,000 which I believe is genuine so hopefully mechanically it is okay!

[michael t]

Brilliant! My Grandad had two back in the 70s, He said the gear linkage went in the 1st one (Both cars were Mk2's) so he panicked and bought a second (logic??)

[phil_lihp]

Doesn't look too bad, definitely the right colour for one of these.

[dollywobbler]

Pure Autoshite. Love it. 

[eddyramrod]

Your third?  You must really like them.  I hated mine and cannot (or perhaps don't want to) imagine repeating the experience, but even a Maxi needs to be preserved.  Well found and well saved.  You are obviously the right man for the car!

[Angrydicky]

Excellent work.

[mouseflakes]

Please don't take it the wrong way when I say that looks quite horrible.

[Vince70]

Always had a soft spot for the maxi.

My father was a BMC Leyland fan and had more than a fair few.

 

Back in the 70s and early 80s it was seen as quite unpatriotic to drive foreign imports (well in our household anyway) and my father loved the versatility of the Maxi.

 

He had a 75 on a N plate Auto which was a grey colour with a cloth burgundy interior but I remember even back then his one needed new outer sills.

 

Good luck with the project I hope all goes well and its ok rust wise.

 

At least with brown it can hide the rust but I don't know if that's good or bad.

[theorganist]

Please don't take it the wrong way when I say that looks quite horrible.

 

Lol no I agree. It didn't look so bad in the barn covered in dust and pigeon pooh!

[HMC]

Old roof rack-                               check

Suspension on the bump stops-   check

 

May i be the first to say OMG rat luk slammed etc

 

Great period BL colour, and those classic aa relay stickers look just right. All the best with the recomissioning!

[theorganist]

Your third?  You must really like them.  I hated mine and cannot (or perhaps don't want to) imagine repeating the experience, but even a Maxi needs to be preserved.  Well found and well saved.  You are obviously the right man for the car!

 

I suppose it is the old growing up with one syndrome. I find them curiously attractive, very comfortable and versatile. I don't even find the gearbox to be as bad as you are led to believe!

 

I think the problem is they never evolved but for me that is part of the charm. i think I am just weird!!

[theorganist]

Old roof rack-                               check

Suspension on the bump stops-   check

 

May i be the first to say OMG rat luk slammed etc

 

Great period BL colour, and those classic aa relay stickers look just right. All the best with the recomissioning!

 

Thanks, it was the roof rack and tow bar which sold it to me!

[Wilko220]

You are the Maxi king!

Love that, love the colour, and love those old plates too. Good luck.

[theorganist]

You are the Maxi king!

Love that, love the colour, and love those old plates too. Good luck.

 

Thanks I may need it!

[vulgalour]

Everything about this car is practical, right down to the colour which will always make the car look exactly the same whether it's clean, filthy, rusty or pristine.  BL really knew what they were doing when it came to equipping grandads with allotments with chariots of competence.

[Lord Sterling]

That looks great! Can't wait to see it all cleaned up and back on the road. It does look a fairly straight job of cleaning it out and servicing it. If ya need any help or bits, I reckon Steve Tinworm @ Cradley Heath might be able to help you out.

[theorganist]

That looks great! Can't wait to see it all cleaned up and back on the road. It does look a fairly straight job of cleaning it out and servicing it. If ya need any help or bits, I reckon Steve Tinworm @ Cradley Heath might be able to help you out.

 

Thanks Mo. You are welcome to have a drive when it is ready.

[barefoot]

Everything about this car is practical...

Apart from the fuel consumption!

 

I'd have one tomorrow and it was on my list of cars to buy

last time I bought a car

When I remembered that me old mans well maintained two year old example

Couldn't better 24 mpg.

Things aren't likely to have got better are they?

[mouseflakes]

BL really knew what they were doing when it came to equipping grandads with allotments with chariots of competence.

 

With the special-order 'Pee-be-gone' upholstery those whose allotments were a bit too far from home could even equip themselves with a chariot of incontinence.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I'm going all faint at the sight of that cornucopia of BL parts bin switchgear in the dash picture. 

[Inspector Morose]

Cor! That's a bit of al right, isn't it? Looks better than the previous one, I have to say. I think the paint never did it any favours. Got a bit of a soft spot for these. Never had one but admired from afar. Getting it going should be a breeze with your experience of them by now.

[Vince70]

My old neighbour had a Maxi on a H plate which was like a brand new car with about 20000 miles on clock.

it was there till I moved away in the mid 90s I always wondered what happened to the car.

 

It was a yellow/beige colour but it was barely seen as he didn't like taking it out and I think I only saw him use it once in about 3 years, it must of been the best maxi in the county.