Mini van rescue mission. Update 12/01/2026

[Dobloseven]

8

13 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Keep those seats in. I think it was a rarely taken option, might set it apart from others.

Think all the records exist so exactly what it left the factory  with, could be discovered. 

[Merryck]

I’ve got an 850cc block if he finds his is fucked. He’d be welcome to it if he can get to Canterbury.

[N Dentressangle]

17 hours ago, sutty2006 said:

His plan is to tuck the blue one up close to the edge of his car port and put the van in the middle. He will then get a rear subframe and bolt the new floor to it. Then the sills and floors after and weld them in. Any parts that can be reused off the original will be. But mostly used as reference. 

People have been 'restoring' Land Rovers like that for years 🤣

No shame in being realistic!

[Crackers]

Surely that's got to be a re-shell job, a chassis-plate resto.

(He says, not knowing anything about the availability of van shells)

[sutty2006]

5 hours ago, Crackers said:

Surely that's got to be a re-shell job, a chassis-plate resto.

(He says, not knowing anything about the availability of van shells)

Everything standard mini is available. I think the only panel not available is the roof, luckily the roof is ok and only needs around the vent repairing. The vent is toast, but luckily available new. The load bed is going to be custom made by someone who makes them as one offs I think. 

[808 Estate]

Brave as fuck, Respect. Agree with the rear seats. If they were there originally, be good to keep them. Also makes it a bit more useful.

[Lacquer Peel]

6 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

People have been 'restoring' Land Rovers like that for years 🤣

No shame in being realistic!

Land Rovers have separate chassis which make restoring a rotten one easier. 

[sutty2006]

44 minutes ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Land Rovers have separate chassis which make restoring a rotten one easier. 

Define “easier”

 

🤣🤣🤣

[SiC]

I don't think your mate did bad on purchase price.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165448406482

[sutty2006]

Yes a bargain of a price I’d say. That one looks slightly more “complete” though 🤣

[sutty2006]

It’s been a while since I’ve been to see my friend and his van project. 
 

The complete floor was custom order. The rest will be made with the appropriate panels. 
 

 

the remains of the original 

 

 

[Rustybullethole]

Wow. Missed this first time around glad to spot it now, keep the updates coming please. 
Love the rear seats am another advocate of keeping them if only as they’re from that place in time where it was acceptable to seat your children on such a contraption and it wasn’t considered a crime by either man or law. 

[sutty2006]

Latest picture in today. 
 

 

[sutty2006]

More work progress from my friend and his van project. 
 

I wish my projects progressed this quickly. 
 

 

[bunglebus]

Tell him not to drill a hole in the battery box 

[eddyramrod]

Epic.  I remember having two of these in the 70s - one with the rear seat option too!  Looking forward to seeing it done!

[Blunderguts]

That rear seat option... I wonder how rare it is? I get the feeling that an awful lot have been binned during restoration.

[cort1977]

My mum had one of these when we were kids, ex-MOD in black, was in great condition when she got it.  We used to ride in the back on a bit of carpet. 

All the earnest debates about the safest child seats and NCAP ratings these days do make me smile a bit.

This van looks great, he's fairly cracking on with it. 

[sierraman]

Unbelievable work there. I take it this one isn’t his first rodeo? 

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 4/22/2022 at 10:19 PM, sutty2006 said:

Cheapest van on evilbay is 12k restored. Probably gonna take close to 7/8k to restore? I’ll keep this post updated as and when I can. 

Double that cost for restoration, it's surprising how all the little bits add up.

I hope the seats are being kept, they're a rare thing to find in a van.

[Merryck]

5 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Double that cost for restoration, it's surprising how all the little bits add up.

I hope the seats are being kept, they're a rare thing to find in a van.

Yup, I recently approached someone regarding my Mini. It's been 18 years and I still haven't found it within myself to make a start on it - as much as I'd love it back on the road. He gave a rough ballpark figure based on my description and it was just over £10k, with both of us being aware that there would definitely be more work found once he started. That was just for labour bringing the shell up to a standard as close to perfect as you'll get.

There's no way in hell I could afford that, but if I could it would be an entirely reasonable expense. His work is all over the place and is top quality. Add in cost for panels, and any other labour and parts to complete a full resto and you're easily into £20k.

[Lankytim]

Wow, this is phenomenal! Your friend is obviously super talented! 

[Back_For_More]

That is some major work being put in.... 

Forgive my ignorance - but with the entire floor, inner sills etc... being replaced - what is he using as datum points to keep it within spec? 

I see a bit of door bracing but wondered if there was anything else in place 

Apologies if I missed it 

[Low Horatio gearbox]

 As rare as, imho the folding sest as like everyone else totally worth saving.

 

[sutty2006]

I’ve got a horrible feeling he is not keeping the rear seat. He has no use for it as his kids are grown up now. Shame, but it is what it is. I will get more info and data when I next see him. He’s had a van in the past and regrets getting rid of it. Plus he still has his blue mini that he uses regularly. So he’s a bit of a mini nut! 

[sutty2006]

I’ve not heard much from my mate about this project but he’s been a busy chap. Got sent this photo today. 
 

 

 

so far, he’s £12k into it. There were some pretty epic and one off panels that he had to have made for it being a van. 
 

it’ll be stunning when it’s done. 

[High Jetter]

Wow. Nice touch, just fitting the badge. £12k tho - is he paying someone to do the work?

[Asimo]

mini vans were almost all that colour at one time.

What was the colour called?

[comfortablynumb]

Now for the fun part of rebuilding it without scratching the paint 🥺

Seriously, looks fab 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Shame there isn’t a few more photos of the various stages. Looks great though.  My uncle restored a batch of 6 minis back in the early 90s.  Did the oldest ones first and sold them straight away,  Then there was a 1275GT which was the 5th done.  My dad was working for his brother then and took it for mot, when he got back he gave it a really good lookover as it handled really crap.   He took it for another drive which ended in a ditch.  They argued for years over it….  Dad insists to this day something was out of line.  The final one was a pickup which they kept for a while.  I got to drive that a few times, was quite good fun.  Think it got a 1000cc upgrade though.  
My uncle use to restore Armstrong Siddleys Sapphires and made batches of cills for the owners club, so minis were a bit bread and butter for him.  There was a Sapphire Star that won a car of show somewhere that he restored, original owner was Sir Frank Whittle.  Stunning car.