Tax free Mini - how much are these worth?

[retro80sboy]

My cousin knows a fella whos sons selling a 1971 Mini. He apparantly bought it as a project but got bored and bought another car.

 

It needs restoring, been done probably 15 years ago by the looks of it but will need welding to the sills and foot wells for a start. Runs ok apparantly but is not original, has white wella wheels and is a kind of metallic light blue colour, would need a rub down and respray as its bubbling in parts. Not sure what engine is in it maybe an 850cc. Subframe and both doors are pretty good.

 

Lowest he would take is £750. good deal?

 

What are these things worth? It would need a fair bit of coin throwing at it but surely you can't lose on these as they seem to be commanding silly money, plus ive been told parts are cheap and freely available.

[pogweasel]

Sounds not too silly money.

Vin tags and plates make 300 alone if its pre 73.

 

All done you're looking at probably 3k to INFINITY depending on how much effort you put in.

[autofive]

but is it really a 71 mini?

 

that would be my first question to the seller

[retro80sboy]

but is it really a 71 mini?

 

that would be my first question to the seller

 

thats a good point. any giveaway signs to lookout for?

[Stroller133]

It would be almost impossible to tell! Nearly all 'classic' minis have some kind of modification. Also there is no real trend, lots of people make 90s minis look older, lots make older minis look newer of modernise brakes etc. Any pointers to whethers it really a '71 could have just been changed by previous owners. But as a general rule as a '71 it should have drum brakes all-round, centre speedo, vinyl seats no headrests, chrome bumper and door trim, no reversing lights, definitely no fuel injection, 1.25" su carb, non A+ block, indicators on the right, I think a 5.5 gallon tank, definateley no Rover, city, Mayfair or Austin rover badges. There are a number of early 70s mini that for some strange reason look lime 80s mayfairs or City's . Or more likely 80s car wearing pre 73 plates.

[scaryoldcortina]

The really big giveaway would be that a genuine '71 would be a mk2 mini (slidey windows, external hinges, no rear seatbelt mounts and early type subframe mounts) but would be rubber sprung not hydrolastic (*only '71-73 on a mk2 shell)... Doors are easily changed as are a-panels and hinges but no-one bothers with the seatbelt mounts so look in the boot at the rear firewall and see if it has captive nuts welded in for the rear belts

[Richard]

Mk3 was in by '71 wasn't it?

[Mike D]

It was indeed, the mk3 i restored for my mum was a 71

[HillmanImp]

It does surprise me how little money M**is go for.

 

I would think they went for pretty good money these days, but no. I would say that's still a bit of a bargain though.

[Rocket88]

Rust free doors are £200 EACH.

[scaryoldcortina]

HA! that serves me right for trusting trickypedia instead of relying on my memory Check out the page on mini... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini

 

Yeah, ok. Mk2 up to '69, 71 would be roll up windows and internal hinges. 2 bolt subframe top mount to 1976 though, and the rear belt mounts went in during '73 for type approval reasons.

[meggersdog]

If it's an 850 remote gearchange wasn't fitted until January '73,so it should have the "magic wand" coming out of the bottom of the bulkhead.

[shite_meister]

Doors are easily changed as are a-panels and hinges but no-one bothers with the seatbelt mounts so look in the boot at the rear firewall and see if it has captive nuts welded in for the rear belts

 

This, I would be looking at the bottom front corner of the doors, they should curve rather than be at a right angle, although it would be possible to retro-fit old spec A-panels, external hinges and mk1 doors it would be expensive and a major ache in the balls. I think that the boot lid was the same as the mk1 i.e no big number plate lamp above the number plate but a smaller silver landy-type one below.

 

Tip-top top tip, if you need to buy a complete door shell as I had to from Heritage last year buy it without the hinges, they're 'fuck loads' cheaper, think I paid something like £250 which for a 'genuine' panel was reasonable when they are usually £350 new. I'd say about £200 was right for a pair of rust free used doors but I have seen them even cheaper than that, they are fairly straight forward to re-skin, not that I've re-skinned one myself but everyone I know in that line of work say they're straight forward to do.

 

Do some research, the mini forum is quite good if you can ignore the excited 17-year olds whoop-whooping their pride and joy untill they fuck it a week later.