I bought this car because it needed saving (and who can resist a Mark I Mini?); I sold it to my friend Matt, who still has it and drives it regularly. It needs a paint job and some other cosmetic work still, but it’s a very honest old car.
Note that the image above is the right year and color scheme, but not the actual car in question, it’s a bit hard to believe I don’t have a photo.
A mutual friend of Matt and I, Stu, knew that this car was available, so he and I went to look, and I bought it on the spot for $1200. This was just before the new Rover Minis came out, and I don’t think you could touch this car for less than $3000 now because of the interest in the early cars that has come from the introduction of the newer car. The faded little machine had a blown engine but came with a spare for rebuilding. Otherwise it was pretty original and hadn’t been “boy racered,” the fate of many of these cars.
The engine was rebuilt–at greater expense than either Matt or I thought it would be–once Matt acquired it. After some fooling around with crud in the fuel tank and various charging problems, it’s turned into a nice driving machine.
Maybe one day we’ll get a chance to paint it. Right now, my painting order is: Ferguson, F250, Mini, MGB. I want to know what I’m doing by the time I get to Reggie!
Ah yes. My first lesson in “I’m not going to buy it. I’m just going to LOOK.”
Also my first lesson in Cars Which Sit In the Garage For A Year.
;-)