Best way to repair/sell vintage Morris Minor?
February 10, 2018 11:56 PM Subscribe
My mum has a 1958 Morris Minor coupe. It is a very cute car. It also isn't currently functional due to electrical issues. She has since got a Fiat 500 which scratches a similar car itch. If you have dealt with selling a 1. reasonably valuable, 2. not particularly obscure, 3 but obviously vintage/older car, what would you do?
There are several options to move on the Morris, which we would like to do (as it is otherwise clogging up my mum's back garden) but neither her nor I are seriously car people and some advice on the best course of action would be nice.
(All figures are in AUD.) The car was bought for about $10,000. It's less immaculate now than it was then but a fair portion of that price would be nice, at least.
The options we've considered are:
1). Go to a proper mechanic/dealer and get these electrical issues repaired before selling (simple, but obviously expensive given few mechanics will deal in vintage cars).
2). Search for an itinerant who knows a lot about Morris Minors to take a look at her (probably cheaper, but more risky).
3). Sell her as-is (easy, but loses a lot of value for not be able to drive away).
There are several options to move on the Morris, which we would like to do (as it is otherwise clogging up my mum's back garden) but neither her nor I are seriously car people and some advice on the best course of action would be nice.
(All figures are in AUD.) The car was bought for about $10,000. It's less immaculate now than it was then but a fair portion of that price would be nice, at least.
The options we've considered are:
1). Go to a proper mechanic/dealer and get these electrical issues repaired before selling (simple, but obviously expensive given few mechanics will deal in vintage cars).
2). Search for an itinerant who knows a lot about Morris Minors to take a look at her (probably cheaper, but more risky).
3). Sell her as-is (easy, but loses a lot of value for not be able to drive away).
Seconding selling it as-is, if you can. The dollars you’d put into fixing it will be more than the extra dollars you’d get for selling it fixed.
posted by aubilenon at 1:26 AM on February 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by aubilenon at 1:26 AM on February 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'd start by asking for mechanic recommendations at this Morris Minor Forum. They have a For Sale section.
Forty two Morris Minors have been offered for sale on Bring A Trailer. The site originally featured cars of interest to people who appreciated the affordable, older, unusual, sporting, or full of character cars. Buyers often needed to literally bring a trailer to take their purchase home. Now it's mostly auctions for more expensive stuff, but they still list cars that honor their roots and please their fans.
posted by Homer42 at 3:14 AM on February 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Forty two Morris Minors have been offered for sale on Bring A Trailer. The site originally featured cars of interest to people who appreciated the affordable, older, unusual, sporting, or full of character cars. Buyers often needed to literally bring a trailer to take their purchase home. Now it's mostly auctions for more expensive stuff, but they still list cars that honor their roots and please their fans.
posted by Homer42 at 3:14 AM on February 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Minor added details: We are in Australia. It is still registered but I am assuming another roadworthy is necessary.
posted by solarion at 3:19 AM on February 11, 2018
posted by solarion at 3:19 AM on February 11, 2018
Best answer: If you get in touch with your state’s Morris Minor club they might be able to assist with finding a local mechanic, or advertise the car directly to their members.
posted by Naanwhal at 3:22 AM on February 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Naanwhal at 3:22 AM on February 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
Roadworthy is only necessary to transfer the rego. You could return the plates and sell it as-is. Obviously there would be a ding on your price.
posted by pompomtom at 4:06 AM on February 11, 2018
posted by pompomtom at 4:06 AM on February 11, 2018
The dollars you’d put into fixing it will be more than the extra dollars you’d get for selling it fixed.
The flip side to this is that anyone buying it will low-ball you, because of this same reason. Unless it's a vintage Ferrari or the like, a non-running car is effectively worthless because of the unknowns in what it takes to get it running again.
posted by hwyengr at 6:40 AM on February 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
The flip side to this is that anyone buying it will low-ball you, because of this same reason. Unless it's a vintage Ferrari or the like, a non-running car is effectively worthless because of the unknowns in what it takes to get it running again.
posted by hwyengr at 6:40 AM on February 11, 2018 [1 favorite]
The dollars you’d put into fixing it will be more than the extra dollars you’d get for selling it fixed.
This has not been my experience at all, but each case is different. "Electrical issues" can mean anything from "needs every electrical component replaced" to "needs one wire reconnected" -- without knowing more, it's hard to say what the options are.
I'd suggest getting a few quotes for getting it running. Be clear that you aren't trying to fix all the issues or restore it, just get it running so you can sell it. Do you have mobile mechanics where you are? Having someone come to you to look at it is going to be easier than having to get it towed to a shop.
Then you can do the math, to see if it is worth getting it running or better to sell as-is. Especially if the fix is cheap, my guess is that it will pencil out to do the work, but not necessarily.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:30 AM on February 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
This has not been my experience at all, but each case is different. "Electrical issues" can mean anything from "needs every electrical component replaced" to "needs one wire reconnected" -- without knowing more, it's hard to say what the options are.
I'd suggest getting a few quotes for getting it running. Be clear that you aren't trying to fix all the issues or restore it, just get it running so you can sell it. Do you have mobile mechanics where you are? Having someone come to you to look at it is going to be easier than having to get it towed to a shop.
Then you can do the math, to see if it is worth getting it running or better to sell as-is. Especially if the fix is cheap, my guess is that it will pencil out to do the work, but not necessarily.
posted by Dip Flash at 7:30 AM on February 11, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I came in to write what the last two posters above me have written. When my Dad passed away my Mom asked me to sell his 7+ old cars, which were all in various states of repair and quality. One or two we sold completely as is, but I think every one I eventually got running. You haven't clarified what the electrical issue is, or how it impacts the car, but people do really like to hear the engine run. If you can't hear the engine run, you are wondering if you have a total engine rebuild ahead of you as the buyer, maybe because there are catastrophic internal failures (warped head? blown head gasket? rod knock? etc.).
I would try to have a local shop provide at least an estimate of some kind. For one of my Dad's cars, we did end up having it towed to a place that looked it over, gave us an estimate, and then we did a general tune-up. It's been a few years, but my memory was that that cost a few hundred dollars. We sold the car for around what your Morris Minor cost, but if the buyer wasn't able to start and run it, it might have been hard to get even a few thousand for it.
I don't think you should be too intimidated by the age of the car regarding whether mechanics know anything about it. You won't be able to tow it to a dealership, but we found a few different places (in a rural area in the US) that had people who still understood carburetion and so forth. If anything, most of the time, the older cars are going to be easier to diagnose because the systems are much more basic.
One last thought - you might find a shop that has some connection to amateur racing of some kind. I think staff who work in a small shop where they play with cars in their spare time might also be more inclined to be interested to work on an older car.
Good luck!
posted by Slothrop at 9:28 AM on February 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
I would try to have a local shop provide at least an estimate of some kind. For one of my Dad's cars, we did end up having it towed to a place that looked it over, gave us an estimate, and then we did a general tune-up. It's been a few years, but my memory was that that cost a few hundred dollars. We sold the car for around what your Morris Minor cost, but if the buyer wasn't able to start and run it, it might have been hard to get even a few thousand for it.
I don't think you should be too intimidated by the age of the car regarding whether mechanics know anything about it. You won't be able to tow it to a dealership, but we found a few different places (in a rural area in the US) that had people who still understood carburetion and so forth. If anything, most of the time, the older cars are going to be easier to diagnose because the systems are much more basic.
One last thought - you might find a shop that has some connection to amateur racing of some kind. I think staff who work in a small shop where they play with cars in their spare time might also be more inclined to be interested to work on an older car.
Good luck!
posted by Slothrop at 9:28 AM on February 11, 2018 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: You haven't clarified what the electrical issue is, or how it impacts the car, but people do really like to hear the engine run.
Thanks for the insights everyone. I was intentionally vague on this because while I have a /sense/ of the issues (aftermarket additions are putting a bit of strain on the original electrical power, and some of it isn't sealed correctly) I do not know quite how large an issue that is and would really need somebody to look at it.
This does make the question harder to answer, but what's been put up here is reflective of what we've already considered, which is encouraging - AskMe is occasionally my "I'm not being an idiot and missing something" check.
My next step was going to be finding out who would be best to repair it, and Naanwhal's link to the Morris Minor club locally and Slothrop's suggestion of connections to amateur racing are where I will investigate. Thank you all.
posted by solarion at 9:04 PM on February 12, 2018
Thanks for the insights everyone. I was intentionally vague on this because while I have a /sense/ of the issues (aftermarket additions are putting a bit of strain on the original electrical power, and some of it isn't sealed correctly) I do not know quite how large an issue that is and would really need somebody to look at it.
This does make the question harder to answer, but what's been put up here is reflective of what we've already considered, which is encouraging - AskMe is occasionally my "I'm not being an idiot and missing something" check.
My next step was going to be finding out who would be best to repair it, and Naanwhal's link to the Morris Minor club locally and Slothrop's suggestion of connections to amateur racing are where I will investigate. Thank you all.
posted by solarion at 9:04 PM on February 12, 2018
If it is anything related to the standard electrical system on a Minor it is wildly simple. Nothing in 1958 was complicated, the only issues are parts may be hard to find. You really just need a mechanic who is old and has/give them a manual (like a Haynes that has the wiring diagram in it).
If you think it is related to the aftermarket stuff, just unplug that and see if it works. Without knowing the fault I can't confirm or deny, but unless it is 'the battery slowly goes flat even if it is driven' then it sounds like it isn't the additional components.
Fixing the car is better in this instance. An old car, with an 'unknown wiring issue' can mean anything from a loose earth (fixed with a bit of sandpaper and 10 minutes after you find it) to 'the entire wiring loom has been chewed by mice', which could be extremely expensive, hard to find and a decent amount to replace. Anyone with a brain will bid you on the car with the worst case in mind. Consequently you (at the very least) need to diagnose the car if you want to sell it as is, but fixing it may be smarter. It may be that (if it is a wiring loom) it is not an economical repair for you because of the labour cost, but at that point 'Morris Minor, needs new wiring loom (supplied)' is a great advert style.
Any legwork and removal of guesswork you can do is more likely to get you either a good price or get the car moved sooner.
posted by Brockles at 8:14 AM on February 13, 2018
If you think it is related to the aftermarket stuff, just unplug that and see if it works. Without knowing the fault I can't confirm or deny, but unless it is 'the battery slowly goes flat even if it is driven' then it sounds like it isn't the additional components.
Fixing the car is better in this instance. An old car, with an 'unknown wiring issue' can mean anything from a loose earth (fixed with a bit of sandpaper and 10 minutes after you find it) to 'the entire wiring loom has been chewed by mice', which could be extremely expensive, hard to find and a decent amount to replace. Anyone with a brain will bid you on the car with the worst case in mind. Consequently you (at the very least) need to diagnose the car if you want to sell it as is, but fixing it may be smarter. It may be that (if it is a wiring loom) it is not an economical repair for you because of the labour cost, but at that point 'Morris Minor, needs new wiring loom (supplied)' is a great advert style.
Any legwork and removal of guesswork you can do is more likely to get you either a good price or get the car moved sooner.
posted by Brockles at 8:14 AM on February 13, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Thella at 12:56 AM on February 11, 2018 [2 favorites]