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Minis are not complicated cars, but they are still complicated enough that we have seen quite a few unfinished projects on the market. This particular one looks promising. The dirty tasks of bodywork and paint are done and a rebuilt 1275 is included. Reassembly is the “only” thing required. We just hope that the included restoration manual is detailed enough to figure out where everything goes. So if you’re up for a big-mini project, this one can be found here on craigslist in Oak Harbor, Washington for $6,500.
If I lived close by, I would be all over this. It seems that all the heavy lifting has been done. I would want to see receipts for the engine. So many “just overhauled” engines end up being crap but given the quality of the body I have a feeling that’s not the case with this one.
The hard part has been sorted. It would be like building a model
Looks like a good solid project at a fair price to me. I must point out the engine in the photo doesn’t look like a 1275 to me. More likely a small bore unit … possibly a Cooper 998?
All Mini blocks were the exact same size just bored to different sizes. the only way to visually tell the sized of the motor was by the color.
not exactly correct, some mini engine have an additional head bolt.
Where did I put those darn nuts and bolts again ???
Aww , well, let the next guy worry about THAT !
Best book to use when putting a MINI together again is an old BMC parts manual….gives each part of the car in sequence with split drawings of how it all fit together. The work shop manual will only really be of use for the mechanicals. If this car has hydrolastic suspension, things get a little more tricky if they are worn and leaking, but a conversion back to rubber cones is straight forward and easy with much less hastles in future.
Has anybody every brought a project that wasn’t finished like this and had success with it?
I can’t image buying something like this unless I had already restored a few, and even then would still struggle with finding the right fasteners etc.
Very interested, I have 2.99 Jensen Healeys resultant to an unsuccessful Mini shopping errand. I wrote the first children’s book on Mini to celebrate it’s 50th in 2009, the star is an ealry 60’s MK I in identical colours to your ’69.
The biggest logistics problem is no garage to build the unit in currently. Have a ’76 1 liter Mini that is so much of a project only a freak or BR Car nut would consider it, tub barely there. Please reply w your e-mail address, so I may comm w U directly. Glad U won’t part it out. Take care. mark c & crew
Wow! I had no idea this ad existed. Thanks for all the great comments and for posting it in the first place. Sounds like she will soon be on her way to a new home. Someone has already made a holding payment and is coming by soon. Thanks again!
A correction here: a Cooper “S” block, be it 970/1070/1275, or an Austin America block, is 0.250″ higher than regular Mini engine blocks; an easy way to check is to look at the front RH corner of the block, where the extra height can be seen above the small square cast top corner.