Bangers & Cash - Cooper 998 restoration at Mini Sport

[iain1967s]

Looks like the Bangers & Cash team have commissioned Mini Sport to fully restore a Mk2 Cooper 998 for an upcoming episode of their spin-off series Restoring Classics

Part 1: https://www.minisport.com/blog/restorin ... s-and-cash
Part 2: https://www.minisport.com/blog/breathin ... ini-cooper
Part 3: https://www.minisport.com/blog/restorat ... mini-sport

[Peter Laidler]

I can't see this breaking records somehow. Some variation from standard is always acceptable. Too much, as here and it becomes a case of diminishing financial returns.

I bet his resto rings a few bells with Gaz, who did a similar thing with a blue Mk2 998. Where are you Gaz?

[swifty]

My pet hate . Why oh why couldn’t they detail the front slam panel better . A couple of hours that’s all to make the top look like an early panel . … Shirley

[Cammsjb]

I’ve not seen lugs on the front & rear edges of the battery box with two holes in each on a mk2 saloon before, I thought one hole in each lug was the standard.

[abs]

I see they ditched the hydrolastic suspension then

[mk1]

B&C Restoring Classics has an unrivalled record of loosing huge amounts of money on their restorations, the only question I am interested in is. . . . . . . . . Will this Cooper be a record breaker

[Peter Laidler]

Yep, probably so..... on a par with the Mk1 Land Rover that made a £40,000 (?) loss as I recall. That said, I would imagine that the parts and labour supplied by MS will be provided at cost.

You could say that the change to dry is in the interests of reliability and longevity. But leave the rest alone and let the new owner decide what he wants

Personally I'd have asked our own Andy or MiniSurfari to do it!

[snoopy64]

This is going to show that only a fool would restore a mk2 cooper with 3rd party help… oh bugger that’s me!

[Costafortune]

The end result will be a cracking 998 Cooper that anyone would love to jump into on the spur of the moment and zip about in for an hour or two.

Let's not lose sight of what these thing are for.

I suspect the bootboard might have the wrong grain of bristles however.

[Peter Laidler]

To be honest Snoopy - and don't tell anyone else what I say - but I think that the Mk2 998 Cooper is the best of the breed. But only when it's left as standard> Mind you, I'd accept dry suspension as a reliability plus!

[snoopy64]

Wet suspension is a joy Peter

I still consider the money I spent well worth it… note I didn’t say invested! that would imply some monetary return.

This resto should make all you folks with the skills for a home resto feel very smug indeed..

[snoopy64]

B&C Restoring Classics has an unrivalled record of loosing huge amounts of money on their restorations, the only question I am interested in is. . . . . . . . . Will this Cooper be a record breaker

Undoubtably a record breaker!

No doubt somebody will get a good car at the end of it… but with all those ‘upgrades’ ( suspension, brakes, alternator, etc) what will it actually be… ( matching choke and heater controls would have been nice!) I’m looking forward to this one.

[java gt]

My pet hate . Why oh why couldn’t they detail the front slam panel better . A couple of hours that’s all to make the top look like an early panel . … Shirley

What is the difference,I am about to start on my MKII and I'm not well up on changes down through the years so if I can keep it as right as possible

[GraemeC]

Hammer at £30,500

So how much have they lost?

[mk1]

I reckon somewhere in the region of £15,000

But this is an exceptionally good price for a 998 Cooper, particularly in the current buyers market.

[snoopy64]

30k

[Old English White]

Did they fit the window surrounds and the overriders first ?

[lwarrine]

Hammer at £30,500

So how much have they lost?

I believe during the live auction 'bidding' they mentioned that at £30k it was half what they had in it ....
So based on that, if they paid £15k for the car then they had about £45k restoration costs .... but how truthful / accurate that is then who knows!

[snoopy64]

Wow I didn’t realise they paid 15k for it… well 20k resto costs gets you nothing much down here in the south!

[whistler]

I see they ditched the hydrolastic suspension then

I've not long finished a 66SDL full resto with hydro. I particularly wanted a hydro car for a better ride over potholes and speed bumps. Really pleased with the hydro. It's better over speed bumps than my modern Skoda Citigo. Someone has lost the plot over switching back to rubber and devalued the car in the process. There was no need to fit an alternator either. Not impressed.