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Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 2:51 pm
by Costafortune
MiniSport should have known better but the details are fixed easily and cheaply enough. The dry cones and S brakes improve the car really - there's no romance in old displacers pissing green blood out 100 miles from home and Raleigh Chopper brakes.
£30,000+ is pricey for a 998 but it is a turn key car that's been thoroughly done to a good standard.
B&C were absolutely bummed on the original car - that was £5000 tops.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sat Jun 15, 2024 4:32 pm
by larrysimon
"B&C were absolutely bummed on the original car - that was £5000 tops."
The few programmes I have watched I got the feeling the B & C team were getting their Legs Lifted on every auction. Some of the prices were just Ludicrous......£ 18,000 for a clapped out Mini Cooper ...............stroll on ! The seller must have laughed all the way to the bank.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2024 12:26 pm
by steve1071
Mini Sport must have licked their lips when that turned up with a blank cheque book. For less than £10k more I reckon the B & C lot could have bought a near 100% perfect one, but get that that’s not what the programme is about. After fees they’ve lost £40k, almost as mad as the series 1 Landy they did.
What jumped out at me was Mini Sport didn’t even fit the chrome door window surround…..
At least the buyer was well chuffed.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2024 3:29 pm
by snoopy64
Or the overriders (perhaps they don’t have an account at other well known spares suppliers
)… forgetting the details I’m not sure it’s a great advert for their business… bring us your mini it’ll cost you £54k to get restored!
The new owner has got a nice mini that should last well
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2024 5:47 pm
by Peter Laidler
Providing the new owner sets about rust protecting it now, with a gallon of supertrol sprayed inside every orifice, seam, box section etc etc it should last forever.
Did it to my RCSport the first week I got it and it's still rust free......., so far!
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2024 6:42 pm
by Andrew1967
steve1071 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2024 12:26 pm
What jumped out at me was Mini Sport didn’t even fit the chrome door window surround…..
At least the buyer was well chuffed.
I wonder if the original doors didn't turn up .. I think they said they weren't with the shell and boxes of bits. That said for £28k for parts and materials I'd have thought they could have sourced some more (even repro ones) and some overriders !
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2024 9:00 am
by mk1
I finally got round to watching this episode at the weekend. The final "restoration" was much worse than I ever expected. Has anyone mentioned the lack of door trims yet?
The cost & loss weren't a surprise to me, but I was genuinely shocked at how many compromises were made throughout this supposed top quality restoration.
If I had a Mini Cooper to restore & that program was an example of what you get for nearly 70 large, I'd be running a mile!
M
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2024 9:17 am
by Peter Laidler
On a personal note, I'd have asked our own Daz,, Andy or Oli to do the job. They might be small one-man privateers but the B&C team have used these smaller private restorers before. Take the MGB as a good example.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2024 10:43 am
by Pete
Call my a skeptic but id have to seriously question the validity of any silly inflated figures issued for the purchase and restoration of that car. It’s all a huge publicity stunt from to start to finish and clearly works for the benefit of everyone involved from the auction company, the TV company, the restoration company and anyone else with skin in the game. Not criticising any of them for doing it, show business is business at the end f the day and Mickey Mouse publicity does work but it’s like watching Ed Davey throw himself off a paddle board to make a splash !
Reality TV ain’t that realistic is it? It’s about entertainment and making money, little else to be fair.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2024 11:12 am
by larrysimon
Has any one noticed that on the latest episodes they include the mystery "Production Costs" in the cars total restoration expenditure ? is this another HMRC right off ? think they need to be a bit more transparent with the costs, or any credibility they did have will be blown to duckery !
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2024 8:33 pm
by steve1071
Andrew1967 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2024 6:42 pm
steve1071 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 16, 2024 12:26 pm
What jumped out at me was Mini Sport didn’t even fit the chrome door window surround…..
At least the buyer was well chuffed.
I wonder if the original doors didn't turn up .. I think they said they weren't with the shell and boxes of bits. That said for £28k for parts and materials I'd have thought they could have sourced some more (even repro ones) and some overriders !
Yep, it just struck me they threw as many new parts at it as possible and it’s lacking in detail. Not surprising given the production company’s track record.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2024 9:49 am
by Peter Laidler
One sort-of relevant question for the observant. They mentioned that the FRONT loom was tape-wrapped, REAR loom was braided. On my new very late '69 Cooper S the rear loom was tape-wrapped too. Same as my current '69 S. But that could/maybe be down to the fact that it had a police harness fitted.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2024 10:45 am
by 111Robin
Probably just so they could show that they have a braid wrapping machine. Same as the machining of the calipers, just showcasing their in-house capabilities, they could have just pulled a pair off the shelf but then there's less sales value in that. Just the same as all of these shows where parts are sourced from one of the large companies, Car SOS are the worst for this although they do also showcase some small independent firms too. I guess "free" TV advertising isn't to be sniffed at. They weren't detailed on the panel source, presumably because they buy them in.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2024 11:10 am
by mk1
I don't doubt that the advertising that Minisport gained through the prog was very valuable indeed.
In general, I thought they came over very well! They had a chance to showcase a lot of what they can do & explain what is nowadays called "their journey" all good TV stuff, as far as a "regular" viewer was concerned, I reckon they did a cracking job.
HOWEVER!
To people really interested in early cars & who know something about them & their restoration, I reckon they came over fairly poorly. Making many snidey comments on the condition of the car, which wasn't in fact that bad, making out that stuff like Hydro was "unrepairable", not to mention the many, many detail inaccuracies on the finished car. Surely, nowadays, the people they need to be talking to are those who are likely to be spending money with them. This, I would suggest, is more likely to be the people who spot the "issues" not those who are watching the program as a bit of entertainment.
Maybe they are doing more with BMW Minis nowadays?
That would be one explanation.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2024 12:09 am
by Classic1
My cooper s built late68 had taped front harness and a braided rear I replaced the loom in the 1980s with fully braided know will go back to taped when new restoration begins I must be turning into an anorak
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 8:56 pm
by minstix
I haven’t seen the TV programme yet but will take a look. I’ve been working in TV and video production for over forty years now. I joined Channel Four TV as a broadcast engineer in 1883. The past couple of decades I’ve been largely filming and editing and have worked on a large number of documentaries.
Bear in mind that any telly programme is made to keep the viewer engaged, harder than ever these days with the average attention span now down to only 45 seconds. So it’s all about keeping the viewers attention so they stay and also see the adds, if a commercial channel. So don’t believe a lot of what you see, so much is fiddled to make it work and fit the time slot with an entertainment documentary like this. Hard factual stuff, like Panarama for example is a very different kettle of fish. But B&C is really about entertainment.
The usual ballpark for a documentary of this sort would be around £1K per finished minute, often a lot more for a main stream channel like BBC1. A supplier involved in supplying parts etc for something like this would normally be expected to supply, free of charge, in return for the free promotion.
So I don’t think the production company would be taking the big hit it looks like from the outside. The figures are what it may have cost the way they did it if there were no TV involvement.
The Cooper S I’m restoring is, at last, on the last lap. It has a tapped harness at the front and braided for the rear. Made 15th April 1969. The harness was like that when new, I’m sure. I have however replaced it with a new one from Autosparks. They give you the choice of which part you want taped or braided. I must admit it is a very good copy and very well and accurately made. I certainly recommend them.
I haven’t connected a battery yet but I have connected a bench power supply with current limiter. So far looking good. Haven’t run the starter motor yet, my power supply won’t supply that sort of current. Battery next week and getting close to start up!
Steve
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2024 11:12 pm
by 3disco
You must be very old to have started in 1883!
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 11:34 am
by gs.davies
I sat and watched is last night. £70k is an eye-watering amount of money.
I did wonder why they didn't turn up a nice pair of 7 inch calipers given their ability with the CNC mill, would have been an interesting development.
Was a shame to see all the patina erased and replaced with new repro parts.
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 1:21 pm
by minstix
Ooops, 1883, that would make me 141 years old!
Sorry, should have been 1983, which still makes me very old! I bought the car I'm restoring in 1985, so a lot of history there.
Steve
Re: Bangers & Cash Mini Cooper Restoration
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2024 3:02 pm
by beardylonodn
All good insights Steve and I work in this field too and agree with what you say, £1k per finished minute might be about right for B & C. But take something like Wheeler Dealers, Mike and Co's fees would be gobbled up in the first 5 mins, but granted B & C will be a lot cheaper to produce, as there is no on screen "talent". Also I guess WD is now widely syndicated and so they have all that extra backing I guess.
I know people who work on the popular car show on a big streamer (you can guess which one), and they very obviously have ridiculous budgets, for what is essentially a "documentary", blows all this out of the water.
minstix wrote: ↑Sun Jun 23, 2024 8:56 pm
I haven’t seen the TV programme yet but will take a look. I’ve been working in TV and video production for over forty years now. I joined Channel Four TV as a broadcast engineer in 1883. The past couple of decades I’ve been largely filming and editing and have worked on a large number of documentaries.
Bear in mind that any telly programme is made to keep the viewer engaged, harder than ever these days with the average attention span now down to only 45 seconds. So it’s all about keeping the viewers attention so they stay and also see the adds, if a commercial channel. So don’t believe a lot of what you see, so much is fiddled to make it work and fit the time slot with an entertainment documentary like this. Hard factual stuff, like Panarama for example is a very different kettle of fish. But B&C is really about entertainment.
The usual ballpark for a documentary of this sort would be around £1K per finished minute, often a lot more for a main stream channel like BBC1. A supplier involved in supplying parts etc for something like this would normally be expected to supply, free of charge, in return for the free promotion.
So I don’t think the production company would be taking the big hit it looks like from the outside. The figures are what it may have cost the way they did it if there were no TV involvement.
The Cooper S I’m restoring is, at last, on the last lap. It has a tapped harness at the front and braided for the rear. Made 15th April 1969. The harness was like that when new, I’m sure. I have however replaced it with a new one from Autosparks. They give you the choice of which part you want taped or braided. I must admit it is a very good copy and very well and accurately made. I certainly recommend them.
I haven’t connected a battery yet but I have connected a bench power supply with current limiter. So far looking good. Haven’t run the starter motor yet, my power supply won’t supply that sort of current. Battery next week and getting close to start up!
Steve