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I've got a few options for a restoration I'm doing, but I'm doing it to sell..

It's an old English white 67 delux

Completely standard

Original colour, original interior but with a downton 999cc engine

Fiesta yellow with the Downton engine and powder blue interior

Hydrolastic or dry

I'd be happy building it to any of those specifications but I'm most concerned with resale value and ease of sale

Not wanting to sound funny, but restoring a car to sell & make a profit is almost impossible.

Most classic car restorers are restoring cars for proud owners who are happy to pay good money for a restoration, when these are sold they very rarely make the money that they have cost.

I am sure that the car you are thinking of building will be great, but it is always going to be a Mongrel. Even with really good parts, bitsa cars rarely make good money. Your 999 S engine would be better suited to an earlier car, preferably a 970 S. You would get more money back selling the engine as a unit & restoring the car back to standard.

Bitsa Mini with S engine: £14,000 - £16,000 tops.

Restored MK1: £12,000 - £15,000

Downton S engine & box: Probably £4,500 ish if its good.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Finally, remember that ALL classic car prices are softening at the mo, any value today is not likely to be much greater in a years time.

Don’t do anything and sell as a project and separately a Downton engine. It’ll cost you more to restore than you’d recover.

If you do a bitsa you’ll have to deal with all the “well it’s not a real S” lot, even when you spell it out, they’re everywhere.

Yep agree with both previous replies, just sell what you’ve got. The S logbook that’s missing from the eventual result would be the most valuable bit! A restored 850 with an S engine is only worth the sum of its parts, a restored S is worth twice as much even though it’s probably built from an 850! Confused? You will be!

Not sure why people are assuming I've got an s engine but it definitely isn't an S block

Oh, good point! Wasn’t expecting a chopped down GT lump! “Always expect the unexpected!”

I’d still say modded Minis don’t usually return a profit so to speak.

Not expecting to return a profit, but just want to sell it when it's done as I've no room for it.

It's a small bore block with a I think a 1275 crank and a small bore head that's been ported.. bought from bill

Mini-geek wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 1:37 pm Not sure why people are assuming I've got an s engine but it definitely isn't an S block

Easy, the "normal" way to get a 999 engine is to over bore a 970 by plus 40thou to get 999cc. Any other route to a similar route will be fairly convoluted.

Would be interested to know what makes it a "Downton" engine.

M

It has a downtown head I was just being brief because I don't know the ins and outs of it obviously a huge mistake as it's caused far more confusion than intended lol

Mini-geek wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 2:35 pm It has a downtown head I was just being brief because I don't know the ins and outs of it obviously a huge mistake as it's caused far more confusion than intended lol

Ha, ha, I know that feeling very well! I go through life doing that

So, in answer to your original question. As close to standard as you can get, all be it with an uprated engine would be best for an easy sale when it's done.

M

Cheers,

That's my thinking, Id love fiesta yellow but I think it will take away the originality of the car

What's your thoughts on hydro Vs dry It originally was wet but I've also got dry subframes to go in it.. again I'm happy with either but I think hydro would be more expensive to do and I'm concerned it will put people off..

If I was starting from scratch, as you seem to be doing where originality is a sort-of option - and you have the parts....... I would finish the car as a dry car. Then sell off the hydro units afterwards to some needy hydro owner. Everyone is a winner

Hydro isn't difficult to keep up or maintain. It's the owners who ore terrified of it or have been listening to horror stories.

If the intention is to restore and then sell your Mini with no plans to enjoy it as a finished car and no desire to make a profit I am pretty certain it would be a lot easier to sell it as a project now and save your hours and energy for something else. You could list it on the For Sale section here.
A more expensive Mini would usually be more difficult to sell as there are fewer people with big chunks of money than there are smaller amounts.
Unless of course there is another thing driving you i.e you enjoy the process. (in which case please come and do one of mine )

As others have mentioned: Completely standard and sell the "special" bits of separately.

If the "wet" Suspension is in good condition then sell it wet, if not convert to dry.

Unless body is body is in really good nick, you wont make a profit - you`ll do it for the love.....

Dont paint it yellow - I cant get past counting yellow (banana cars) with the kids as a joke..... sorry to anyone with a yellow car...

As close as possible to original would include having the correct suspension type.

A hydro car with dry suspension will always be less desirable than a correct example.

Jumping into this as I was offered a Mk1 1275S, that had been reshelled into a mk3 shell at some point, and thats not even 'mint' anymore, bit lost on value as seller was asking double what i and others thought its worth??

Any ideas??

(apologies to OP for going off topic!)

Rich

mk1 wrote: ↑Wed May 17, 2023 4:59 pm As close as possible to original would include having the correct suspension type.

A hydro car with dry suspension will always be less desirable than a correct example.

Yes, I know, was thinking of the cost of restoring a car if the wet suspension was knackered, compared to just fitting some dry subframes…

Personally not a great lover of wet suspension, I would always see it as a plus if it was changed, maybe thats just me though.