I can strongly recommend contacting Ben Rockey at Classic Car Workshop.

He is a fellow racer who does most of the work on my 7, but his main business is (unsurprisingly) classic car restoration - absolutely anything and everything.

He can restore to any budget i.e. he does "get it up and running" jobs, and the polar opposite - I saw a paint job he did on an E Type which was absolutely beautiful.

It would be worth giving him a call and talking to him, he might be able to advise on realistic budgets for getting it to a passable standard, or getting it to concorse etc.

http://www.kbu78.dial.pipex.com/

 

You can always ship it to me here. I will restore it after a number of years to perfection

 

Discovered as Nottm has said that the plate cannot be transferred unless the car has an MOT. Just as well really, thought of putting it on the S. Don't need it spelt out that I am a silly moo.

We had not looked into value or cost of restoration. We just agreed to meet Mr Dent to see what he had to say for himself. The figures I have quoted are his.

The car does have sentimental value, probably more for Mr Q than for me. He had a TR3 before it and is represents his playboy phase. I was a bit miffed when I found his old girlfriends' lipsticks etc in the cubbies.

However I have always been into cars and I noticed when he would drive for an hour just to synchronise his arrival in The Chase with my return from lunch on my push bike so that he could wave to me.

He eventually stopped me and offered me a cucumber, as I have related before, saying that he had no friends and I took pity on him and invited him for tea.

We have had some fun times in it. Driving top down in midwinter swigging brandy to keep warm. One Glorious Twelfth driving up to The Old Vienna in Bond street, parking outside and then driving home full of wine.

Thanks for your responses. What about the rust on those panels? Can they be treated and used?

 

i dont see why not, as long as ALL the rust is removed otherwise once painted it will micro blister very quickly.

 

rust is a protective coating to a degree - often structural steel is allowed to just rust - i guess if the panels are solid enough its possible to use them i guess, only worth it if theres a significant saving to be had

i'm planning on taking time out next year, i'll have my new garage built and might make myself a seven or restore something... always fancied an old mini

 

I used to own a TR4A some years ago, these cars are headturning when in good condition. If you can afford it, get it done! I have no idea what the cost would be. But it's not just the panels you need to worry about. The chassis on most of these have disintegrated to rust. However, it is easy to get replacement chassis.

You should get some one like Dreamers suggestion to look at it. Also worth contacting the TR Register (the TR equivalent of S2K UK).

It makes me cry to see it in that state -please someone save it.

 

The panels have what appear to be be surface rust. With some gentle sanding or blasting(here there is bi carbonate blasting as well!) they should become useable.


Regarding the chassis, thats a different story. With regard to replacement chassis, I had no idea they exist, but for cutting welding etc....you are looking at a long time frame with a dedicated person.

 

Mr Dent has just sent us an email including this link http://www.soda-blast.co.uk/sbsuk_041.htm to a firm that uses food grade baking soda for blasting like you have. Is that your preferred method for removing the rust from the panels Malta? As you say the rust on the panels is only surface rust caused by humidity in the shed where they were stored as opposed to exposure to the elements, road salt etc.

He also sent a link to a firm near us which uses a long list of materials for blasting including the walnut shells which I mentioned earlier.

Mr Q is a hands on person and quite capable of carrying out many of the tasks involved in restoring the car but his passion is jazz and that takes up most of his time, when he's not gigging he is practising.

From my point of view I think it would be nice to just get it back on the road, quite an undertaking given its condition, and work from there but that is probably not the way to look at it.

The bonnet release is seized. Any ideas how to proceed on that front?

 

i would bet on a car of that age you can access the bonnet catch from underneath, spray some wd40 or plus gas at it then come back later

 

The brakes will be seized up and rotten, the clutch will most likey have stuck and if consideration is given to turning over the engine very mucho care must be taken. Then there all things rubberery , belts and hoses etc and oil seals.

But hey have ago MQ might be surprising or the end!!!

There was one in the papers a year or so ago car an old Morris 10 been in a shed for 40 years, new battery drop of fuel, oil change and low it started and run perfectly, but rusty bores etc will mean the old engine will be destroyed on start up