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Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:03 pm
by Odette&Alan
Hello,
This is our first post on here & just looking for some advice.
We’re considering taking on my parents’ Morris Minor Traveller to keep it in the family. They’ve had it over 40 years, but it hasn’t been on the road for 6 and we couldn’t get the engine to start. We know there will be a lot of work to get it into condition and we’re not in a position to do this ourselves at the moment. It would be handy to get advice on how much it is likely to cost to have someone do the necessary restoration – either through a restoration centre or by an enthusiast.
Some things we know about the car:
• Seized brakes
• No power in the battery
• Corrosion and rust under the bonnet and around the exterior
• It has been hand painted with gloss – so needs stripping and spraying
• Chrome front bumper painted over so may need replacing
• Possibly need to replace some of the wing panels due to corrosion
• Underside coated in bitumen
• Some at-home repairs made to the woodwork on the nearside
We appreciate we won’t get an accurate estimate without people seeing the car. We would appreciate your thoughts and a rough idea on costs.
I've attached photos - due to the upload limits they might be quite small but hopefully good enough to get an idea. Please ask if there are any photos that would be helpful to post up larger.
Many thanks,
Alan and Odette

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:15 pm
by palacebear
Hi and welcome.
Pictures will be an invaluable guide. Jpeg should be ok BUT resize before attaching. Need to be around 100kb or even slightly less and longest dimension of approx 600 pixels. Resize, save and upload from PC or Laptop rather than from phone or tablet. :)

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:23 pm
by les
From your description and need for paint removal and subsequent respray, along with the worry of what the bitumen hides, my guess is you will be looking at the mid thousands for a reputable company to restore and likely more.

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:47 pm
by Odette&Alan
Thanks. I've now edited the post with some photos.
palacebear wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 3:15 pm Hi and welcome.
Pictures will be an invaluable guide. Jpeg should be ok BUT resize before attaching. Need to be around 100kb or even slightly less and longest dimension of approx 600 pixels. Resize, save and upload from PC or Laptop rather than from phone or tablet. :)

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 8:04 pm
by ManyMinors
I think Les is optimistic. Your question is a bit "how long is a piece of string" but when I restored my Traveller I spent around 500 hours doing so. What is a professional restorer going to charge per hour? £30 - £40? So that comes to £15,000 - £20,000 before you add any parts, any materials or any VAT.......

My restoration was pretty thorough. I removed almost everything from the car - and I might not be the fastest worker but it gives an idea at least of what might it could cost if you cannot do it yourself. Restoring a car is a big project although very rewarding. If done properly and looked after subsequently it will last a long time.

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:36 pm
by les
Yes you're right, probably guilty of optimism. You've made me think of my projects timescale!

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:08 pm
by ManyMinors
It wasn't a criticism Les and there's nothing wrong with a bit of optimism but I think a comprehensive professional restoration on a Traveller is realistically going to be a lot more than mid thousands now. DIY saves a great deal of money doesn't it!

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:33 am
by kennatt
seen this many times over the years,if you can't do most of the work yourself,then the rebuild becomes totally uneconomical,it would probably cost as other have said 20 to30 thou for a pro build, to get a car worth 10 to 15. Is the other half paid out worth the sentimental value.?
You could sell the car and put the cash toward a well sorted other car,even if it oast 15 thou its still better the laying out a large lump,there is also the problem of finding a good rebuilder,there are many on here who have been greatly disappointed by certain PROS.

Even doing it your self can have the same effect, The last ser 11 I rebuilt got to this point .........Iv'e spent x amount so may as well spend a bit more to do this and replace that, then found that the spend was three times more than I could hope to get for the car.

However the satisfaction made up for it,just think carefully before committing to it. good luck

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:27 am
by palacebear
Something to consider... Ask your local MMOC branch. There may be someone there who has restored a Minor, preferably aTraveller due to their rather unique construction, and who would be willing to look at the car (an offer of tea and biscuits can be a good incentive :D ) and give you an idea of work needed. If you find such a person, don't expect him/her to start dismantling the car looking for hidden rust. On that subject, do bear in mind that rust on a Minor is like an iceberg on the ocean ... a large percentage is normally hidden from view! :(

If you decide to have the car restored/repaired by someone else I suggest thinking carefully before entrusting the job to an enthusiast (a friend or acquaintance..?) as there is potential for your relationship with him/her to become strained or to break down completely if things don't progress as you expect them to. You may know of a local garage who are willing to undertake the job in which case try and get feedback from previous customers before committing to them. A Minor specialist, whilst probably very expensive, should be offering some kind of contract which protects you as well as them whilst they have the car. They should be able to offer some form of guarantee on their work as well. A specialist business should also be able to 'manage your expectations' especially where unforseen work, unexpected additional costs or delays in completing the work are concerned.

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:36 pm
by Odette&Alan
Thanks everyone for you help and your useful comments. This is rather what we had expected. Lots for us to think about!

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 3:20 pm
by mogbob
Adding a note of your nearest big Town in your Forum profile might give " potential volunteers " an idea of where you are in the Country.

Don't divulge your full address and contact details on line. People can always send you a Private message , which is NOT shown on the Forum , if they want to offer help / opinion once the vehicle is in front of them
You can then decide how much or how little personal info you pass on.

Good luck with your deliberations and don't be afraid to come back to us with further queries. The Forum can be a bit brutal at times but it
is done with the very best of intensions. Success is euphoric but having to give up , half way through a project because lack of time , money or enthusiasm is devastating. We do not like to encourage heartache. If you choose to proceed help and advice is freely given by experience people.
Bob

Re: Traveller restoration advice please

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 3:20 pm
by mogbob
Adding a note of your nearest big Town in your Forum profile might give " potential volunteers " an idea of where you are in the Country.

Don't divulge your full address and contact details on line. People can always send you a Private message , which is NOT shown on the Forum , if they want to offer help / opinion once the vehicle is in front of them
You can then decide how much or how little personal info you pass on.

Good luck with your deliberations and don't be afraid to come back to us with further queries. The Forum can be a bit brutal at times but it
is done with the very best of intensions. Success is euphoric but having to give up , half way through a project because lack of time , money or enthusiasm is devastating. We do not like to encourage heartache. If you choose to proceed help and advice is freely given by experience people.
Bob