Mini Cooper Restoration - Quote Opinion...

F@ces

Hi!

Hoping someone could give me an opinion on a quote I have gotten to restore my Mini Cooper. Basically, the doors are rusted and need re-skinning, so that's how this started. This is the first quote I have gotten, and it's kind of turned into a suggestion to get the whole thing restored. I'm based in Dublin btw (but this person is outside the city).

Car:

Model: Mini John Cooper (Limited Edition - 300 built).

Photos of "Digger" taken yesterday. Probably a bit of overkill with all I've taken. It was very bright so apologies.

Suggested Restoration:

This is what the guy has suggested. He seems a very nice bloke and is keen. Forgive the way I post this if I show my own ignorance regarding this type of work. In summary a top to toe whole car restoration where the car is (to my understanding):

• Taken apart and shot blasted back to bare metal.
• 2 new Door Skins and maybe a new left wing.
• All welding/lead loading (no filler) done where required.
• Bottom coated in Gravitex and all interior of panels (including bottom of car) waxoyled where possible.
• Fully primed and full respray.
• Two coats of lacquer.

At least I think that’s it! Judging by photos alone he reckons about €3000+. I’d probably like to replace most of the brightwork while I’m at it so you could throw another €500 on there as well perhaps, plus I’d need to get someone to do the bonnet stripes and door stripes again. That's a lot of cash!! :eek:

Does any of you know anything about these techniques (lead loading, shot blasting etc), the price etc? Would I be going too far in going for a full restoration? He reckons it would take a month - that seems a very long time? I don’t even know if this guy is good to be honest - I would obviously like to trust him but the thing is I was stung before when I got the scuttle panel done (long story - lead to the guy having to do it three times before finally setting fire to the head cloth (:eek:), and that is starting to bobble now after two years). It's a lot of money to me, that I'd have to borrow, but I would love to get it back tip-top...

I have another guy to ring this evening or tomorrow, but thought I'd throw this out there.

Any help much appreciated - thanx

Mr Benevolent

I'd suggest posting up the names of the restoration guys you're thinking of using, you'll get a few opinions on their ability.

F@ces

Confab wrote: »

I'd suggest posting up the names of the restoration guys you're thinking of using, you'll get a few opinions on their ability.

Is it okay to post the guys name on the forum (i.e. I don't have a garage name persay - I just have the chaps name)?

Mr Benevolent

Shouldn't be a problem.

F@ces

Actually just realised he's advertised elsewhere using his full name as a username with an email address, phone number & location so I'm sure then he won't mind!

His name is Eoin Crosbie from Wexford.

The other guy I am ringing tomorrow is from Elliotts of Summerhill, Meath. Another one I had been talking to some time ago was Hoeys Autofix. These latter two I have yet to get quotes from.

Blue Punto

Hey there Faces

If you want work done on your mini which dont look at all bad to honest(trust me Ive forgotten how many ive gone through )
The best thing you should do is go onto the mini forums
www.irishminis.ie
www.miniresource.com

You will get plenty of advice and help there

If you are in Dublin Id seriously consider giving Paul Kelly of minifix a ring @ 087 2597085
He will be able to put you right,he has helped me out many times over the last 25 years of mini ownership and knows the cars inside out
regards
niall

Blue Punto

oh and btw with regarding lead loading etc

A mini without rust somewhere aint a mini lol

Even if you go down the road of going back to a bare shell unless your gonna leave it undercover indoors and throw sugar lumps at it it will rust

F@ces

Thanks Niall. The two forums you mentioned I keep an eye an on (registered on both), and irishminis would be where I have gotten the contacts I have. Miniresource is where I actually came across this mini, but it's very quiet these days. I've gone to Paul Kelly a couple of times to get engine work and whatnot done - no bother there he's sound.

Regarding your last post - fair point. Rust and speed bumps, the natural enemies of the mini

Blue Punto wrote: »

Hey there Faces

If you want work done on your mini which dont look at all bad to honest(trust me Ive forgotten how many ive gone through )
The best thing you should do is go onto the mini forums
www.irishminis.ie
www.miniresource.com

You will get plenty of advice and help there

If you are in Dublin Id seriously consider giving Paul Kelly of minifix a ring @ 087 2597085
He will be able to put you right,he has helped me out many times over the last 25 years of mini ownership and knows the cars inside out
regards
niall

Owen

One or two of the members on http://miniclub.ie have undertaken classic restoration with photos along the way. Prices vary a lot between places. I'm undertaking a back to metal restoration of a mid 70's Mini at the moment. Great fun

F@ces

PaintDoctor wrote: »

One or two of the members on http://miniclub.ie have undertaken classic restoration with photos along the way. Prices vary a lot between places. I'm undertaking a back to metal restoration of a mid 70's Mini at the moment. Great fun

Thanks mate.

You doing your mini yourself? Nice one - best of luck! Post pics on irishminis when you have it done

Owen

Eh no, I'll post photos on my own forum - http://miniclub.ie

Yeah, I built my 05 Cooper S Works over the course of a year and a half. It's a show winning car, and I've had the bug for a classic for a very long time now. So about time I got it out of my system! You'd think my picking a colour would be easy, but oh no. It's been very tough. I'm going to go with a colour called White Silver. It's a new MINI colour, but it's very retro looking. It's half way between old english white, and metallic silver. Still undecided about the roof colour. Might do it white silver all over, or maybe the original Mini charcoal colour.

F@ces

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Eh no, I'll post photos on my own forum - http://miniclub.ie

Yeah, I built my 05 Cooper S Works over the course of a year and a half. It's a show winning car, and I've had the bug for a classic for a very long time now. So about time I got it out of my system! You'd think my picking a colour would be easy, but oh no. It's been very tough. I'm going to go with a colour called White Silver. It's a new MINI colour, but it's very retro looking. It's half way between old english white, and metallic silver. Still undecided about the roof colour. Might do it white silver all over, or maybe the original Mini charcoal colour.

Just googled White Silver. Imagining that on a classic mini.... actually think it will look class. Some people will silver/white mini's go with black roofs? Not sure myself, with that type of color the same all over may be best. Not the same color, much darker (?), but I can't imagine this one with a different color roof...

benny_cakes

F@ces wrote: »

It's a lot of money to me, that I'd have to borrow, but I would love to get it back tip-top...

Honest opinion.....if the money is too much for you & if you have to borrow then be totally honest......is it really worth restoring it to this extent??????

Would you consider doing it as a work in progress i.e. doing what you can afford each year starting with the most important bits first.

Maybe this year get the urgent bits done
From looking at the photos...the urgent bits are the Passinger wing, front panel, A panels, doors, and right hand side drivers floor pan & a few bits of welding to the left rear sill......all common rust points on a mini & all the repair panels are available cheap.

And maybe next year get a full respray when you have saved up for it.

And 2 years time do something else to the car.

As someone who who has been around classic cars (and in particular minis) for a long time i can honestly say its all about enjoying the ownership & experience & not about having the most pristine car.

Get the car straight now where its important....i.e. get rid of any rust & after that you can improve it as you can afford it.

www.minispares.com sell everything for minis.....well worth a few hours browsing and www.minidoors.co.uk sell reskinned doors and as far as i know post to Ireland.

In answer to your original question....€3,000 is probably on the ball considering the amount of work required.....of which i would guess there is minimum 100 hours labour required. D'ont forget to get a full scope of works stating exactly down to the last nitty gritty detail whats included in the price as this will keep the budget on track & prevent any arguments as to what is or is not included in the price.

My 2c worth!

F@ces

benny_cakes wrote: »

Honest opinion.....if the money is too much for you & if you have to borrow then be totally honest......is it really worth restoring it to this extent??????

Would you consider doing it as a work in progress i.e. doing what you can afford each year starting with the most important bits first.

Maybe this year get the urgent bits done
From looking at the photos...the urgent bits are the Passinger wing, front panel, A panels, doors, and right hand side drivers floor pan & a few bits of welding to the left rear sill......all common rust points on a mini & all the repair panels are available cheap.

And maybe next year get a full respray when you have saved up for it.

And 2 years time do something else to the car.

As someone who who has been around classic cars (and in particular minis) for a long time i can honestly say its all about enjoying the ownership & experience & not about having the most pristine car.

Get the car straight now where its important....i.e. get rid of any rust & after that you can improve it as you can afford it.

www.minispares.com sell everything for minis.....well worth a few hours browsing and www.minidoors.co.uk sell reskinned doors and as far as i know post to Ireland.

In answer to your original question....€3,000 is probably on the ball considering the amount of work required.....of which i would guess there is minimum 100 hours labour required. D'ont forget to get a full scope of works stating exactly down to the last nitty gritty detail whats included in the price as this will keep the budget on track & prevent any arguments as to what is or is not included in the price.

My 2c worth!

Great reply mate, thanks so much. Really appreciated. I think you are absolutely right - I'm trying to do too much all together. It's kind of "been put in my head", so to speak, and I need to just go back to basics and get done what needs to be done now. Cheers - food for thought.

Blue Punto

F@ces wrote: »

Great reply mate, thanks so much. Really appreciated. I think you are absolutely right - I'm trying to do too much all together. It's kind of "been put in my head", so to speak, and I need to just go back to basics and get done what needs to be done now. Cheers - food for thought.

Yup a bit at a time

Heres my money pit ive been doing for the last 2 years nearly
(for the 2nd time)

F@ces

Blue Punto wrote: »

Yup a bit at a time

Heres my money pit ive been doing for the last 2 years nearly
(for the 2nd time)

:cool:

That's the stobart mini? The one on miniresource?

Blue Punto

YUP

The very same:)

Bigus

That's good advice from benny cakes.

Also a yoke thats pristine is very hard to leave parked anywhere .

F@ces

Bigus wrote: »

That's good advice from benny cakes.

Also a yoke thats pristine is very hard to leave parked anywhere .

Fair point. I always find myself looking for spaces in a car park where nothing is parked around me :D

jimbobjones40

Hello F@ces,
if your interested and the Mini is in the Dublin area I'd be interested in giving you a quote.
I can send you some before and after rust repair pictures via email if you like or you can call over to my workshop to view some of the work in progress.
Regards,
Shane