SV Minor for GBP 1,000

[Ian Grace]

http://www.classic-car-mart.co.uk/adver ... &keywords=

Looks like a cut-down '33 season saloon, but registered 1934 in Somerset. How many more are in a similar perilous state, and won't be around in another ten years?

Toby, do you want to chase down the chassis number with the vendor, and see what else you can find out?

[Toby]

Ian, this looks like a better buy at a grand than whatever the ebay one has reached? Looks liken it could be quite complete to me, certainly more original and complete than the car I bought off Gideon for more! If only I had the time and money....

[ashford]

I remember seeing this car for sale several months ago in either classic car weekly or classic car mart. I phoned it but it had soon the same day the advert was published. I've just phoned it again to double check just in case it was back on the market but it has definately sold back in August. The owner has told the magazine but they continue to publish the advert.
However it would be interesting to find the new owner for the clubs chassis / register details and see if they may become a member. The chap who sold the car is a member of the post war morris minor club but didn't know about the VMR.

[ashford]

There are two phone numbers on the advert. I think the one at the bottom may be a premium rate number put on by the magazine. If this is the case, the magazine will probably make money from this which may explain why the advert hasn't been removed!

[Ian Grace]

Since the forum is quiet this weekend, here's some food for thought. I just e-mailed the vendor of this car to ask for more photos and the chassis number. It seems to me that it would be a great first-time project for someone. Forgetting the cut-down saloon body which would be virtually useless, you would get a mechanically complete Minor, with bonnet and wings, plus door lock, floor pan, etc., etc. - and all for a very reasonable price.

This got me thinking that the show-stopper for so many SV Minor restorations is probably the lack of a body. The simplest (original style) body to fit would be a Hundred Pound 2-seater body - or the equivalent rear tank '32/'33 season versions. It would be interesting to see if we could produce a batch of perhaps a dozen of these at some point at a reasonable cost. We could also run off a batch of the very simple one-piece screens, and the seats are simple bench spring units. You would also need wings, hood frame and sidescreens, etc., so the exercise wouldn't be super-cheap, but then good restored open SV cars do seem to be getting reasonable prices these days, and the supply of good open OHC Minors is very tight. I made a Hundred Pound body about 25 years ago (for John Earthrowl - anyone remember him?), and it was FAR simpler to make than the Semi-sports body. For many SV Minors (and many rotten saloons), I think this would be the only chance of getting back on the road (except for Toby's CMS body, of course!).

Does anyone have any half descent SV 2-seater patterns?

[Toby]

you probably guessed this, but, I have the remains of a 2 seater but it's far from complete. It's on my list to sell once (if!) the cms sells. It comes after the ex Roland Smith, Morris motors employees minor/8 special! Don't talk to me about windscreens. Grrrrrrrrr Have emailed the vendor.