1969 Austin Mini Cooper

Let us turn the clock back to 2008. The son of our seller owned an old Mini and needed some parts. Father and son sallied forth to parts specialists Just Minis in Essex, list in hand.

Son purchased what he needed, whilst our seller was drawn to a beautifully restored Mini Cooper taking pride of place in the shop. It was for sale and after a bit of negotiation, the deal was done. An expensive day out!

Just Minis had restored the car around 2004/2005, the basis of which was a brand-new shell. As many original parts as possible were reused, but of course the restorer had access to all the new parts that were needed.

The engine and gearbox were both rebuilt, and we gather the motor now produces around 75bhp.

Our seller had intended to use the Cooper for some summer fun, taking it to car shows etc, but somehow with a busy work and family life this never happened.

The car has therefore only ventured out once a year for a short drive to the MoT station, before being cocooned away again for another year.

Our seller has now realised that this is likely to continue and so has decided to let someone else take over custodianship of the cool Cooper.

It should be born in mind, that since the car’s rebuild, it has covered just a few hundred miles. So, an intriguing opportunity to acquire an iconic Mini.

With the Mini being fully restored with a brand-new shell, it comes as no surprise that the car’s bodywork is in excellent condition. Shut lines are neat and even, well as good as can be with a car of this era.

The red paintwork positively gleams, having had little or no exposure to sunlight since the restoration was finished all those years ago. The paint sprayer was clearly a craftsman, and we can find little to criticise. The black roof contrasts rather nicely.

The chrome is in excellent condition too, being either replaced or replated we guess.

Minilite wheels are fitted, completing the look rather nicely and these appear to be unmarked. Each is fitted with a premium Yokohama A-008 tyre with maximum tread. That said, older tyres do deteriorate with age, so perhaps the new owner might want to start again before using the car properly, if that is the intention.

In our quest to find something amiss, we do not that the windscreen rubber surround in somewhat perished and could do with replacing. To the back, the rubber is better but the fastidious might wish to change this too, along with the slightly marked chrome surround.

The Mini comes with a car cover, which has always been fitted when the car has been stored, clearly helping to maintain the overall tip-top condition.

The Cooper retains its original back seats and we note the seat cushion fabric is rather ruckled. A competent trimmer should be able to sort his out quite easily, the material itself looking to be in good order.

Up front, a pair of fabric sports seats have been fitted and are in good condition. Carpets look as new and up front have been protected by floors mats.

The simple central mounted dash houses the speedometer and basic gauges. All you really need and no more!

The controls are all very delicate, from the spindly gearstick sprouting from the floor to the dainty indicator stalk on the steering column. A Mini Cooper steering wheel has been fitted, though some may wish to find something a little more period.

Look up and the cream headlining has been replaced and is in good order as one would expect.

The boot is sound, though the boot floor could do with a clean. The boot carpet is neat and tidy. A matching Minilite spare wheel and tyre are present too.

We do note the black protective covering on the boot lid is scratched and the boot rubber itself does show its age in places.

We always include lots of pictures of a car’s underside and that is most certainly the case here. Pause a while and admire!

It is readily apparent that the car has covered few road miles since its restoration and has clearly never been out in the wet. Clean, tidy and with evidence of new parts easy to see. Marvellous!

The engine compartment is equally impressive, with no signs of anything untoward. All we can spot are a couple of rusty nuts!

We are told that the engine was completely rebuilt, along with the gearbox. With the battery fully charged, our seller reports that the Mini always fires up easily, even when it has been left idle for quite some time.

From our brief drive for photographs, we do get the feeling that the clutch might need replacing sometime soon, but of course regular use may improve the situation.

We should also report that the track rod end does need replacing, as this was picked up at the last MoT and has yet to be done.

The car is of course classified as a historic vehicle, so can still be legally driven to get the work carried out.

The Mini comes with a raft of MoT certificates which helps to authenticate the car’s modest mileage since its restoration in the mid-2000s.

There are some invoices from the restoration, included in our picture section.

Other that the annual testing, our seller has not needed to do much to the car, as it was more or less unused.

We do note that in 2016, our seller did spend £726.47 having the brakes overhauled. The year before the fuel was drained and replaced and the car set up on a rolling road.

For your information, the original parts used in the rebuild were:

• Glass
• Back seat
• Doors
• Dash and dials
• Boot lid
• Engine
• Gearbox
• Sub-frame
• Radius arms
• Cooper S disc brakes and callipers

The engine was rebuilt and enlarged by 30cc to 1028. It can now safely run on unleaded fuel, we gather. The gearbox was rebuilt too as were the carburettors.

Everything else was fully reconditioned or replaced.

A classic Mini Cooper, presented in great condition having been a lady of leisure since her full restoration many years ago. Our seller has gone to great lengths to ensure she has been properly protected during her considerable downtime.

With a few small jobs attended to, this Mini is all set for exciting new adventures and our seller sincerely hopes that the new owner will use her as her maker intended. We do too.

We expect the classy, classic Cooper to sell for between £15,000 and £20,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’