1977 Leyland Mini 1000

The vendor for this 1977 Leyland Mini 1000 has been the custodian since September 2020. The Mini has seen quite a lot of its parts replaced over the years, dating back to the mid-80s. Our vendor purchased the vehicle from a mechanic who had owned it for several years and he was the person who carried out the last restoration around 2017. Being a mechanic, the owner at the time has ensured everything was in order, and if it wasn't, it was soon put right. As a result, the car has received quite a lot of work over the years, which is clear to be seen in the masses of paperwork that have been saved with the car, which ranges from suspension parts, brake parts, gearbox and engine parts to body panels. There doesn’t appear to be much that hasn’t been replaced at some point in its life.

Finished in Red, the Mini has been repainted prior to the vendor getting the car. There is some surface rust dotted about near the roof gutters, and there is some micro blistering to some of the panels, which can be seen in the images.

At the front, the bonnet aligns well with the wings and grille. The chrome work at the front for the lights, bumper and grille surround is in good order with no noticeable signs of any tarnishing, and there are no chips to the indicators or headlights. Further up, the windscreen and seal were replaced a few years ago, so there are no signs of perishing to the seal, and the screen has no chips.

Looking down the side of the Leyland Mini, there are no dings to point out, and the car looks nice and straight with the doors aligning level. The chrome continues with a strip running over both wheel arches and sills; this is in good condition, as are the window trim surrounds and door mirror. Pop-out quarter windows for that extra ventilation open and close as they should.

The bumper is in good order to the rear, again like the front, as are the light lenses, rear screen and window rubber. The 10” wheels are the factory steel wheels with a chrome trim fitted, which are in good condition. The tyres are generally in good order with a good amount of tread remaining apart from the front passenger side, which has worn on the outside edge, possibly a tracking issue.

Inside, the Mini has been treated to having new covers fitted to the seats, which are in excellent condition both to the front and rear. The door cards are also matching and in the same condition. Sitting in the driver’s seat, there has been a three-spoke steering wheel fitted which is in good condition and shows no signs of wear.

As you know, the Mini dashboard is quite minimal, with the instrument cluster holding the temperature, oil pressure gauges and the odometer, which has a reading of 13,620 miles. Just below, the switches are in good order and working as they should. The seller has fitted a centre console which now holds a Pioneer touch screen head-unit that features DAB radio and the ability to connect to your phone for sat nav and music streaming.

The carpets are in good order with no apparent signs of any wear to mention, and up above, the headlining is in place with no sagging. In the boot, there is the spare wheel, jack and wheel brace covered with a false floor that matches the covered fuel tank and panel to the right.

The 998cc Mini engine has been well cared for; as mentioned, the owner before our vendor was a mechanic. He took it upon himself to recondition the engine by replacing any items needing refurbishment. It didn’t stop there as he also rebuilt the gearbox, replacing some worn synchros, and obviously, whilst it was out, a clutch was fitted upon the rebuild. In addition, there has been new accelerator and choke cables fitted for a smooth operation.

The Mini starts up as it should with no untoward noises coming from the engine or transmission when the car is on the move. The Mini pulls well through the gears, and the change is as you would expect. The brakes have also been refurbished with new hoses, pipes and shoes. These bring the car to a halt in a straight line. Looking at the paperwork, the Mini had some work carried out to the floor pan and also to the sills.

Generally, the floor seems to be in good order, with just some small areas showing signs of some surface corrosion.

There is a vast collection of invoices present with the Mini, which document just what has been purchased for the car, and it’s safe to say you should get your drink of choice before sitting down to go through everything. Some of the invoices date back to the early 80s, and other items include the original Austin Morris Passport to service booklet which has a healthy number of stamps. There are some service record notes which were made in the late 80s, and a selection of previous MOT certificates.

The car is of the age where it is exempt from MoT, and the last one expired on the 22nd September 2021. When the test was carried out in 2021, it passed with no advisories, and the mileage was 13,249 miles, just shy of 400 ago.

With all the hard work done, this Mini is perfect and ready to be enjoyed as it is or taken to the next level. Mechanically, the vehicle has been treated well, it’s had a rebuilt engine and gearbox, and the brakes have been taken care of.

The underside is in good order thanks to new floor sections and sills. Any body panels needing replacement have been, so structurally, it should be good to go. The only thing you may like to do is repaint it to eliminate some of the micro blistering, but if not, that's also fine as it’s perfectly usable.

We estimate this British Leyland classic to fetch in the region of £7,000 - £11,000.

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’