1969 Morris Minor 4 Door Saloon from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing yet (I've only had this particular one for 3 months).

These cars are cheap to run if you are capable of doing your own maintenance but expensive if you have to rely on outside specialists. They are particularly prone to rusting floorpans and to get this completely replaced (which avoids costly repairs in the future) costs around £2000 at a Minor specialist. It is false economy to have the floor repaired at a normal garage as in my experience of several over the years, the repairs are never carried out properly and usually need re-doing in a few years. If buying a Morris Minor, check that the floor has drain holes underneath. If it hasn't, it usually means its been patch repaired and will eventually rot from the inside out.

A largely accurate review of this great classic car, but a few points need an alternative viewpoint. I certainly don't agree that Minor floorpans are prone to rusting compared to other contemporary cars. Far from it - all cars made of steel will rust if not cleaned & repainted frequently. Most of the alternative economy saloons from the 1950s & 60s were scrapped due to rust a long time ago - for instance how many Austin 1100/1300s are seen today on Britain's roads? Fact: Minors were considerably over engineered and many survived 30-40 years before any serious welding was necessary. A number of the cars are now off the road as a result of tinworm, but professional repairs are cost-effective if you intend to run the car for another 10-15 years. Patches with drainage holes and waxoyl can also work well for those with less money to spend.

£2000 is way too high for a floor replacement. Shop around -at least one specialist currently quotes £1000 to do this. DIY is another option, the panels costing less than £300.

Most mechanical parts are very cheap and easy to obtain unless you have a pre 1956 model. Only a few of the outer body panels are a bit high in price (£60-£75) for a common British classic.

I was surprised by your comments on Minors rusting , well every car rusts unless it's made of plastic or glass fiber , parts are very cheap too and nearly everything is available , early front wings I believe are not available anymore tough glassfibre ones exist. They are cheap to run I believe a service kit is less than £15. I only wish there was a car like it in the present day! I own 3 Minors and am thinking of getting 2 more pick-ups as they are very good work horses!