1955 Morris Minor Convertible

This is an incredibly rust-free clean 1955 Morris Minor Convertible. During the warm season it is driven two or three times a week for the 30 minute commute to and from the owner's office in Providence . RI. The original 803 cc engine was swapped out two owners ago for the larger 1098 engine. which was reportedly rebuilt and dropped in about 11 years ago. The paint was re-sprayed at the same time and has held up well. The previous owner said that Minors in this color are rumored to have never suffered the rust common to this model. and this example certainly bears that out. There is a spot on the bonnet that appears to have been touched up at some point. but otherwise the paint is in very good shape for a 10+ year re-spray. The engine compartment is really very clean. and the interior—probably done at the same time—is fine; arguably not as nice as the rest of the car. but no rips or tears and generally in good shape. The original trafficators are fully operational. although they do stick once in a while.

All of this having been said. the best thing about this car is the undercarriage. It's beautiful. A local (Rhode Island) British car restoration expert. upon seeing the car for the first time. said. “…this is one of the nicest Minors I've seen in a while. ” Then he put the car up on a lift and said. “this is one of the nicest Minors I've ever seen. ” Finally he said. “you could put $10K into this car to make it absolutely perfect. but since the car is 80% there. why would you. ” Translated. that means that this car wears a 10+ year restoration very well. but it's still a 10+ year restoration. There are a handful of minor blemishes: a few very small body panel dings that you can see when the light is right; very small areas where the chrome is a little tired—a few other little things—but they are all small. Mechanically. there are no issues. The rear end was replaced this summer. as were the rear brakes and lines. Vacuum advance wipers are really slow early on. but good enough to pass a stringent Rhode Island inspection last year. The only real bummer about the car is that at the time of the restoration. a previous owner put tail light assemblies from a 70s era Minor on the rear fenders. Most people would never notice. but for those who know this car. it's blasphemous. They should be returned to their original tail lights. which were about the size of a half dollar rather than the size of a quarter pounder.

Full disclosure: The car was seen by a renowned Morris Minor enthusiast some months ago. and after a 90-minute review he determined that the car began as a hardtop and was modified to a convertible many years ago—apparently a fairly common practice. The aforementioned restoration expert. upon hearing this. inspected the car and could not tell. The structural components of the MM Tourer (convertible). are all in place in this car—there is absolutely no visible distinction between this and an original. If you are an absolute purist. then this is not the car for you. Otherwise. it's a really sweet car. I have set a lower reserve to reflect this modification.

Payment due via PayPal within 48 hours of end of auction. Car may be viewed locally. and I can assist with shipping arrangements—cost of shipping the responsibility of the buyer.

Also published at eBay.com

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