Lovely rare Hillman Minx Convertible III ( Rapier Gazelle type ) Ready for use

Hillman Minx Convertible Series III 1600.  Original bill of sale and history from brand new.  3 previous ownersLast owner 8 years who's known the car for 20 years. Super drive and looks stunning but potential for subtle improvement particularly interior. boot and under bonnet.  Solid and pretty original underneath but would benefit from the odd wire brush and red oxide primer. Masses of potential. Kept in a heated garage. MOT'dThe colour is I think Pippin red and looks more red than in the photos
General good points. No immediate problems to stop you using and enjoying. Solid body.  Looks stunning.  Drives fantastically. Good mechanics.  Original number and much history.  Buy. drive and enjoy.  Tinker potential and great investment.  
General bad pointsSome little areas of scabbing under the paint for 20mm by 5mm under the windscreen corner.  Similar where the cill meets the rear wing . but this has been like this since I have owned it.  Heater by passed but comes with a new second hand one.  Under the bonnet is cosmetically poor with rust bits needing tlc.  Interior all there but front seats coming away at the corners but again usable if not pretty.  Front part of interior shabby. (a good clean would be a start or a re trim the make the interior would match the outside. )
HistoryThe first owner had the car from new until the mid 90-'s where it was sold by his widow.  He took it to the dealer till the day he died.  This went from Roots to Peugeot and there are thousands of pounds spent in the 1980's at the Peugeot dealer.  My friend. also a Roots nut got this special car.  He had  much work done including a bare metal re spray. Sadly he died in 2001 and I got if from his girlfriend  two or three years later.  I gently recommissioned the Minx which included all new brakes and the usual stuff.  I've done between 100 and 600 miles a year and love just having in in my garage.  Unfortunately I have other projects to do and this car needs to be enjoyed but gradually improved for the future.  
DrivingStrong engine with good brakes.  Nice ride and lovely gearbox.  Will cruise at 65 mph and will go 75-80 mph but sounds noisy and uncomfortable at that speed.  It doesn't stall at junctions. nor has flat spots. Pulls from 25mph in top but not under geared.  Very economical and always does 38mpg.  Always starts after winter hibernation.   Steering only a little heavy parking but fine on the move. Quite a tight feel for a convertible and a general quality feel.  Nice feel to the gearbox and smooth light clutch.  Really good handbrake. All the windows wind away with or without the hood down and a half way "Coupe De Ville" position.  
Engine and transmission.  1600 Engine reconditioned by the dealer 15. 00 miles ago.  Strong oil pressure. no rattles and performs faultlessly.  Has similar performance as my 1500 rapier but without the fussiness of twin carbs that vexes me on my Rapier.  Pulls well and as it should.  You don't need to change down going  up hills.  Just needs a little choke from cold and can be pushed in after a mile.  Gearbox light. quiet and no cruches (unless you forget it has no syncro on first).  Back axle quiet and clutch light and smooth.  No slip.  
Brakes. steering and tyres.  I had much of the brakes renewed and pretty much are reliable.  Sometimes they're a little sticky after the winter lay up but usually free them self off.  They are pretty good for a car of that generation but not as powerful as my series II Rapier.  A strong shove of the pedal causes good retardation of the car. I have used both some oldish cross plies with flaps and some new Vredestein classic sport 155 X 15 tyres also with flaps (white walls) from my Rapier.  It drives horrible on cross plies but if the people bid over £3300 (and I hope they do!) for the car it will come with a the brand new Vredestien   refurbished wheels and whitewall flaps. It transforms the drive! (The original wheels are also refurbished). The steering passes the MOT and all I have done is the yearly grease.  Some of the rubber boots on the joints are a bit perished.  
Body I want to be an honest edayer!  It looks better than it is.  I don't know whether that is good or not.  It is basically solid bit there are a few scabby bits underneath that would benefit a rotary wire bush on an angle grinder and some red oxide primer underneath.   The paint shines and nothing has rusted through.  Look very hard and you can see the odd very small scab but over all good.  I'd guess its  a condition two body that looks like a condition one.  No serious rot though. The grill is a bit loose but much of the chrome around the windows and quarter lights is excellent. There is a little missing trim that goes around the rear light (see the tape protecting the corner of the trim on the o/s rear wing) and across the back above the rear bumper but this is not convertible specific and shouldn't be hard to locate.  The heater is bypassed and a spare one is supplied with the car.  It could be part of the engine compartment refurb.  This would greatly enhance the car. The boot compartment is also a little shabby and a good clean would be a start.  Keeping this Minx in a heated garage seems to have preserved this car.  
Interior and HoodAll complete. rear seat a bit of stitching coming a drift.  Front door cards poor.  Front seats odd splits but it's been like that all the time I've known it and the colour a bit faded.  Dash is all fine.  Hood is good and replaced at some time but the rear window is a bit clouded.  Goes up and down as it should but the cover that goes over the retracted hood is missing.  It does make the car look tidy with the hood down.  The grips/press-studs are all there though and I'm sure the club would supply one.   ConclusionI have tried to be honest but this is an old lady of a car.  It has been totally reliable for me and a gentle progression of work could see this as a stunning car and great investment.  Plus many smiles per miles and fun maintaining/restoring it.  The original number of course goes with it.  Even though it may be worth a couple of thousand I'd hope it stays with the car but  more importantly the new owners should keep the body in good shape.  I haven't advertised it elsewhere and will not be withdrawing it from ebay.  It will sell but I will not end the auction early! Please don't ask. you may win the car cheaper by bidding!  So please bid to buy and good luck.  If you want to view let me know but I will not accept bids off e bay. and if you bid. please bid to buy and if you win don't tyre kick when you come.  You have the opportunity to view before hand! £200 deposit within 24hours of the end of the auction and low feedback people please contact me.  Many thanks. and good luck.  It really is a special car.  

On 11-Aug-13 at 11:25:53 BST. seller added the following information:

I don't think the fuel gauge is accurate. I put in £20 and I think it read lower. Also please read what I said about the bad bits of the car. The interior is tatty. particularly the front seats and the underbody is definitely condition 2 as I stated before. To clarify this last statement the car is solid but some repairs seem more like MOT patches than true restoration and there are some bits of loose undersell with scabby bare metal. Me keeping it always in a heated garage has preserved it and nothing rusty has progressed through the paint. Many repairs are documented in the receipts that go with the car. It does look lovely and has a wonderful history. great to drive but don't let the paintwork shine make you think it looks like that underneath. Though with some gentle resto you can get it up to scratch and have great potential plus nothing that needs doing that means it has to be off the road. Mint examples are really fetching good amounts and this is only enhanced by the history and original number. Good bidding!

On 12-Aug-13 at 23:38:06 BST. seller added the following information:

I have looked at the Minx today. I have found the Tonneau cover. It is attached to the back of the rear seat! And I was wrong about the rear seat too. It's perfect but very very slightly faded. All the internal trim is complete too. The rear floors are solid and under the glue you can see bits of red and some bits of rusty bits but not through. just needing a wire brush. The fronts floors look repaired. Solid but not so pretty. You don't see it with the carpets down. Lol. Front seat is poor. I have tried to upload a photo. I've also tried to upload one of the original bills of sale but there is also a Roots order form. There are over 200 receipts. The ones from the Peugeot/Citroen dealer in the 80's (I presume they took over from Chrysler who took over from Roots) amount to over £2. 00. Rare to have a car built in 1962 with full dealer history up to the 90's! Please remember as the bidding is getting higher that this is a condition 2 car with special aspects. I. e. Looks great. original trim. valuable number. drives super. great running gear. To those three bidders who seem very keen in owning the Minx; I'm sure one of you will win it. It is a lovely car. A front seat re trim. a few bits and bobs of tidying and maybe some improved body repairs underneath would see this a condition 1 car. Unlike the Attractive White Mk Minx that has just sold for over 6K the series Minx can be used in modern traffic and looks less dumpy and more stylish. I think they have a slightly higher value. What I'm saying is address these issues I've mentioned and it will be totally super. But just also be aware the photos are very complementary. I'm not trying to down sell it but just want people to be really happy with it as I have. Anyhow on friday I'm not at work and I'm going to take loads of photos of the engine. boot and underneath. Happy bidding I hope win an appreciating great car with potential.

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