1958 Hillman Minx - Barn find

Hello everyone

Sorry its not a VW... but its old and I think pretty cool.

Bit of a long story but here goes...

We had been in contact with a family member, who started talking about cars, and when brought up that I like cars, he mentioned a couple of cars in a barn, a HIllman Minx and a Morris Minor...

I always wanted a Morris Minor... so we went to take a look, and this is what we were faced with...


I had never noticed or seen a Hillman Minx so wasn't the car I went to see, but as soon as I seen that sight, I couldn't stay away. The Minor had very little looks and this obscure car suddenly became something I wanted to know more about, so we went to investigate...


Looking around the car was difficult, the front was pushed as close as possible to the wall, to create the most space, there was broken glass, luckily not from the car, but from something else, the floor had a couple of inches of leaves and dust just coating the place and having to work around the birds that had flown in and died... not particularly fun. But we could get around most of it...


We had no way of telling whether the engine was seized or what was left, it was rather dark and couldn't reach the engine bay. But we managed to break our way into the car and take a look inside... a very fousty smell met us, but we continued to look, checking the mileage which was low at 25ish thousand, proven to be true by the documents in the car, it also came with 1930s maps and some old manuals. It also has a quirky little notepad with drivers notes...


We had then searched this car as much as we could, not wanting to seem too keen we decided to leave it at that, unsure of whether the cars were actually for sale, and with no idea of the price we went home, and having had several phone calls to the family friend and a long discussion... we knew we wanted the car... but were unsure they wanted to get rid of it... it had been there for almost 25 years... and there was sentimental value there...

and then we waited...

Sounds cool, did you buy it or what?

... so almost 2 months passed with very little conversations between the current owners and myself... at which point I thought I'd pay a visit, the cars were indeed for sale and for a sum of.... well he didn't know... wanted to talk to his son, which is fair enough, so we waited another two weeks... seemed to be forever, but eventually we got a call...

...the car could be mine for around £300... we went for another look, with the intention of paying, so the V5 was filled out and the money crossed hands, leaving me with some smelly old paperwork, no keys, and a car which might not run and might be so seized, its worth nothing more than scrap, we hadn't been able to take a look at the front but the back looked solid...

I had no way of getting it home, but knew I wanted it out ASAP... before he changed his mind... so we took on the task of freeing the wheels, plenty of brake cleaner and a hammer, and a gas camping light for a small amount of light... just enough to see what we were doing...

... then with all free wheels free and the car rocking back and forth... a small amount, we needed the MR2 out the way... so organised for it to be moved and for us to pick it up... frantically trying to find a way of getting back to the garage we needed a trailer...

I called a friend who thankfully had access to a transit and a trailer... no idea what the trailer was like... but it was a trailer... didnt matter to me... just needed it out. so a summers day after work he picked me up, and we headed for his work in search of what I thought was a car trailer... it turned out to be a plant trailer... mini digger sized... but undeterred we hooked it up and took a short drive... met by a few others for some help, we took to pushing the car outside... first sunlight in approximately 25 years...


We noticed the front was not as pristine as the back, but we carried on, it wasn't too bad. so we loaded it up... took a couple car ramps to make it fit... chained it down and drove back up the driveway... photos being taken by all, including previous owners of this car on a trailer, first drive along the roads and you could see people pointing... I'm rather excited by this point and cant wait to get it to the unit...

At this point I realised that my unit doesn't have easy access... its on a narrow lane, then up a small driveway and into my garage/unit... so after a little manoeuvring blocking the lane for about 10 minutes, we finally got it up and reversed down the drive...


my garage has a door which is rather low.... its 144cm... the Minx is about 155cm this isn't going to fit... but never one to give up... we called in the troops, with several people stood in the boot... letting some air out of the tyres, and putting a couple bags of sand in the car... it was in... only just but it was in...


this was all a little too much for me and by this time it was getting later, we called it a day...

You need to sort some pics

WHS ^^^^^

As soon as I have been here 7 days I shall provide several photos

mattmk1 wrote:

As soon as I have been here 7 days I shall provide several photos

Several days........ I think you Need banning......SCOOP'S

The next boggling thing was the exhaust the only one that anyone still manufactures is a stainless exhaust for £300 ! ! !

So we search the local scrappy for something similar, nothing of the right shape... so undeterred the welding mask goes on and it get welded... but how to test without fitting to the car..

...this is the exhaust testing machine... made of a scaffold bar, a mini downpipe, a hoover, a reel of electrical tape, 2 empty tins and an old wheel...


It worked and the exhaust was fixed and returned to the car...

Right now the tires being sat for 25 years... hasnt done them any good... so I needed some new ones... they are 15 5.60's or 155 80 15's in new money...

the wheels are ford fitment but so far nothing has worked they need to be narrow... 4" roughly...

found these in the garage and gave it a whirl... far too wide (think they are 205wide 16's or something similar)


then some fiesta wheels (too small)


The tape is to see whether it would leave the garage...

So what is the script with the minor? Still there? For sale?

clockwork wrote:

So what is the script with the minor? Still there? For sale?

chances are it is there, his son was going to restore one of them, but never seemed to get round to it, we will pop back soon to show the chap the progress will have to take a peek

Is the thing under the tarp a mk1 mr2?