a Nippy project needs a caring new owner

[Duncan Grimmond]

Unless I'm mistaken the boot lid and rear wings seem to be rusty steel rather than degraded aluminium?

[Greig Smith]

The front and rear wings on a Type "65" were always steel as was the bonnet. The rest of the body should be aluminum. Our '33 is like this. The "65" doesn't have the parking lights on top of the front wings.

Since I'm here, I'm in the market for an early sports crank case with the 'pockets' for the 1.5" crank and the solid mounted feet.... Ours was long gone before Dad bought the car 45 years ago. I know I can grind out the required clearance on a standard crank case, but I thought I'd just throw a line into the water where "65" / Nippy affecianado's are gathered....

Ciao
Greig

Sunny South Africa

[Albert S]

Albert - did you notice the "To restore or to build an Ulster on the perfect chassis". It would be very sad if either of these registered Nippies got split.

The sad thing is that that green 65 was running well until its restoration was paused, but its got an original 65 crankcase engine and its now only just over 8000 quid for the whole darn thing  - its been sitting on the market for ages. Tony B has eloquently posted elsewhere on the economics of it all unless it is a labour of love where someone can do the work themselves to get a solid body... and a bulletproof engine to protect the crankcase.

Would the green one have sold if it were over here and be more easily viewable, I wonder.

Good Morning Jon..
Judging by the price the last Nippy harvested at Brightwells recently I've no doubt the 65 would sell at something approaching the asking were it on these shores..although a 700 mile round trip in my Jeep with trailer at 15mpg plus Tunnel/ferry fees has its own hidden costs.
The car looks to have been party of the largest of tradgedys, being moved from the place of disassembly to the trader, no doubt loosing a percentage of parts.
Tony's point is well valid re. costs but sadly that's the butt of a double edge sword. The  Seven has been the cornerstone of affordable vintage motoring for many years,starting many on the road to the old car movement  as they are so affordable,unfortunately that quality has the negative effect of being open to abuse or parts being cannibalised from restorable cars.
Until prices rise in step with the present market it's a sad,unfortunate truth that affordability works  against the restorer.
A Nippy for £15000.. 850 Minis and Ford Escorts are approaching that !!!

[Tony Betts]

Duncan the type 65 is aluminium bodied.

I disagree with some of the views I am afraid, old car ownership and restoration is not about making money and part of the problem we face with cars being destroyed is because people look at how they can maximise profit from an unrestored car. Many, many cars still exist today simply because someone had the desire to ensure its survival rather than look at its scrap value, and yes that includes parting it out.  

I own an RM saloon, it is the earliest survivor in existence, it is still registered and was dismantled by a previous owner. Now if I stick an Ulster body on it, ship and it to the UK I will make a heck of lot of money out of it, if I restore it back to its original condition and sell it here I doubt I would break even, and thats with me having the skills to carry out all of the work myself. Looking at it form a commercial point of view it is a no brainer, looking at it as an A7 enthusiast it is morally corrupt to destroy it. If the right person came along, somebody I could TRUST to rebuild the car not destroy it, they could have it for what it cost me....not much. Otherwise it will sit and wait quietly for its day.

Hi IAN,

Are they my points you don't agree with by chance

[Ian Williams]

With the greatest of respect Tony on this occasion yes it is largely your point of view I disagree with. I completely understand your position from a commercial point of view, however 99% of us are not running a business so restoration is not a commercial enterprise. I believe there is a place for dealers of second hand parts, people such as yourself provide a valuable service on many levels, particularly in reproducing new components. Now I am sure you are not in business to do this, but if you were to purchase either of the two Nippy's disused here in order to break them for parts simply to make money I would be extremely hostile toward you as I am sure would almost everyone else. Leave them for the enthusiast to restore who will not worry so much about commercial considerations such as resale value.

[Tony Betts]

I'm in favour every time of these cars being restored to there original form.

hi ian,

i have noticed you being more and more hostile to my replies on verious threads.

i think you need to read things a little more closley.

in NO WAY have i suggested that a dealer like myself or any other should strip these cars. or even AS YOU suggest make them into ulsters.

there are plenty of those companies on ebay that never get as much attension from you.

READ MY QUOTE ON MYSELF ABOVE. from this thread

i know im not the most elequent wordsmith, but please dont make things up that are not there. this sort of behaviour from the trolls on the old forum stopped many good suppliers of austin 7  knowledge from joining in. and they havent come back to the new forum yet.

dont forget i am also an owner of 8 austin 7s myself, most have been rescued from there fete.

please do NOT try to portray me as just a dealer who breaks cars, WHEN YOU DONT KNOW THE TRUTH.

tony.

ps; does anyone know the asking price for the red nippy.

[Reckless Rat]

[JonE]

Tony  - I don't think there is an asking price, just that owner was pointed out the goalposts "set" by 1. other project cars, and 2. a two letter 4 number registered sports chassis and perhaps 95% of parts (admittedly, not proven Nippy engine parts yet) having a base line value. I personally think that's more than the 3k you mention - but perhaps to those who aren't dealers, just because things like ebay have seen similar going through at 5 to people wanting to start that laborious restoration and part finding process on something a bit more rare?

I agree with your point that, whole, restored, cars are a darn sight better value if you value your time and have the wonga to use... but a lot of us are learning all this as we go along, and inevitably, make things happen through a huge commitment of voluntary time and buying lots of little essential stuff (that never gets properly added to lists)!

Perhaps clubs could have a role in this sort of thing like the green 65 or this red car? (or perhaps they already do) A lot of resources go to printing things which don't really warrant printing in the grander scheme of things (i.e. social stuff which could be done at an even more local level). Could funds be better used, with a small consortia of interested parties, to take occasional cars from 'endangered' to 'just on the road' before being put onto the market with just base costs added on? Would that be a better thing for posterity?

[Tony Betts]

now now reckers

glass houses

[JonE]

I see the red one has now appeared on ebay with a particularly poor, uninformative advert....
Ah well, this will at least be "interesting".
If anyone is the slightest bit interested I'd still just make contact as I could quite see this getting pulled or changed if they get an offer.
I've removed the direct contact in the Nippy Archive post as I don't want to be sulliied by circumventing an auction just being used to drum up contacts!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-7-Nipp...3195629737?