Make: Austin/Morris
Model : Maxi 2 1750HL
Transmission : Manual
Year: 1981
Power: 60 BHP
Mileage: 145,500 (but expect it to go up as it is still in use for the next week)
Previous Owners : 4
Tax: None
MOT: October 2012
Location: Tiverton, East Devon.
Price : £500
For sale is my Austin maxi 2 HL in Russet Brown.
This piece of history has been my daily driver for the past 2 months, and would still be had the insurance quote on a Ford Sierra 2.0 been so low it was irresistible. It has been completely reliable, and has not broken down on me once.
The story behind this car is quite an odd one, it was originally owned by someone who covered some considerable mileage in it, I have a note to say that both the engine and gearbox were changed in March 1983 at 88900 miles. This was when the current BL gold seal engine was installed and it still runs really well. At some point, presumably in the late 80s it was sold and clocked up a few more miles before it was sold again in the early 90s to an old lady who did very few miles in it. When she gave up driving in 2002 it was parked up in a dry barn where it was left for 9 years, until this year when a scrap dealer pulled it out with the intention of turning it into a cube. After seeing how good it was, his conscience got the better of him and it was sold to me as a non-runner. A quick wash and she looked 1000 times better.
After changing the spark plugs, HT leads, rotor arm, condenser, points, distributor cap and a new battery, she fired into life on 9 year old petrol and ran quite happily. I then changed most of the solid brake pipes, got one new front calliper and rebuilt the other and changed the fluid, along with a small piece of welding on the drivers rear arch and she passed the MOT second time – after it failed the first on the head lamps not working, it turned out I had disconnected the switch and forgot to re-connect it.
During this time I also made a couple of modifications. First came the front spoiler, which is from a mk1 Golf (not the GTi) and makes the maxi look far more rakish. Second was the spot lamps which can be included as an ‘optional extra’ for £45. This will include the little mounting brackets. Third, and possibly most importantly is the roof. I will let the roof speak for itself.
The roof has been painted in Harvest Gold and Champagne Beige. It really is a symphony of all that was great about British Leyland
The Maxi also has a range of useful applications. Here it is being a double bed:
This also shows how tidy the interior is. The seats are not ripped and the sumptuous beige upholstery is not faded. The walnut veneer is still as fresh as when it came from the forest, splinters and all. More importantly, everything in here works.
The boot is also pretty cavernous, especially with the rear seats folded down, in addition to this there are two good sized storage areas under the rear seat. This car literally could not be more practical.
Structurally the car is pretty much in pristine order. The floors are damned near mint and the sub frames and sub frame mounts are pretty much pristine. The roof is good and so is the bonnet and boot lid. It has almost new winter tyres ‘Bridgestone Blizzak’ to be precise which have done maybe 500-1000 miles. It has also lowered itself over the years, where the hydragas suspension (which is all working as it should) has sunk. I did mean to get it pumped up, but to be honest I liked the way it looked low, so I left it. The oil and filter was changed about 150 miles ago.
However it isn’t all flowers and kittens. The Maxi is suffering from some cosmetic rust. This is mostly confined to the door bottoms. Both rear doors and the passenger front door are rotten at the bottom, you may be able to repair them, I always meant to but never got round to it. Also the driver’s side front wing is looking a bit worse for wear, with holes on the front bottom corner and where a bracket for the fresh air vent tube did attach to it, this will probably require a new one if you are going for a concourse finish, otherise and quick pacth and some rust converter would do the trick. All the rust is cosmetic though, it has 10 months MOT and good mechanicals. If you want new doors and a wing then I can give you the phone number of someone who should be able to supply them for you, he might even have them in the right colour. I was meaning to buy them from him in the New Year, I think he quoted me between £30-£40 each for the doors.
There is also some brake judder when braking from high speed, I think one of the front discs might be slightly warped, but it does not affect braking performance. Maxi parts are still available from motor factors for cheap. It comes with a Haynes Manual and original BL workshop Manual.
In the few months I have owned it, I have become quite attached to this brown lump of a car. I will miss the way that when driving through town, almost everyone stops and stares. I will miss the way that I always get let out of side turnings and the fantastic feeling of driving something so different to the everyday commuter traffic and yet it does it perfectly happily. The nice easy clutch makes it good in town and the high gearing makes it quiet and refined on the motorway. And with winter coming, the winter tyres, skinny wheels and safe front wheel drive will make it almost unstoppable.
Don’t let this car, which has far outlasted the company that built it go to the banger track or scrap.
I will try and get some updated pictures as soon as I can, showing all the good aspects and the bad few.
Priced for a quick sale, simply as I need the space: £500ono
EDIT: PRICE DROPPED TO £460
Model : Maxi 2 1750HL
Transmission : Manual
Year: 1981
Power: 60 BHP
Mileage: 145,500 (but expect it to go up as it is still in use for the next week)
Previous Owners : 4
Tax: None
MOT: October 2012
Location: Tiverton, East Devon.
Price : £500
For sale is my Austin maxi 2 HL in Russet Brown.
This piece of history has been my daily driver for the past 2 months, and would still be had the insurance quote on a Ford Sierra 2.0 been so low it was irresistible. It has been completely reliable, and has not broken down on me once.
The story behind this car is quite an odd one, it was originally owned by someone who covered some considerable mileage in it, I have a note to say that both the engine and gearbox were changed in March 1983 at 88900 miles. This was when the current BL gold seal engine was installed and it still runs really well. At some point, presumably in the late 80s it was sold and clocked up a few more miles before it was sold again in the early 90s to an old lady who did very few miles in it. When she gave up driving in 2002 it was parked up in a dry barn where it was left for 9 years, until this year when a scrap dealer pulled it out with the intention of turning it into a cube. After seeing how good it was, his conscience got the better of him and it was sold to me as a non-runner. A quick wash and she looked 1000 times better.
After changing the spark plugs, HT leads, rotor arm, condenser, points, distributor cap and a new battery, she fired into life on 9 year old petrol and ran quite happily. I then changed most of the solid brake pipes, got one new front calliper and rebuilt the other and changed the fluid, along with a small piece of welding on the drivers rear arch and she passed the MOT second time – after it failed the first on the head lamps not working, it turned out I had disconnected the switch and forgot to re-connect it.
During this time I also made a couple of modifications. First came the front spoiler, which is from a mk1 Golf (not the GTi) and makes the maxi look far more rakish. Second was the spot lamps which can be included as an ‘optional extra’ for £45. This will include the little mounting brackets. Third, and possibly most importantly is the roof. I will let the roof speak for itself.
The roof has been painted in Harvest Gold and Champagne Beige. It really is a symphony of all that was great about British Leyland
The Maxi also has a range of useful applications. Here it is being a double bed:
This also shows how tidy the interior is. The seats are not ripped and the sumptuous beige upholstery is not faded. The walnut veneer is still as fresh as when it came from the forest, splinters and all. More importantly, everything in here works.
The boot is also pretty cavernous, especially with the rear seats folded down, in addition to this there are two good sized storage areas under the rear seat. This car literally could not be more practical.
Structurally the car is pretty much in pristine order. The floors are damned near mint and the sub frames and sub frame mounts are pretty much pristine. The roof is good and so is the bonnet and boot lid. It has almost new winter tyres ‘Bridgestone Blizzak’ to be precise which have done maybe 500-1000 miles. It has also lowered itself over the years, where the hydragas suspension (which is all working as it should) has sunk. I did mean to get it pumped up, but to be honest I liked the way it looked low, so I left it. The oil and filter was changed about 150 miles ago.
However it isn’t all flowers and kittens. The Maxi is suffering from some cosmetic rust. This is mostly confined to the door bottoms. Both rear doors and the passenger front door are rotten at the bottom, you may be able to repair them, I always meant to but never got round to it. Also the driver’s side front wing is looking a bit worse for wear, with holes on the front bottom corner and where a bracket for the fresh air vent tube did attach to it, this will probably require a new one if you are going for a concourse finish, otherise and quick pacth and some rust converter would do the trick. All the rust is cosmetic though, it has 10 months MOT and good mechanicals. If you want new doors and a wing then I can give you the phone number of someone who should be able to supply them for you, he might even have them in the right colour. I was meaning to buy them from him in the New Year, I think he quoted me between £30-£40 each for the doors.
There is also some brake judder when braking from high speed, I think one of the front discs might be slightly warped, but it does not affect braking performance. Maxi parts are still available from motor factors for cheap. It comes with a Haynes Manual and original BL workshop Manual.
In the few months I have owned it, I have become quite attached to this brown lump of a car. I will miss the way that when driving through town, almost everyone stops and stares. I will miss the way that I always get let out of side turnings and the fantastic feeling of driving something so different to the everyday commuter traffic and yet it does it perfectly happily. The nice easy clutch makes it good in town and the high gearing makes it quiet and refined on the motorway. And with winter coming, the winter tyres, skinny wheels and safe front wheel drive will make it almost unstoppable.
Don’t let this car, which has far outlasted the company that built it go to the banger track or scrap.
I will try and get some updated pictures as soon as I can, showing all the good aspects and the bad few.
Priced for a quick sale, simply as I need the space: £500ono
EDIT: PRICE DROPPED TO £460
