Hillman Minx

Price: - Item location: Woodinville, Washington, United States
Description:

1960 Other Makes Minx Deluxe Saloon (4-dr sedan)

We're moving back to NC this summer and have decided to sell rather than ship. What an amazing car this has been to own and restore.
Low reserve.
You're looking at a very rare numbers-matchingcar. On this side of the Atlantic they were sold throughout Canada and US, and it's one easy to keep restored and on the road with very little effort.
Lots of new and used spares in England, Ireland, Australia and curiously, Argentina and Uruguay. I'll let you research the history of Hillman (1935-1977) inside the larger Rootes Group - several fine websites are dedicated just to the Rootes group of vehicles: Humber, Hillman, Singer, Sunbeam, and Commer. Yes, the Sunbeam Tiger and Alpine are corporate cousins.
I sourced this car locally from an enthusiast in late 2015 and I've just completed a complete disassembly/reassembly with full detailing and/or replacement on the way back up. Here's what was untouched and/or original to the car:
Original
  • 1494 cc OHV engine removed, repainted and regasketed - but long block and head left as-is - strong compression and oil pressure (40 psi+ at idle)
  • 4-speed floor-shift gearbox:removed and completely sorted (new front seal, new shift detent springs, new idler and spigot shaft rollers (81 in all!)
  • all glass is perfect and correct to the car:comes with two extra rear windows - almost completely extinct, so nice to have around
  • all seating upholstery:only the rear top cap needed replacement, done professionally by Paul's of Seattle
  • door panels:new panel material installed with thin landau foam, but all vinyl is 100% original
  • all other interior trim including cranks, escutcheons, headliner, sunvisors and mirror are 100% original
  • rear suspension and axle stripped and repainted - new input shaft seal
  • parking brake system reconditioned
  • fuel tank renewed and painted in hammer epoxy, the Smiths sender and gauge actually work!
  • rear trunk mat and tools (OEM Shelley jack, lug wrench, tommy bar, starter crank)
  • front suspension completely disassembled and repainted - no new ball joints or trunnions were needed
  • correct Zenith 30-VIG10 carb rebuilt with OEM kit from the UK
  • manifolds are perfect, no cracks, petrol drain pipe clear and functional
  • AC oilbath air-cleaner repainted
  • AC fuel pump (glass dome!) rebuilt with OEM kit
  • Lucas twin-tone horns
  • 100% functioning Lucas regulator, generator and DM2 distributor and yes, even the Nov.1959 ignition coil still working fine - (a correct #40681 DM2 distributor has been sourced and rebuilt if needed down the road)
  • all original eight brake shoes relined and sealed correctly (in Indiana)
  • the ultra-rare drums were healthy and only needed a light turning
  • the even more-rare Hillman rims (all five of them) were soda-blasted and painted with catalzyed acrylic white

New (replacement, NORS, NOS)
  • new Firestone (Coker repro) 5.60 x 15 bias tires with 1" WW - I have left the blue sealant on the walls for you to wipe off
  • new reproduction hub caps from the UK, beautifully chromed
  • all new brake wheel cylinders from PowerTrack in UK
  • all new brake master AND clutch master cylinders from PowerTrack
  • new CuNiFer brake lines and brand new union nuts where needed
  • new brake hoses from Argentina
  • NOS Rootes brake pedal rubber pads from Canada
  • new clutch: pressure plate, driven plate and throwout bearing
  • new front and rear shock absorbers
  • new 1/4" steel fuel line
  • new fuel filler neck grommet from Australia
  • distributor cap, points, plugs
  • Lucas M35G replacement starter from the UK
  • Lucas FL5 replacement flasher form the UK - the dash tell-tale light works like it should (no NAPA flasher will work on positive-ground systems...)
  • brake light switch (Beck-Arnley)
  • miscellaneous bulbs
  • reproduction 12V amber driving lamps, correctly fused/relayed
  • reproduction Lucas-style fender mirrors

Problem Areas:
Despite my wish to keep everything original, the rebuilt Zenith VIG-10 is probably on its final hours. It's difficult to get the throttle plate and manual choke happy together, particularly at cold startup. Once warm it's smooth, but a new Weber 32 ICH or ICT would be instantly better. I just never got that far.
I've replaced the cross-pipe to the RF wheel cylinders with a second replacement, and still have a tiny weep out of the rearmost union nut. Even though everything was meant to work together by PowerTrack in the UK, either the bubble flare or likely the drilled well of the cylinder aren't a happy fit. Hopefully someone more patient than I can sort it out.
About 900 hours of enjoyable labor later, I'm proud to offer this RUST-FREE and extremely solid example of Hillman's best-selling model from the 1957-1963 "audax design" series. Fun to drive, built like a tank, and guaranteed to generate smiles.
Will also include the custom steel tube and wood slat roof rack as well, along with all service and parts and owners manuals. Absolutely essential here.
The heavy rubber mudguards, fiberglass Weathershield visor, reproduction foglamps are obviously all detachable.
Best of luck and thanks for looking. Any questions will be promptly answered.

On Apr-15-17 at 20:19:11 PDT, seller added the following information:

Regarding the RF brake weep: it turns out the new brake hose end was not fully seated in the cylinder - since it sits right above the crossover pipe union, I mistakenly was chasing the wrong spot - tightened the hose end more fully and weep issue appears solved. Thanks.
Also wanted to mention the Minx includes brand new chrome repro "wheel embellishers" (UK: trim rings). These are from the same producer of the wheel covers in England and are the correct type that sit inside the rim; one is visible in the pictures on the LR wheel. Forgot to mount the other three when the photos were taken on Friday.
Thanks for looking!

On Apr-17-17 at 12:12:04 PDT, seller added the following information:

While I have been called out of town on business and to also close the purchase on our home in NC, I will remain in constant contact and continue to answer questions as they come in.
I will be in eastern time until 8 PST on Thursday the 27th, returning home to Seattle by noon.
The Minx will not be available for pickup nor title transfer, etc., until Friday the 28th.
Thanks for your understanding and good luck!

Vehicle Details:
  • Condition: Used
  • Make: Other Makes
  • Model: Minx
  • SubModel: Series IIIA
  • Trim: Deluxe Saloon (4-dr sedan)
  • Year: 1960
  • Mileage: 89,500
  • VIN: B1019220
  • Color: Regency Beige (lower) Cloud White (roof, upper)
  • Engine size: 1494 (1500) cc
  • Number of cylinders: 4
  • Fuel: Gasoline
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Drive type: RWD
  • Interior color: Ember Red
  • Drive side: Left-hand drive
  • Vehicle Title: Clear
  • Want to buy? Contact seller!