Midas Cars Forum - www.midascarsforum.com

He must have some heavy duty fairy dust to get that price. If he does thenall the magazines need to be notified so we can all say we own a car worth 2.5k or more

ACourtney wrote:...
If he has got it running then he should MOT it. The lack of interior trim shouldn't put people off, but an MOT certificate will go a long way towards removing any other doubts.

I asked him...
"Does the car run, as it is? Or if not, what's the condition of the engine?"

...and he replied:
"Engine looks to be in good condition it turns over fine but I haven't started it up, you are welcome to come have a good look "

So an MoT might need a bit of work...

...oh, and for valuation purposes, don't forget the HIF44 carburettor - here's one advertised on eBay for a BIN price of £260!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Classic-Metro ... 4192ac3310

I'm glad I don't need one right now...

the price is high on that carb because its a turbo version which is rare as hens teeth David. I've seen standard 44's going for a tenner for rebuild on some of the forums

wolfie wrote:the price is high on that carb because its a turbo version which is rare as hens teeth David. I've seen standard 44's going for a tenner for rebuild on some of the forums

I didn't realise the turbo's carb was different, apart from the jetting and possibly the dashpot spring. What else is different from the standard HIF44?

Admittedly I've seen HIF44 prices all over the place. I'd assumed it was purely because of condition, but have noticed quite a few with fat price tags on them. I'd just thought it was because those ones had been fully reconditioned.

The actual 'throat' in the body is different, some had extended float bowls and the float is foam filled to stop it collapsing. I think the bridge is slightly higher and the damper pot is tamper proof as it runs under higher pressures that N/A carbs. They're all minor things but they're all needed because of the boost pressure (mine was running 15psi). Anything to do with the turbo A series seems to cost 10 times more than the N/A stuff even though most of it is actually the same or the N/A stuff can do the same job fine

The turbo HIF's are also sealed because it's a pressurized carb. You don't want a spray of the air/fuel mixture blown into the engine bay. No doubt a problem with older carbs hence the regular engine fires of turbo engines. I sold my reconditioned turbo HIF carb for around 100 euro's, double that of the normal HIF44 price.

Thanks folks, I can consider myself enlightened now!

I took an early dislike to the Turbo engine after reading about it in the motoring press of the time, thinking that it was a bit to much of a compromise for me, and therefore lost interest in it - which is why I never knew about the special HIF carb, I suppose.

I notice that the asking price for this car has been steadily dropping and is currently standing at £1350 -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MIDAS-GOLD-CO ... 33a241384c

I would think that the seller is now keen to see the back of it and might accept a sensible offer. As we know that he paid £820.99 for it and then had to retrieve it from the Birmingham area to Sidcup, it is quite easy to work out what it owes him. He doesn't seem to have tried to get it running at all, but that shouldn't be too difficult a job. I would advise anyone interested to go and take a look at the car and then (armed with a pocket full of readies) be prepared to haggle with the seller.

My recent experience with recommissioning a car that has stood for nearly two decades (I shall post something in the relevant section soon) would point to budgeting for a new fuel pump, new water pump and an SU service kit for the carb, to just get the engine running. You may need a new starter and/or a new alternator depending on how well the car has been stored. Then I would look at the brakes - possibly needing new rear slave cylinders and service kits for the front calipers and master cylinder. If the clutch is hydraulic then budget for those service kits too. I would also include the cost of a full engine service and a new set of tyres.

Down to £1299 now - sadly with a threat for it to be broken if it doesn't sell. Hope the Midas doesn't become a doner to a Mini.......

8386nw wrote:Down to £1299 now - sadly with a threat for it to be broken if it doesn't sell. Hope the Midas doesn't become a doner to a Mini.......

That threat was there before the price was reduced, so it might still get another reduction on eBay...