1966 Morris Moke V Sedan

[schnoodles]

Hey all.

I am new to the Moke world and i was looking into purchasing a Moke.

The one I am looking at is the 1966 Morris Moke V Sedan and would just like some information on it (pros/cons). I am a bit worried because looking at all the mokes on sale it seems like the 1979/1980 Wayland models are worth a lot more. Which makes me wonder if the 1966 had anything wrong with them. Also what would be the average price for a on the road 1966 model?

Any information i could get is very much appreciated

Also i am down in VIC and there does not seem to be nearly as much Mokes down here compared to Queensland so wondering about good mechanics who can look at the car in Sydney for me (ofcourse ill pay) would be appreciated.

[Newie]

Hi Schnoodles,

Seems to be some confusion with the terminology here. 1966 Morris Moke makes sense, but don't know where the "V Sedan" came from  . Also 1979/80 Wayland models  I guess you mean Californian models?

Anyway, putting all that aside and working purely on the year models, yes the later model Mokes generally attract more money than the earlier ones. There are basically three main eras :
- 1966-68 Little Wheelers (so called because they have 10" wheels the same as Minis) which are reasonably rare, but more spartan and not as pretty as they later models, so generally speaking tend to be cheaper.
- 1968-79 Big Wheelers which run 13" wheels. These come in standard form, or Californian, or often standard ones with the bits added to make them look like a Californian. These make up the bulk of the Mokes generally available and prices vary widely depending on condition and features of individual vehicles.
-1980-82 Big Wheelers (still 13") with factory galvanised bodies and the last of the Mokes made in Australia. These are the most popular as they have a few nicer bits and pieces on them, being a later model, but mostly because the galvanised bodies are less prone to rust which is a major problem with Mokes. Be aware they do still rust and need to be checked carefully if you plan on buying one, but generally better than the pre-gal ones.

Motors make a difference too. Generally worth more the bigger the motor is (all else being equal) 998's are the smallest, then 1100, with 1275 being the biggest.

There are a lot of other things that affect pirces, but that's the basics.

Hope that helps


Newie

[schnoodles]

Sorry I am rather new to Mokes and the ad has a V in it :\

Basically i was looking at http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/morris-moke-1966-11995082?cr=11&vertical=Car&Range=Price:Min,Max~1&silo=Stock&sort=default&eapi=2&__N=1216%201246%201247%201252%201282&distance=25&find=moke|CarAll and trying to work out if it is actually a good deal. Just trying to work out the pros/cons.

Did they rust REALLY easy?
Is it still easy to get parts for?
Is that a good price for the car?
Would it be better to look for a later year?

[moemoke]

Hi schnoodles, the first thing I would do is get youself along to a MOA meeting
 (first wed of the month,  www.moke.org.au)
and have a look and a talk to the owners and maybe go for a drive/ride.

The one in your link seems ok but a through  inspection would be required to see if it is any good
A lot of mokes get 'done up' roughly then sold on to someone who knows little about them and it's
not until they've owned it for a while that the rust or general bodgyness starts to rear it's ugly head
then the owner wants to sell it to try and recoup their money.

[Tim]

Did they rust REALLY easy?

Yes and they still do.

Is it still easy to get parts for?

Yes, most parts are available as new parts or good reproductions. Prices are quite good too compared to modern cars.
 

Is that a good price for the car?

I wouldn't pay it, its had too many modifications for my taste. I'd agree with Moe's comments above.

Would it be better to look for a later year?

Possibly, but not necessarily. There's really not much difference in overall appeal. The later cars with galvanised bodies, 1275 engines and disk brakes are probably the best pick, but you'll pay more for them too. All Mokes are fun though.

Tim

P.S. Sydney isn't in Queensland.

[Terry]

Hi,

If someone can check the Moke out for you and then are not going to be any nasty surprises for you and major bills then i think $6,000 or so for a going car with rego or near rego is a decent price as long as you understand what you are buying.

The car has been painted up on the outside but the engine bay still shows the original green paint so this hasn't been a  'Full Restore' in my view. You will need to be checking for the usual rust spots, clearance of the bump stops and general engine noises and smoke and gearbox issues.

If things check out okay and you did buy it then you would have what I think is a good entry into Moking, something that goes but you spend a bit of time tidying up to suit your own taste. The bumpers are wrong/upside down, the engine bay could be tidied up and the cylinder head could be replaced along with the carby/manifold to help it go a bit better. All stuff that you can do over time and much you can do yourself or with help and have a bit of fun along the way.

I think the car presents itself alright but it sounds to me like you are have only just started looking at Mokes so maybe you need to look around a bit more, MOA meeting on tomorrow night in Depdene,  and get more of an idea about what it is you are really looking for.

Terry
 

[moemoke]

Forgot to mention re the moke in your link, cannot see any build plate on the firewall
it maybe missing which will cause some issues when you try to register it, or it could of been painted over

[Newie]

I'd be looking for one closer to home for a start. You'll be surprised how many there are in Melbourne when you start looking. The MOA that the others have mentioned is the main Moke club in Australia and it's based in Melbourne.

Buying Mokes sight unseen has bought a lot of experienced people unstuck, who know all the right questions to ask. Unless you personally know someone in Sydney you trust to look at it, you're really taking a $6000 roll of the dice ( or more like $7,000 by the time you pay freight, rego transfer etc).

If you find one in Melbourne, you may be able to talk someone on here into going to look at it with you.


Newie

[bnicho]

Another factor with looking at one locally is you can drive it yourself.  You may find one that checks out okay to be completely uncomfortable for you to drive (eg seats, steering wheel, gearshift) or has some irritating small fault (like a rattle or a problem with the top leaking/folding) that really bugs you. 

Take your time and work out exactly what you want:

1. A restored car that needs nothing but will cost top dollars.
2. An okay to use now car (like the blue 66) that you can improve over time.
3. A heap that needs a restoration. 

Just be aware there are plenty of people who opted for option 2 and then found themselves spending a lot on unexpected repairs. 

The good news is Mokes are easy to work on and the parts are pretty cheap. 

[Jacko]

bnicho, really good advice, fully agree, option 2 is what i have done, (albeit unregistered) there are a lot of way to spend money on Mokes, but still probably the cheapest of the options is 2 (depending what you get yourself into, mech checks are always a good idea, if you have anything your not to sure about).