Skill Level 4: 1961 Austin Mini, Some Assy Required

Remember those Testors model kits you put together as a kid?  Fighter planes were my favorite, but that damn sticky glue always got all over the canopy and created some seriously hazy views for the little guy who had to be painted with a toothpick.  Time marched on, my assembly and painting skills increased, but so did the size of my thumbs and responsibilities.  No longer do I have the time, patience, or desired to build scale models of cars, but with the proper motivation, I could get into assembling 1:1 models.  Maybe I could start with this 1961 Austin Mini project offered for $6,500 in LaOtto, IN via Hemmings.

I want to echo that age old advice that you should avoid other people’s projects, and that applies particularly when the car is a rusty pile of crap.  If, on the other hand, the car has been given a beautiful new paint job and prepared with new fittings all around, it might be worth your time to assemble it. 

The bottom line comes down to the asking price for a project that just needs some assembly.  If you get a deal that something like half off retail, it makes sense to build it yourself, and this ’61 Austin Mini is offered for chump change compared to a restored example.  But the real question is, what is your time worth?

See another combination of the other guy’s money and your time?  tips@dailyturismo.com