Mk1 Scootacar

[Big Al]

I seem top spend most of my time these days sorting out dodgy microcars that French owners have bought from UK dealers !         Nick.            

Can I just say I have not sold any cars to France for a long time!

I am aware of the problem though. Many international buyers will no longer source from Britain as so many folk have bought crappers that perported to be good or restored machines. This is one reason that looking at prices obtained by Bruce and other top American collectors is slightly pointless. We no longer lead the market here but are treated as a resource for parts, projects and the odd collectors item. The non trade traders have plopped on their own doorstep I am afraid.
Like Nick I am not greatly bothered anymore. I buy what I want, if it is crap I get rid of it. Or if it is crap I buy it as it silly with no intention of breaking it by sitting on it!!!! Gullwing Bamby comes to mind, who has that now. Root thinks it went to Canada, I cannot remember.

By the way welcome Nick.

[P50]

Values don't interest me, just odd little vehicles. I missed out on Scoots on 4 occasions so got into Frisky’s instead. Friends always ask what these cars worth, but other than not wanting to over spend on a restoration it’s irrelevant.

The irony is that when they were worthless they were scrapped. 

Now micros have value, firms will consider tooling up for rare parts. However it seems the luddites amongst us are tight too.

Most will know Scootacar ball joints are unique especially the tandem one.  Phil Bowler went to the trouble to find an engineers who could re-con the joints with oversize cups and pins etc.   It was made known in "Scootabout". Cica £100 for four.

How many requested this service?  NONE!  Sorry one, me.  I needed them and anyway with a potential MOT fail in the future this is the sort of part an owner should obtain for the shelf.   

On that basis I'm happy to see the cars sold to people who ARE prepared to pay for the parts and who will pay a lot for the cars. If no-one buys then nowt gets tooled up.   

       

[NickPoll]

Most people that end up offering crazy high prices have no intention of actually driving the cars, so will not be interested in buying items like new ball joints. They're more intersted in an expensive paint job. Sad, but true I feel. Gone are the days of the true enthusiast buying a car for a sensible price and using it as daily transport.    Nick.

[Jonathan Poll]

Most people that end up offering crazy high prices have no intention of actually driving the cars, so will not be interested in buying items like new ball joints. They're more intersted in an expensive paint job. Sad, but true I feel. Gone are the days of the true enthusiast buying a car for a sensible price and using it as daily transport.    Nick.

Yeah, the good old days... ( even if I never lived them  ) when you could find a schmitt in someone's garden... when the schlmitt rallies where full of schmitts, and people used them, unlinke now where they are miore looked after.

[Bob Purton]

"Most people that end up offering crazy high prices have no intention of actually driving the cars, so will not be interested in buying items like new ball joints. They're more intersted in an expensive paint job. Sad, but true I feel. Gone are the days of the true enthusiast buying a car for a sensible price and using it as daily transport."

I agree, illustrated by the Bruce Weiner auction, the cars looked fantastic but most of them didnt work!

[NickPoll]

It's true that some of the cars in Bruce's 1997 auction were needing mechanical work before they could be driven. They were restored mainly as static displays. Since he moved to Madison in Georgia he has employed Mark Haggler to restore & maintain his cars. Not only are most cars in roadworthy order, Bruce also has a fleet of rare micros that guests can use to drive into town ! When I was at his rally in 2009 I used a Zundapp Janus, NSU Prinz, KR200 and Goggo saloon.  All performed well.                          Nick.

[Big Al]

Going at a slight tangent. I think the problem is that many buyers look at the styling and finish of a car. They decide to have one on that basis. How many times have we on the forum said 'I like that' without knowing a thing about it. They do not bother to read up, research or contact owners to find out what the problems associated with owning and using that type of car will be. Thus on being presented with a set of naff balljoints on a Scootacar the first action is to order them 'off the shelf'. Sadly no one can afford to offer this service so then it becomes a one off or a case of a botch up job or the car cannot or does not get used as it does not drive correctly. So to an extent the wealthy owners have a better chance to get the cars right but only if they employ or listen to the correct advice. Elsewhere the get rich quick mob will happily nail together a car full in knowledge it is not correct and load these into the market. You can see what the result is by the situation we have now. Chuck all Scootacars in a field and get serious. How many are bung on correct, right engine, lights etc etc. I think you will find not many and track the history you will find the reason is a historic valueless period, confused information and a lack of investment. There is more to doing up a Scootacar than chucking a IC engine in it.
Magnify this across the full range of microcars and in fact you have the best cars being those untouched and those restored correctly. Collectors are not nearly so interested in the stuff in the middle as they find out from experience undoing all the wrong things is a lot of work which equals expense. This will be disappointing for folk with a garage full of mediocre cars and replicas. I have been pretty harsh in getting rid of these middling cars for those either ends of the spectrum and as an investment they will perform better. However restoration is a hell of a lot easier as well. I know several private collections done to the same rules and while they remain rather obscure they represent a couple of the best collections in the UK to me as everything works and is 100% correct. Might not win in the rarity stakes but neither owner is motivated by that. Both now cannot advertise their collections really as they are worth an obscene amount of money in relation to the owners 'social' standing. Both are single now or I think they might not be able to sustain the collections as both have, eer, simple living accomidation. I am rather heading toward that as well!

[Trident]

 

[P50]

£7,650 for a scrap Scootacar with almost no chassis, no rear lights, badge or door hinge.
What's a good one worth now?

Best not to speculate.  

Oh go on then.   £7,700? surely anyone could have it MOT'd in a weekend?!! I value mine higher than my KR and a decent (and I mean proper decent not gobbed up incorrect junk with horrid floor and trim) KR is £15k plus.

What's a Tro or Isetta worth in this nick?  £1500 on a good day?  

You're right plenty of money to sink into this car. LEP lights are impossible (although I hear lenses are possible but what are you going to fit them to?), LEP wiper motor?  Very hard to get.    Then you have kingpins,balljoints (see above), rear sprocket agg as they're NLA, brakes, bushes, engine/box rebuild, mounts, cables, blasting, bodywork, metalwork, bearings, tyres, trimming, rubber seals, a bit of chroming, electrics (is the black box/dyna any good?),brake master etc etc etc.

A Scoot is no KR to rebuild. It's a labour of love.

I don't think this a blip. Simple fact is they are uber rare and mad and if you want one you pay.

Simples.  

[Peelpower]

Hmm, whats a good Scootacar worth now? Thats the question, and i really shouldn't speculate either!
Im serious enough now to know, i'll never get one.
Sorry Perry, i still do not want to swap the TG ! 

[Peelpower]

Wonder who's the new owner now !!?? 

[richard]

lep wiper motors are moderately common at Beaulieu . i wont buy any more as the cost has risen far enough to mean they are not Worth buying for "stock" £30 seems to be the going rate. i have a couple of each 6 and 12v but will need one for the Gordon and would like a Bond c or d sometime so will probably keep them . if you want these parts you just have to jumble for them .  i dont know the lights but praps i ought to find out 

[P50]

Lights are without a doubt the hardest thing to obtain.

Good old L.E.Perry!

Trouble is they have a unique fixing and diameter so you need the backing, pop on bezel and lens.  If the sockets broken then you can fit a trimmed Lucas part in its place. Likewise the seal's easy to get.

Most people fit glass Lucas units but then you need a numberplate light which looks crud.  LEP's have a clear window moulded in for that job.

As rare as rocking horse pooh!  As a purist a Mk1 can only look right with Wipac headlamps and LEP rears with a pair of "Bluemell" reflectors fitted just below each unit. Oh and the correct orange indicators on the roof.




 

[Big Al]

[Oh go on then.   £7,700? surely anyone could have it MOT'd in a weekend?!! I value mine higher than my KR and a decent (and I mean proper decent not gobbed up incorrect junk with horrid floor and trim) KR is £15k plus.

Well I wish Schmitts in good order did fly out at £15k but in practice you have to work at it from the UK as the world has a poor opinion of our stock of cars these days I fear.

Scootacar? Good chance the owner still lives in Looe even though he does not know it yet! That said there is only a few to go round and I am glad to have bagged the Mk2 when I did if this is going to be the way of it. Yes to do a Scootacar correctly is a lot of effort but it is as much sourcing parts as assembly which can be a lot of fun. Autojumbling without a list is pretty sad I find and now I can go through all the cardboard boxes again.

Big Al

[richard]

brand new repro indicators for mk I  and mark II scootacar ( yes i know they are different ) seen again at beaulieu amazing that these runs are being made , they must fit something else .