My resto clubbie is in the shop getting all the go bits in and going. (looks like an engine rebuild but that is another story.) I'm planning on getting the interior done from top to bottom when the car is going which it should be in the next week or so. However I rang straight line auto trimming who are supposed to be the experts for mini interiors in melbourne and found that the earliest they can get me in is Feb 07. Wow.
My clubbie doesn't have any carpets. The seats are screwed and the headlining is out. The door cards and other trims are stuffed.
So here is the delimma. Do I tidy the interior up enough to get a road worthy and putt it around for 6 months then take it to the experts or do I take it to a sub standard shop and hope for the best?
Anyone had any experience with other trimming places in melb?

hmmm.. well I've never had any experience with trimmers.. but taking my mini to a 'normal' auto electrician was the worst thing I could do.. They burnt holes in my dash and in the roof lining (which was all professionally done, and matched the rest of the interior).. I should have smashed the auto electricians head through the wall, and burn his eyes out with his soldering iron. I'm still pissed off at myself for not doing so.

Anyway I'd say wait and take it to the proper mini place.. Or wait and see if any other melbourne people can recommend someone else. Otherwise you'll regret it if they do a crap job, then probably end up in prison from smashing their heads through walls and burning out their eyes.

Other then that just bolt some chairs in and get it regoed.. You don't need carpet for rego do you? I have no carpet in one of my minis, just two seats, two seat belts. a steering wheel and a few guages.. passes rego no troubles... no carpet, no roof lining, no dash, no door cards.. nothing

Just so long as you have something covering the doors and anywhere else with exposed metal edges you are technically legal , but they will fail you for no door cards at all in case you have an accident and your hand get's sliced by the cutouts in the door . If you go the lesser trimmers option , in a year or so you'll probably be wishing you'd waited , just do a tart-up in the short term with whatever you have around and wait for the better trimmer to be ready .

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depends on what your after, if your wanting repoduction clubman door cards etc it might be a little hard (eg heat pressed). if your after a custom old school sewn interior drop me a pm, im a trimmer. i've got pics of interiors ive done.

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real men race downhill - keiichi tsuchiya

I just got a call from the super busy guys that told me they can't do anything till January. They have thought long and hard and have taken in upon themselves to recommend another guy that they work pretty closely with. He has mini experience. I spoke to him and he can get me in in 2 weeks or so.

The downside is that I think a full retrim is going to cost more than first thought.
He is telling me between $3,500 - $4,000. That is too much isn't it?

Thanks for the tips guys.

I'll pm ya 1970 mini K.

How much was the original ones asking for the retrim , I don't know what prices are currently like but it does seem a bit excessive . Sort of sounds like they are trying to take advantage of your wanting it done sooner so making it cost more for that alone ...

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From memory I'm sure the original estimate (around three years ago) was around $2,500. Last week when I spoke to them the suggested $3,500.
I don't think they are attempting to take me for a ride. I think more likely they have so much work to do at the moment they don't bother taking it on unless there is money to be made.