HOW TO BAG THE BEST DEAL

1 BODY AND STRUCTURE

The Moke uses a monocoque shell with standard Mini front and rear subframes. Rust is worst along seams and folds, but it happens all over. Supplies of new-old stock panels are drying up, but new shells (to British, Australian or Portuguese spec) are now made in the UK.

2 ENGINES

Mokes use standard A-series Mini engines from 848cc to 1275cc. Expect small oil leaks and the smaller engines have usually been thrashed, resulting in tired cylinders and blue exhaust smoke.

3 TRANSMISSION

This is a standard Mini four-speeder. Crunching means the synchros are on their way out or problems with the clutch. Listen for knocking noises from the CV joints, too.

4 TRIM AND INTERIOR

All Mokes are basic, but earlier English cars only had a driver’s seat as standard. Check all the electrics and instruments work, and look for corroded terminals – this is a very open car that often lives outside.

5 WHEELS AND BRAKES

British and early Australian Mokes had 10in wheels but 13in wheels were fitted fitted to increase ground clearance. Vehicles left standing can suffer from slave cylinder corrosion, causing fluid leaks or sticking brakes, so check that a given vehicle stops in a straight line.