Which cheap Mini for "Spare 2nd car"

Which cheap Mini for "Spare 2nd car"

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Register1

Original Poster:

2,279 posts

101 months

Monday 31st December 2018
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Hi all,
We are considering a cheap Mini, to just stick in the garage.
Some days, rather than take the Touareg out, to shopping multi story car parks, I think a cheap little knock about would make sense?
Up to say £1000
So probably won't be newer than 2006.
Should be a petrol.

Reading about gearboxes that whine, engines that drink oil for fun

Do they have a 1400cc in teh early Mini's ?

R1

sad61t

1,100 posts

217 months

Tuesday 1st January 2019
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Would you actually use it? If the VW has to be moved to get to the garage and then get the Mini going?

£1000 gets you an early 2000-2005 One (90bhp 1.6) with 100K+ miles. General advice is to get the latest you can find and expect the dash to rattle, seat bolsters to be worn; mechanically all the usual steering pump, exhaust, bushings, leaky boot/door seals, etc. to check. If you don't mind working on the car yourself there's probably something out there that will fit, for example someone's done a decent valet on this one: https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
but can't disguise the seat wear (buy covers), nor the state of the floormats (in boot, gross but easy to replace).

Alfa1750

26 posts

70 months

Thursday 17th January 2019
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We bought a 1600 Mini One Auto a year ago with 50,000 miles
Oil does not burn and has stayed nice and clean
Change brake calliper and exhaust box otherwise fine and drives nice


NotBenny

3,917 posts

187 months

Thursday 17th January 2019
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You want a second car to occasionally take to multi-storey car parks?

Not wanting to be condescending, but have you had a 2nd car that you only use occasionally before? If it’s a car you love and want to drive then you’ll make the effort and use it every now and again, but if it’s a £1000 beater just to take shopping then I doubt you’ll bother. Then take the cost of tax and insurance into account and what have you really bought it for?

And if you literally just want a beater for £1k, then a 1.0l micra that can’t be killed is probably the best thing, you’ll even have change from your £1k.