Coming back to mini....but which one!
Discussion
hi all
Must be 16 years since I last had a mini - but have decided to buy a car as a bit of a hobby and to use as my daily commute (well not all the time!) but as my commute is only 13 miles each way across country lanes I thought it would be fun!
Now - test drove a 1.3 SPI Coopper at the weekend that needed a bit too much work for the money they wanted but immediatly took me back to my old Mini 1000 with big wheels.
Ideally I would like a Coooper Sportspack MPI however, I quite like the idea of buying a standard SPI Cooper and having a play with it over the next couple of years adding bigger wheels, arches, engine tweaks etc as a bit of a hobby........dilema, as can;t really justify forking out £5k ish on a 3rd car......even though no doubt buying a £2.5k would see at least another £2.5k spent on it!
Am I right in thinking that spending more on a newer/better condition car would hold its money, where as buying a cheaper car would see me funding a hobby but not adding value?
Thoughts?
Must be 16 years since I last had a mini - but have decided to buy a car as a bit of a hobby and to use as my daily commute (well not all the time!) but as my commute is only 13 miles each way across country lanes I thought it would be fun!
Now - test drove a 1.3 SPI Coopper at the weekend that needed a bit too much work for the money they wanted but immediatly took me back to my old Mini 1000 with big wheels.
Ideally I would like a Coooper Sportspack MPI however, I quite like the idea of buying a standard SPI Cooper and having a play with it over the next couple of years adding bigger wheels, arches, engine tweaks etc as a bit of a hobby........dilema, as can;t really justify forking out £5k ish on a 3rd car......even though no doubt buying a £2.5k would see at least another £2.5k spent on it!
Am I right in thinking that spending more on a newer/better condition car would hold its money, where as buying a cheaper car would see me funding a hobby but not adding value?
Thoughts?
The last 10 years of mini production produced some of the worst shells that where ever made. They rust through super fast. (check the classfieds for rusty sport packs !!! 
)
Ideally you want a carb'd engine, these where made up untill 1991. Beyond that its SPI and finally MPI type engines.
having a engine with a carb is much easier to play with then injection engine. I would suggest looking at a well maintained 91' cooper, or find something from the 70's thats been "renovated"
Avoid anything on 13x7" wheels, not friendly on B roads.
Gwiz
)Ideally you want a carb'd engine, these where made up untill 1991. Beyond that its SPI and finally MPI type engines.
having a engine with a carb is much easier to play with then injection engine. I would suggest looking at a well maintained 91' cooper, or find something from the 70's thats been "renovated"
Avoid anything on 13x7" wheels, not friendly on B roads.
Gwiz
GingerWizard said:
The last 10 years of mini production produced some of the worst shells that where ever made. They rust through super fast. (check the classfieds for rusty sport packs !!! )
as above im about to do a heritage re-shell on the mrs 2000 (w) sportspack, every panel was rotten bearing in mind it was well looked after, washed every week and garaged every night for the first 5 years of its life )nick1275 said:
as above im about to do a heritage re-shell on the mrs 2000 (w) sportspack, every panel was rotten bearing in mind it was well looked after, washed every week and garaged every night for the first 5 years of its life
Make sure you go to town on the Heritage shell with Dinitrol/Waxoil as the quality of the the corrosion protection isn't all it could be on these either...AlleyCat said:
out of interest how come? i have that size on mine and i haven't experienced anything untoward on B roads.
Well in my expirence (and its not a huge amount ) unless you have well sorted suspension (I'm talking adjustable shocks and smooth'a'ride kit) they can be "crashy" over bumps and make the steering heavy. Comparativly 12"/5.5" look as good but you don't have as many problems. By problems i mean wearing out steering racks and having to trim the front panels to avoid rubbing on lock. I was always under the impression that the 13/7 option was stretching what a mini's drive train could handle.To make them work well on a mini you need a well sorted car to start with, so the op's budget might not stretch to that straight off the bat......
However if you fancy lending me you mini for a weekend i would be able to give a better/current opinion
I'm with Gingerwizard Carb is best ..although last carb model was the 1993 Italian Job a very nice limited edition that should hold it's price .
1275 engine and 12" wheels could allround combination and still parts easily available.
heres a project one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1993-ROVER-MINI-ITALIAN-JOB-...
Good ones go for £3 -£4k
I'd go for a 1990 RSP Though
with S pack conversion
1275 engine and 12" wheels could allround combination and still parts easily available.
heres a project one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1993-ROVER-MINI-ITALIAN-JOB-...
Good ones go for £3 -£4k
I'd go for a 1990 RSP Though
with S pack conversion I would snap this up.
I only had 1600 notes max, but if i could have stretched to 3k.
No tax, classic insurance, big motor, tidy looking.....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1972-AUSTIN-MINI-1275-BLUE-/...
I only had 1600 notes max, but if i could have stretched to 3k.
No tax, classic insurance, big motor, tidy looking.....
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1972-AUSTIN-MINI-1275-BLUE-/...
GingerWizard said:
AlleyCat said:
out of interest how come? i have that size on mine and i haven't experienced anything untoward on B roads.
Well in my expirence (and its not a huge amount ) unless you have well sorted suspension (I'm talking adjustable shocks and smooth'a'ride kit) they can be "crashy" over bumps and make the steering heavy. Comparativly 12"/5.5" look as good but you don't have as many problems. By problems i mean wearing out steering racks and having to trim the front panels to avoid rubbing on lock. I was always under the impression that the 13/7 option was stretching what a mini's drive train could handle.To make them work well on a mini you need a well sorted car to start with, so the op's budget might not stretch to that straight off the bat......
However if you fancy lending me you mini for a weekend i would be able to give a better/current opinion
you doing the London to Brighton?
I can back up whats been said about the quality of the sports packs. I had a cooper sport from new in 2000, it was rusty when I picked it up!
rougeleo said:
I'm with Gingerwizard Carb is best ..although last carb model was the 1993 Italian Job a very nice limited edition that should hold it's price .
1275 engine and 12" wheels could allround combination and still parts easily available.
heres a project one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1993-ROVER-MINI-ITALIAN-JOB-...
Good ones go for £3 -£4k
I'd go for a 1990 RSP Though with S pack conversion
I bought a italian job about 5 years ago, I was just looking for a decent carb 1275, I didn't realise that was the last carb model.1275 engine and 12" wheels could allround combination and still parts easily available.
heres a project one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1993-ROVER-MINI-ITALIAN-JOB-...
Good ones go for £3 -£4k
I'd go for a 1990 RSP Though
with S pack conversion AlleyCat said:
hmm mostly agree i do have a properly sorted car, but prior to sorting it i had the big wheels and i do agree i suffered from some symptoms like the steering being heavy, but only when parking. and i did loosen up my steering rack a couple of times. they all seem to have gone since sorting it out though. i dont know maybe over the years i just have become a massochist
you doing the London to Brighton?
2012?? you doing the London to Brighton?
I'm quickly thinking about supercharging my 850... so Its 50/50
where are you based?
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