Classic mini's
Discussion
Hi all!
Just saw one at my local petrol station, Honestly don't think i have ever seen one up close before.. It looked like hilarious fun and made me really want one . Ill most likely spend the rest of my night googling about them now but if there any knowledgeable people on here with any useful info about them i would love to hear from you. I know nothing about them at all so no idea what i should be looking out for what models and engines are the ones to go for etc,more interested in reliability than power, alright well im off to ebay now to have a gander so ill leave this thread here. Hope you're all having a good evening!
Just saw one at my local petrol station, Honestly don't think i have ever seen one up close before.. It looked like hilarious fun and made me really want one . Ill most likely spend the rest of my night googling about them now but if there any knowledgeable people on here with any useful info about them i would love to hear from you. I know nothing about them at all so no idea what i should be looking out for what models and engines are the ones to go for etc,more interested in reliability than power, alright well im off to ebay now to have a gander so ill leave this thread here. Hope you're all having a good evening!
mat205125 said:
Never seen a mini up close before?
How is that possible, or am I really starting to show my age?
There's a house nearby to my previous address that had 3 "mint" condition ones, appeared to be driven by a young lad mostly.How is that possible, or am I really starting to show my age?
But apart from those I don't see many of them these days, I do love a classic mini my mum had 2 during my child hood.
I ran one as a daily for a bit... 
Awesome cars, I loved mine but as mentioned rust is a major issue. I was quoted £7,000 to get mine repaired to a bare shell with respray, it could be done cheaper yourself if you know what your doing and have the time/patience/skill. You can probably build one up from parts available, there's no shortage of spares. Nice and simple mechanically- although working under the bonnet was a bit awkward, if it was a big job I usually just took it off
Awesome cars, I loved mine but as mentioned rust is a major issue. I was quoted £7,000 to get mine repaired to a bare shell with respray, it could be done cheaper yourself if you know what your doing and have the time/patience/skill. You can probably build one up from parts available, there's no shortage of spares. Nice and simple mechanically- although working under the bonnet was a bit awkward, if it was a big job I usually just took it off
17 years of minis as daily drivers until 2 years ago...
They're like nothing else to drive. Definitely a car that puts a smile on your face every time you take it out.
Realistically they are based on a 1950's design so compared to modern cars they're noisy, bumpy and need a bit more TLC. Depending how you look at it they're either surprisingly spacious for their size or very cramped inside.
The perception that they remained unchanged throughout the production run is unfounded. It went from mark 1 to mark 7 with numerous variants within that. Too many changes to list but broadly if they've not been modified then you can presume the newer they are the better they are in terms of features, comfort and reliability. I ran a 1999 one for 13 years and it had driver's airbag, side impact bars and fuel injection, only let me down once when the starter motor went.
As above rust is the biggest and most expensive problem. Unless you can do bodywork yourself I would look at that above all else if you buy one. Also beware that they tend to rust from the inside out in many places so need to be inspected thoroughly. Even the newest ones are 15 years old and beware that aging suspension makes a huge difference to how they handle and ride.
Would I have another as a weekend car? Absolutely. Would I run one as a daily again? No, I've gone too soft!
The Mini Forum is a great place to ask questions.
They're like nothing else to drive. Definitely a car that puts a smile on your face every time you take it out.
Realistically they are based on a 1950's design so compared to modern cars they're noisy, bumpy and need a bit more TLC. Depending how you look at it they're either surprisingly spacious for their size or very cramped inside.
The perception that they remained unchanged throughout the production run is unfounded. It went from mark 1 to mark 7 with numerous variants within that. Too many changes to list but broadly if they've not been modified then you can presume the newer they are the better they are in terms of features, comfort and reliability. I ran a 1999 one for 13 years and it had driver's airbag, side impact bars and fuel injection, only let me down once when the starter motor went.
As above rust is the biggest and most expensive problem. Unless you can do bodywork yourself I would look at that above all else if you buy one. Also beware that they tend to rust from the inside out in many places so need to be inspected thoroughly. Even the newest ones are 15 years old and beware that aging suspension makes a huge difference to how they handle and ride.
Would I have another as a weekend car? Absolutely. Would I run one as a daily again? No, I've gone too soft!
The Mini Forum is a great place to ask questions.
miniforum is 1st rate.
I'm almost done restoring a 1990 cooper. I seriously underestimated how much work was required, but I've treated it as a hobby, learned some new skills and now have a car which can't be driven without grinning like an idiot and has the same effect on onlookers and draws crowds like a TVR does.
I'm almost done restoring a 1990 cooper. I seriously underestimated how much work was required, but I've treated it as a hobby, learned some new skills and now have a car which can't be driven without grinning like an idiot and has the same effect on onlookers and draws crowds like a TVR does.
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