Help me find a Mini?
Discussion
I'm looking for a Mini Cooper however have no clue about them so need some help!
I want something to replace the daily drive and think a Mini will do the job.
I bought a cheap mini some years back which was a real dog however looking for something that I could use for a year and sell on for about the same money.
Looking to spend less than 5k....
What can I get?
I want something to replace the daily drive and think a Mini will do the job.
I bought a cheap mini some years back which was a real dog however looking for something that I could use for a year and sell on for about the same money.
Looking to spend less than 5k....
What can I get?
That budget will get a very nice MPi or SPi Cooper. You might even find a Cooper Works hidden in the classifieds.
Personally I'd avoid the Sportspack versions as those 13 inch wheels do nothing for the handling and put extra strain on the bearingss and drive train. Part of the fun in Minis is getting them sliding around and those huge wheels don't help that...
All the usual places have ads for Minis, but also look at MiniWorld and Mini Magazine for their online classifieds and listings for specialist dealers. £5k should get a very straight one - especially off a private sale.
But Minis offer a very different driving experience to virtually any other car, so it might be worth having a go in a few to see if it really is for you. They are noisy and bumpy, the driving position is strange, they are pretty slow and they do run out of puff about 80 so if being safe, comfortable and being able to cover long distances are important, I'd move along...
However, if you want to end each journey with a smile (and maybe backache), enjoy an involving driving experience where you feel like you are in direct control of a machine, rather than operating one by remote control, like bringing out goodwill in other road users who smile and point and let you out of junctions, then a Mini is for you.
Personally I'd avoid the Sportspack versions as those 13 inch wheels do nothing for the handling and put extra strain on the bearingss and drive train. Part of the fun in Minis is getting them sliding around and those huge wheels don't help that...
All the usual places have ads for Minis, but also look at MiniWorld and Mini Magazine for their online classifieds and listings for specialist dealers. £5k should get a very straight one - especially off a private sale.
But Minis offer a very different driving experience to virtually any other car, so it might be worth having a go in a few to see if it really is for you. They are noisy and bumpy, the driving position is strange, they are pretty slow and they do run out of puff about 80 so if being safe, comfortable and being able to cover long distances are important, I'd move along...
However, if you want to end each journey with a smile (and maybe backache), enjoy an involving driving experience where you feel like you are in direct control of a machine, rather than operating one by remote control, like bringing out goodwill in other road users who smile and point and let you out of junctions, then a Mini is for you.
Thats just what I want - fun driving for a while.
I had a shed some years back (standard but made to look like a cooper) and I loved it - just was falling apart so I sold it - I think I bought it for £800!
in your experience could I get away with something nice that I could use for 6 months / a year and could sell on at the same (ish) money for less?
Would say £3k get a nice cooper?
I dont want it to be a show car but a good all rounder.
Thanks for the reply btw.
I had a shed some years back (standard but made to look like a cooper) and I loved it - just was falling apart so I sold it - I think I bought it for £800!
in your experience could I get away with something nice that I could use for 6 months / a year and could sell on at the same (ish) money for less?
Would say £3k get a nice cooper?
I dont want it to be a show car but a good all rounder.
Thanks for the reply btw.
I bought a standard '92 SPi Cooper for about £2,200 back in 2002 and sold it for the same amount in 2006. That was fine for a shortish daily commute and some sprints and trackdays and only needed regular maintenance during that time.
Low £2k now seems to be the entry (private sale) price for Rover Coopers that shouldn't need anything major done to them.....(yet)!
If yours is in the same sort of condition as you bought it and has been well kept there is no need for it to lose any value over that sort of time.
Low £2k now seems to be the entry (private sale) price for Rover Coopers that shouldn't need anything major done to them.....(yet)!
If yours is in the same sort of condition as you bought it and has been well kept there is no need for it to lose any value over that sort of time.
You can get a good Cooper for around £3K, you said you'd want to spend less than £5000?. Personally i'd be seriously considering this Monte Carlo;
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2086475.htm Lovely, lovely cars in my opinion. Only just under £5000 i know, but
.....
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2086475.htm Lovely, lovely cars in my opinion. Only just under £5000 i know, but
.....Edited by Mini1275 on Tuesday 12th October 12:38
Yes definatly agree with a non sports pack mini, I ran an s works one for two years and covered 20k miles, did two head rebuilds in that time! the rest was ok but general handling etc wasnt as good as 12 or better 10" wheeled examples,
It was my company car so it was the 's' or a BM mini so had to have a real one! removing the s pack roller rockers really helped with head reliability and restored some of the lost torque
Another issue with the sportpack cars is gearboxes, the tolernaces from the factory where not too good and most had a new one after only a few miles and then again later, most have been replaced now, Ive done quite a few over the years(i run a classic car/mini workshop) it shouldnt be issue by now but I still get one in everynow and then with an original smashed to peices box! the problem is rover not only not addressing the build quality but also changing service intervals from 1990 to service every year or 10000miles inline with other rovers, this as a lot of people know is not good for a car that shares engine oil with the gearbox!
A lot of people who bought sportpacks new thought they where buying a modern version of the mini so didnt know about changing oil every 3k preferably and crunching into second gear was thought of 'as they all do that' and rover didnt really help by agreeing with them in my experience!
An ideal daily would be a 90/93 carb cooper 1275 on the 12" wheels with 165 tyres, or an 94/95 spi
Without trying to be blatant I do have a customer selling his mini that would be ideal for your needs, let me know if i can help.
It was my company car so it was the 's' or a BM mini so had to have a real one! removing the s pack roller rockers really helped with head reliability and restored some of the lost torque
Another issue with the sportpack cars is gearboxes, the tolernaces from the factory where not too good and most had a new one after only a few miles and then again later, most have been replaced now, Ive done quite a few over the years(i run a classic car/mini workshop) it shouldnt be issue by now but I still get one in everynow and then with an original smashed to peices box! the problem is rover not only not addressing the build quality but also changing service intervals from 1990 to service every year or 10000miles inline with other rovers, this as a lot of people know is not good for a car that shares engine oil with the gearbox!
A lot of people who bought sportpacks new thought they where buying a modern version of the mini so didnt know about changing oil every 3k preferably and crunching into second gear was thought of 'as they all do that' and rover didnt really help by agreeing with them in my experience!
An ideal daily would be a 90/93 carb cooper 1275 on the 12" wheels with 165 tyres, or an 94/95 spi
Without trying to be blatant I do have a customer selling his mini that would be ideal for your needs, let me know if i can help.
willisdavidge said:
Yes definatly agree with a non sports pack mini, I ran an s works one for two years and covered 20k miles, did two head rebuilds in that time! the rest was ok but general handling etc wasnt as good as 12 or better 10" wheeled examples,
It was my company car so it was the 's' or a BM mini so had to have a real one! removing the s pack roller rockers really helped with head reliability and restored some of the lost torque
Another issue with the sportpack cars is gearboxes, the tolernaces from the factory where not too good and most had a new one after only a few miles and then again later, most have been replaced now, Ive done quite a few over the years(i run a classic car/mini workshop) it shouldnt be issue by now but I still get one in everynow and then with an original smashed to peices box! the problem is rover not only not addressing the build quality but also changing service intervals from 1990 to service every year or 10000miles inline with other rovers, this as a lot of people know is not good for a car that shares engine oil with the gearbox!
A lot of people who bought sportpacks new thought they where buying a modern version of the mini so didnt know about changing oil every 3k preferably and crunching into second gear was thought of 'as they all do that' and rover didnt really help by agreeing with them in my experience!
An ideal daily would be a 90/93 carb cooper 1275 on the 12" wheels with 165 tyres, or an 94/95 spi
Without trying to be blatant I do have a customer selling his mini that would be ideal for your needs, let me know if i can help.
Agree 100% with this.It was my company car so it was the 's' or a BM mini so had to have a real one! removing the s pack roller rockers really helped with head reliability and restored some of the lost torque
Another issue with the sportpack cars is gearboxes, the tolernaces from the factory where not too good and most had a new one after only a few miles and then again later, most have been replaced now, Ive done quite a few over the years(i run a classic car/mini workshop) it shouldnt be issue by now but I still get one in everynow and then with an original smashed to peices box! the problem is rover not only not addressing the build quality but also changing service intervals from 1990 to service every year or 10000miles inline with other rovers, this as a lot of people know is not good for a car that shares engine oil with the gearbox!
A lot of people who bought sportpacks new thought they where buying a modern version of the mini so didnt know about changing oil every 3k preferably and crunching into second gear was thought of 'as they all do that' and rover didnt really help by agreeing with them in my experience!
An ideal daily would be a 90/93 carb cooper 1275 on the 12" wheels with 165 tyres, or an 94/95 spi
Without trying to be blatant I do have a customer selling his mini that would be ideal for your needs, let me know if i can help.
The other factor in gearbox failure was the decision by Rover, or whatever they were calling themselves that week, to go from a 'proper' mineral oil to specifying a semi-synthetic 10w40, or 'weasel-p**s' as my old buddy used to call it.
The gearbox, as a gearbox, really needs the old EP80 gear oil as it is based on an A35 'box, but as a compromise due to sharing with the engine, a 20w50 mineral is optimum, and a good quality one at that changed every 2000 to 3000 miles. That's the way to make a gearbox last a bit longer.
willisdavidge said:
Yes definatly agree with a non sports pack mini, I ran an s works one for two years and covered 20k miles, did two head rebuilds in that time! the rest was ok but general handling etc wasnt as good as 12 or better 10" wheeled examples,
It was my company car so it was the 's' or a BM mini so had to have a real one! removing the s pack roller rockers really helped with head reliability and restored some of the lost torque
Another issue with the sportpack cars is gearboxes, the tolernaces from the factory where not too good and most had a new one after only a few miles and then again later, most have been replaced now, Ive done quite a few over the years(i run a classic car/mini workshop) it shouldnt be issue by now but I still get one in everynow and then with an original smashed to peices box! the problem is rover not only not addressing the build quality but also changing service intervals from 1990 to service every year or 10000miles inline with other rovers, this as a lot of people know is not good for a car that shares engine oil with the gearbox!
A lot of people who bought sportpacks new thought they where buying a modern version of the mini so didnt know about changing oil every 3k preferably and crunching into second gear was thought of 'as they all do that' and rover didnt really help by agreeing with them in my experience!
An ideal daily would be a 90/93 carb cooper 1275 on the 12" wheels with 165 tyres, or an 94/95 spi
Without trying to be blatant I do have a customer selling his mini that would be ideal for your needs, let me know if i can help.
PM me the details!!!!!!It was my company car so it was the 's' or a BM mini so had to have a real one! removing the s pack roller rockers really helped with head reliability and restored some of the lost torque
Another issue with the sportpack cars is gearboxes, the tolernaces from the factory where not too good and most had a new one after only a few miles and then again later, most have been replaced now, Ive done quite a few over the years(i run a classic car/mini workshop) it shouldnt be issue by now but I still get one in everynow and then with an original smashed to peices box! the problem is rover not only not addressing the build quality but also changing service intervals from 1990 to service every year or 10000miles inline with other rovers, this as a lot of people know is not good for a car that shares engine oil with the gearbox!
A lot of people who bought sportpacks new thought they where buying a modern version of the mini so didnt know about changing oil every 3k preferably and crunching into second gear was thought of 'as they all do that' and rover didnt really help by agreeing with them in my experience!
An ideal daily would be a 90/93 carb cooper 1275 on the 12" wheels with 165 tyres, or an 94/95 spi
Without trying to be blatant I do have a customer selling his mini that would be ideal for your needs, let me know if i can help.
nice one.Still looking!
This has come up and is local - any views?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2306850.htm
This has come up and is local - any views?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2306850.htm
samrr said:
Still looking!
This has come up and is local - any views?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2306850.htm
It looks fantastic. (5k is still a huge amount for a Mini IMO but it's how the market is).This has come up and is local - any views?
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2306850.htm
Just check, double check and treble check everywhere for signs of rot.
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