soon to be 17yr old daughter wants a mini

[tattymarbots]

as above, will this be a good first car

looking at getting one for my daughter for her 17th birthday next may
biggest concern is rust and insurance

are they easy cars to "do up" on a diy level, i know a mechanic, welder, painter so not overly concerned

what about insurance or is this going to stop me before i start

[TVR Sagaris]

Insurance will be as good as anything. If you can get it on a good classic policy it will be significantly cheaper.

You'll probably need to spend £2000 for a decent one, but be prepared to get some welding done on even the nicest example. When you're looking, really poke around the sills/floor/scuttle. The engines (998cc or 1275cc - I wouldn't bother looking at 850s or engines which have been bored out) are generally the strongest bit of the car and are easy (and cheap) to fix, so it doesn't matter if everything isn't perfect there.

If you aren't bothered about getting a lot of welding done then they are very easy to 'do up'.

It will need constant maintenance, but shouldn't be unreliable unless it's neglected.

Edited by TVR Sagaris on Monday 8th November 17:56

[Cooperman]

Just make sure it is not rusty and I do mean not rusty. Check the front wings, front panel, screen scuttle and screen lower rail, A-panels, sills (inner and outer), floors, boot floor especially at the very back where it meets the boot surround, rear valence, inside the rear side pockets right at the back, door skins and door bottoms and anywhere else you can think of.
My grandson bought a 1997 MPI a while back for £1660. It had a current MoT and tax. We knew it would be rusty and were not surprised when we found it needed new wings and front panel, new A-panels, new outer sills, etc, etc. However, even I was surprised when we found that one outer sill was newspaper with a thin skim of filler. If it had been in a hard side impact it would just have crumpled away. The newspapers were dated 3 weeks before we got the car. Of course, we didnt really inspect it as the level of rust is not a problem for us and it's now all ready to go to the paint shop. But for someone without our workshop facilities it would be a serious matter indeed.
So, buyer beware!

[guru_1071]

they are a good first car, as they are small, cheap to run and have very good resale value

they are also (as we all know) super cool!

sure, there is the 'crash' problem, but if all you buy a car on is how well it survives in a crash you will buy a tank!

if you looking at buying one, buy only on the condition of the body as this costs the most to fix, id also look for the disc brakes, the later servod master cylinder etc

theres plenty of junk out there, but if you find a good one you will be laughing.

[annodomini2]

1. Get her to join the local mini club

2. Go to their meets and get to know them.

3. They will know people with cars for sale, but also they may be able to come with you to look at other cars.

4. Clubs sometimes get discount on insurance, so this can help.

[checkmate91]

If she learns to drive in it and can accept the noise, the discomfort, the harshness and the noise (did I mention the noise?), then she'll no doubt love it. They are just so dynamic (and cool for teenagers, so I'm told).

However if she learns to drive in a new Corsa, Fiat 500, BMW Mini or Micra, she will probably hate it.

[Iain328]

guru_1071 said:

sure, there is the 'crash' problem, but if all you buy a car on is how well it survives in a crash you will buy a tank!

Not necessarily - if you take an old (but sound) Mini & put it in accident with a modern car of equal size & weight, but with airbags & crash structures, in which one ar ethe occupents going to come off worse?

Then consider that a lot of modern cars are indeed a bit heavier than a mini & the problem gets amplified.

I don't think I'd put my kids in one as a first car these days sadly

[TVR Sagaris]

checkmate91 said:

If she learns to drive in it and can accept the noise, the discomfort, the harshness and the noise (did I mention the noise?), then she'll no doubt love it. They are just so dynamic (and cool for teenagers, so I'm told).

However if she learns to drive in a new Corsa, Fiat 500, BMW Mini or Micra, she will probably hate it.

That'll depend on whether she "enjoys" driving: compared to the cars you list, the Mini is considerably more fun. I learnt to drive in a variety of cars - to start with in an old MGB - but that included modern hatches. I'd choose the Mini over a typical 17-year old's car any day (i.e. 1.2 Corsa/Fiesta/Micra). I drove a mkII Clio the other day and it felt completely numb in comparison to the Mini.

Iain328 said:

Not necessarily - if you take an old (but sound) Mini & put it in accident with a modern car of equal size & weight, but with airbags & crash structures, in which one ar ethe occupents going to come off worse?

Then consider that a lot of modern cars are indeed a bit heavier than a mini & the problem gets amplified.

I don't think I'd put my kids in one as a first car these days sadly

It should be pretty clear that a Mini will do badly in a crash versus a new car. But the person driving a Mini is more involved in driving the car, has less obstructions in front of their eyes and probably cares for their car and thus drives more sensibly; they're probably less likely to crash in the first place.

[Iain328]

TVR Sagaris said:

It should be pretty clear that a Mini will do badly in a crash versus a new car. But the person driving a Mini is more involved in driving the car, has less obstructions in front of their eyes and probably cares for their car and thus drives more sensibly; they're probably less likely to crash in the first place.

..but you can never legislate for "the other driver"

[shortness149]

Unlike most 17 year old girls I always wanted a mini as my first car from a very young age. I saved up and with the help of my dad we bought a 1989 Mini 30. I was over the moon! Ok it wasn’t in perfect condition needing a few panels replaced but we worked on it together and restored it. Four years on and it’s still going great. The mini has taught me many lessons on how to drive and control a car and I feel I am a better driver because of it. Nothing puts a smile on my face like taking my mini for a drive, I wouldn’t be without it. Yes it has been a lot of work and might not be the safest of cars but it all has been worthwhile and it has made me appreciate it a lot more and look after my cars.

I joined a local mini club and always enjoy attending runs and shows together. It’s a fantastic way to get help with any issues you have or to get parts.

I would recommend your daughter getting one. She will appreciate it a lot more than the typical girlie car like a BMW Mini. It will also teach her how to drive better with no ABS or power steering. I would never part with my mini, I’m so glad it was my first car.

[Cooperman]

shortness149 said:

Unlike most 17 year old girls I always wanted a mini as my first car from a very young age. I saved up and with the help of my dad we bought a 1989 Mini 30. I was over the moon! Ok it wasn’t in perfect condition needing a few panels replaced but we worked on it together and restored it. Four years on and it’s still going great. The mini has taught me many lessons on how to drive and control a car and I feel I am a better driver because of it. Nothing puts a smile on my face like taking my mini for a drive, I wouldn’t be without it. Yes it has been a lot of work and might not be the safest of cars but it all has been worthwhile and it has made me appreciate it a lot more and look after my cars.

I joined a local mini club and always enjoy attending runs and shows together. It’s a fantastic way to get help with any issues you have or to get parts.

I would recommend your daughter getting one. She will appreciate it a lot more than the typical girlie car like a BMW Mini. It will also teach her how to drive better with no ABS or power steering. I would never part with my mini, I’m so glad it was my first car.

And who remembers the ad directed at potential young lady owners which said "When everything else goes wrong, your Mini will still love you!"

[JTBUSH]

Iain328 said:

guru_1071 said:

sure, there is the 'crash' problem, but if all you buy a car on is how well it survives in a crash you will buy a tank!

Not necessarily - if you take an old (but sound) Mini & put it in accident with a modern car of equal size & weight, but with airbags & crash structures, in which one ar ethe occupents going to come off worse?

Then consider that a lot of modern cars are indeed a bit heavier than a mini & the problem gets amplified.

I don't think I'd put my kids in one as a first car these days sadly

Ive got a mini, had it since I was 14. It was my first car, and I love it so much Ive still got it now (30 yr old)

There is absolutely no way I would want my kids driving round in one. In the same way I always wanted a motorbike but my Mum would never let me have one and out of respect for her wishes I still dont now.

Its frightens the sh*t out of me seeing Minis parked up next to even todays small cars. They are dwarfed.

Minis are fantastic for fun cars used occasionally, but as a daily driver in modern day traffic, they are complete death traps. The amount of people you see driving round on mobile phones and generally just not paying attention in their uber safe little cocoons is frightening. I think this may in some way be down to how safe cars are these days in that you can crash at pretty much any legal speed and be in with a good chance of survival. Only problem is, if one of these idiots runs into your mini youve got no chance.

Small modern cars start off somewhere just north of a tonne. A tonne hitting a mini at 20 mph+ is going to do huge amounts of damage to both the car and the occupant.

So, in summary, Id be looking at something else for your loved ones first car!