Am I going Bonkers?

[Fatboy]

I'm starting to question my sense of reason here, as my Mum is moving house, meaning that my Brothers Mini, which has been sitting in her garage for 8 months since the engine went pop, needs a new home. Since my Bro bought himself a saxo, he said I could have it. Now I've almost decided to have it, but it need a couple of new A Panels and Doorskins, and a new engine (my Bro found one for not much cash, but it needs a new sump). Thing is I'll have to sell my nice reliable Mk2 golf, for this rattly, sometimes unreliable car that is a million times more fun to drive. Am I going nuts, or is this the right decision?

>>> Edited by Fatboy on Wednesday 20th March 14:18

[big rumbly]

YES

[tvradict]

It's a mini!
Do you really need to ask!

[Guy Humpage]

In the 2 years I ran my Mini as my only car, there was always something wrong with it, for a couple of months if I used reverse gear all the fuses blew, so I always had to find a parking spot I could drive in and out of, otherwise I'd have to pop the bonnet and remove the fuses, reverse out and then put the fuses back

What sort of mileage will you be doing? My Cooper is geared for 20mph per thousand in 4th, so 80mph was fairly easy on the motorway, but I wouldn't like to do my current 25K mile per annum in one.

[Twin Turbo]

Of course it's the right decision. You can't go around whistling the "Self Preservation Society" tune in a blimmin' Golf can ya?

[plotloss]

Are you seriously considering the merits of a MkII Golf (see porky) over one of the greatest cars ever made?

Dont be silly, just accept the kind offer.

If it does need a new engine, and you really fancy suprising people in 330Ci's I highly recommend the Honda front end conversion and find an Integra Type R engine to slot in.

Matt.

[Fatboy]

Cheers for the Input guys, I don't do much in the way of milage (maybe 10K a year), but I do a few short trips up and down the M40. It always went wrong when my brother had it, but that probably had something to do with his total lack of mechanical sympathy!

Re: the honda front end, would be fun, wouldn't it? But I think finances will constrain me to another 998cc engine. Even though I dream of dropping in that turbo'd Hayabusa engine I saw on one of Ted's links...

[plotloss]

Fun is an understatement!

At the National Mini Showdown in 1996 I saw a fella running a fibreglass shelled, tubular framed mini with an Astra 2.0 16v lump in it. On the Sunday it was a run what you brung day and there were a few lads with 24v Mondeos and Escort Cossies with them. Well the little yellow Mini slayed all comers and apparently the Honda conversion with the Type R motor is even quicker!

Matt.

[muley]

yes.

Sounds like you should jack up the mini's windscreen wipers and slide a new one underneath. Mini is not much fun on the motorway, but the golf mk II will go on and on and on and on zzzzzzz. Good old buses IMHO.

[PetrolTed]

Lots of Mini owners here by the looks of it. Need a forum or are there plenty of Mini forums elsewhere?

[si b.]

Have you lot gone mad!!!!!!!! The MK2 golf is a classic in it's own right - my MK2 GTI was probably the best / value for money car I have ever owned - took it hill climbing - thrashed the nads off the thing for 200k miles - owned it 5 years, sold it for 500 quid less than I paid for it - my mate has now owned it for 3yrs and racked up another 50k trouble free miles - The thing looks good, hasn't rusted, is virtually bullet proof, is practical, great fun to drive............and you're recomending that this chap chucks it all in for a 'pile'o'poo' Mini!!!!! ...and yes I've owned two Minis - bloody rusty unreliable death traps, both of 'em.

Rant over,

Si

[plotloss]

Ted,

I havent seen many Mini forums on the web, and the ones I have seen have been an abject lesson in bad design.

I'll have a poke round my old favourites and let you know what I can find.

Matt.

[Guy Humpage]

I believe there are a couple of very popular email list for Minis but there doesn't seem to be an authoritative bbs type forum.

Unfortunately it seems that currently most Mini discussions I've seen are spoiled by irrelevant prejudice against the new MINI.

[tvradict]

quote:
...are spoiled by irrelevant prejudice against the new MINI.

You mean the BMW One Series. It's an outrage that they should have even considered putting the Mini name to a German...thing! It's big, ugly and NOT BRITISH!