Wanted Wanted - Mini

[Faker]

I had a few minis when I was young... loved them... but not for very long.. but then again they were daily cars back then. I bought an absolute minter... and I mean minter 1996 Cooper back in mid 2004. Sold it 6/12/2005... regret it ever since. Hateful piles of shite!! But addictive things.

[New POD]

Do Minis suffer the same gearbox woes as Metros?

The only metros that had gearbox woes were preface lift mg turdos. When mid range boost came in the torque would pull the gear box apart. solved on facelift cars by tuning out the bottom end torque so it drives more like a 2 stroke.

[D Spares & Tyres]

I'm of that age that I have had a couple but only because I couldn't afford anything better at the time. Couldn't wait to get a proper car!

 

As a weekend toy though they are probably fun.

 

I did put filler in the a panels of a four year old example in around 2000. Shocking build quality

 

Not so much rust i would look for, that's pretty obvious. It's more the quality of repairs i would be looking at. ( microblisters, bulging filler etc)

[Des]

Look out for electrical problems where some donkey bollock has stabbed up the loom from fitting the grill with pointy screws. 

[Noel Tidybeard]

Look out for electrical problems where some donkey bollock has stabbed up the loom from fitting the grill with pointy screws. 

 

ask me how i know this....

[UltraWomble]

]

 

Has anyone mentioned dodgy ID's and Rust yet?

[Timewaster]

Hard to remember there was a time these were completely disposable. Like KAs about 5 years ago.

 

Mk2 Minis with hydrolastic suspension are comically bouncy.

 

I had one in about 1999 bought for £500, spent £££ on it. Welded acres of metal info it quite badly, eventually gave up and sold it back to the guy I bought it from for £500.

 

Saw a picture of it on't tinternet about 5 years later. It had been done up properly this time (I bet they cursed me!) It was on the grid of some sort of classic race.

It has since disappeared from the MOT database, crashed or exported? Lots of USAF around here liked to take them home.

[BorniteIdentity]

I am getting slightly cold feet, it has to be said, about whether I’ve the balls to drop three bags on something I can probably use about 20 times this year.

 

That said, you can’t take it with you either.

 

I’ll probably just post it up a bit later and see what y’all think. If someone pinches it, then fair play.

[bramz7]

I think I know what Mini this is. Don't blame you for getting cold feet, it's a lot of money to spunk on one car. However on the flip side it's quite cheap for a decent original Mini.

I nearly pulled out of buying the 164 as it was a sizeable amount more than I'd ever paid for a car before, however it's probably one of the most satisfying drivers cars I've owned now.

If you kept on top of this one you'd never really lose anything on it. However, how many project/keep nice cars is too many?

[dollywobbler]

 If someone pinches it, then fair play.

 

That is also a very real threat. I think these are right up their with Land Rovers as the most commonly nicked motors.

[Jerzy Woking]

Project Binky? The early episodes showed where they rust..........

[SiC]

I was chatting to my wife yesterday evening and it turns out her Great Grandmother (who died last year at 101yrs) used to own a Mini Clubman. Well it did require a phone call to her father as she was convinced it was a Morris Minor Traveller. Despite this photo clearly showing not! Interestingly the reg shows it up at Leyland Cars. Shows how HowManyLeft can be inaccurate.

 

So thats a car very much on the allowed buy list! Annoyingly there was a reasonably priced (~£2k) one for sale earlier this year that I was tempted by. However I thought she wouldn't have approved very much on such a purchase. Never mind. Will have to keep a look out again.

 

I wonder where it is now? It would have been sold around 1997 when the tax was last valid. Should have been minimal rot as she only drove it locally and only on nice days. Being of the age that she only ever did 40mph everywhere.

[timolloyd]

I reckon these should be one of the easier cars to spend a relatively large amount on purchase. You’ll always get your money back, provided it isn’t a total pit, and even when it does need fixing, they’re still pretty cheap and easy.

 

I can’t agree with the comments here about the brakes. It’s an old car, and those brakes were fine when they were new. Standards have changed, but you drive enough of a variety of vehicles to know how and when to change your driving style.

[dave21478]

I wouldnt spend 3k on a Mini these days. I have owned a lot of them in the past when they were disposable and you could get an MOTd and taxed runner for £200 out the green paper and every scrapyard had a dozen of them, I had allsorts from a boggo City to muchly modified turbocharged thing, vans etc. and while I liked them and still like them, they are objectively terrible as a car. 

The Mini lickers will always bleat on about how "nothing will keep up with one in the twisties...." aye, fucking BULLSHIT. On an average modern bumpy road a diesel Golf will piss all over a mini due to this crazy modern invention called suspension travel. Yes a Mini grips well and slides controllably, but thats fuck all use when only two of the four wheels are making contact with the road due to its 40mm of suspension travel on ancient, hardened rubber "springs" and pretty much anything will see one off in a straight line drag unless the Mini is highly modified, and then its a reliability pit. Both of which are moot points when you are just trying to get to Tesco without pissing off the guy behind you in a Touran because you have to slow right down to crawl over speedbumps.

If you can afford to have one to bumble along for a Sunday drive to a country pub and back, take to the odd show to park in a row of 150 others just the same, and want it for nostalgic reasons, then buy one, but otherwise, there are much more interesting things out there to spend that sort of money on. Things with heaters that work, that dont fuck your spine up and make you bite your tongue over potholes, that have boot space,  and that are less likely to be nicked.

[SiC]

I have out cornered a Mini in that Smart Roadster I had on proper back roads. Easily out accelerated on the straight too, despite the robo-auto box on the Smart. Which tbf is still probably quicker than changing on a a-series box. Less rust too but probably more leaks mind.

 

I still fancy a go in one. Maybe even own one. But I suspect I wouldn't have it for long, especially around a modern, busy city where everyone seems dead set on driving at you rather than around.

 

Bimbling along A and B roads does seem pretty appealing mind.

[Rusty_Rocket]

Minis are not for bimbling around in.

They are for blasting about in on sunny days.

 

Sure, you will not be keeping up with cars designed 50yrs later.  They are slow by modern standards.  They are very noisy.  But they are enormous fun.  They are a unique experience to anyone used to driving vast, overweight modern rubbish and as close to a road-legal kart that you're ever likely to get.

 

A Golf diesel will easily out grip you on the majority of roads.  But you'll be having more fun.

 

Most people who had them as £50 bangers experienced the worst of the design.  The (rubber) suspension springs need to be working properly.  That means springs that still spring and are less than 5-10yrs old.  When the springs age, they harden and sag.  This drops the car onto the bump stops and makes it almost undriveable.  I have three Minis on the road and ensure they springs are working properly.

They drive beautifully on fresh springs and are not uncomfortable at all- the suspension needs to have movement to work properly!

 

A final few points- 1976 onwards cars have rubber-mounted subframes which does improve the NVH levels.  The trade off is slightly less-quick turn in on the steering.

I have a 1975 car, 1983 car and 1991 example and the progression in comfort etc is very noticeable.

 

Regarding reliability, my cars are (admittedly sparingly) used all year round apart from when there's salt on the roads.  In 20 years of Mini driving, I've only been stranded once- when an engine lost oil pressure.  Otherwise, they are totally dependable if they're maintained properly.

 

Any 'shiter thinking of taking the plunge and buying a Mini is most welcome to have a blat in mine

[motorpunk]

Rust. Rust rust rust. RUST! RUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST! R U S T. rusty mcrustface. 

 

I want one, but find one for much under £6-£7k that isn't rusting. Even restored ones are rusting. They all rust. I don't mind that for £1500-£2000 ish, but not for any more. They rust. And rust is a horrible bastard you will never fix.

 

If you want small, cute, fun and marginally less rusty, how about a classic Fiat 500? After giving up on rusty Minis I bought one instead and it's ace. 

 

PS - Rust.

[davocano]

VOTE RUST

 

[Rusty_Rocket]

The Mini is a 1950s car, and rusts like one. It was designed to last 7 years. I'd say that in the 60s and 70s it was no worse for corrosion than anything else of the time. However, by the 80s, the world had moved on... and Mini hadn't.

Ironically, the later cars rusted even worse due to thinner steel of lesser quality and even less paint.

Decent cars are still out there. My '75 is not a cherished example but has only ever been welded once- a patch on the n/s outer and inner sill. My' 83 has had a replacement sill on one side. Other than that, neither have had any other metal or paint work.

Pick your battles!

[BorniteIdentity]

Well this is it.

 

It’s a Leyland branded one in Jade Green (?). An 850 in pretty original condition. It’s seen a welder as they all have, but appears to be doing well for 40.

 

The guy bought it recently but, by the sounds of things, wants to put the money into his other Mini.

 

£3k seems strong, but the affection for these is such that a good one should always be worth the money. I’m not mad keen on an 850; it’s that and the distance that are putting on the anchors right now.

 

If anyone wants to jump in then that’s fine. I’d love to see it in the fold.

 

 

 

[SiC]

A strong 1098cc lump would fit right in that and perk it up no end. I happen to have such a lump in my garage.

 

*Must erase that thought*

[cobblers]

Phwoar! As much as I poopoo minis after owning one for a month (I agree 100% with davenumbers on how they wouldn't keep up with a flipping mondeo), that one is really nice and I'd only really consider a boggo one.

[barrett]

If that's as nice as it looks in those photos then £3k seems like a bargain to me. You'd pay that for a ropey 'modern' one (ie, 80s onwards when they finally lost the last of the nice details) and that's a great colour, too

[SiC]

£3k doesn't seem all that bad for one if it's in good nick imo. To be honest, that's around the starting point for most unrotten 70s vehicles now. Even mint Dolomites/Toledos are fetching >£2.5k now.

 

I would be incredibly surprised if they ever get back to the sub £1k for half decent ones again. Especially as they're such an iconic vehicle stretching many generations. Not going to fall out of fashion anytime soon - if ever.

[Stroller133]

It looks great, probably the best your going to get for 3k nowadays. It doesn’t seem the colour, era and spec that people would use fake Id for generally. However it’s not completely standard, the steering wheel is from an 80s Mini and I would HAVE to change it for an original. 20 years ago I’d gave known what was original, but forgot most of it now, but are the bumpers original, got a feeling they should be black on an 850 of this year. I’m unsure about the seas, I thought they maybe clothe with stripes by this year, but it might just be on the higher spec 1000, with speedo with gauges.

[SiC]

Where is it? Got an advert link for it?

[Stroller133]

A strong 1098cc lump would fit right in that and perk it up no end. I happen to have such a lump in my garage.

 

*Must erase that thought*

My 1098 Clubman was probably the most relaxing Mini Engine I’ve driven. In absolute acceleration and top speed it’s probably no faster than a 998, but in the real life driving it was more pleasant and requires much less gear changing.

 

If that car was mine I’d like a 1098 with a stage 1 kit, either a period aftermarket steering wheel or an original Leyland one. I might also put 10” alloys on, either wolfrace or minilights. I wouldn’t really want the expense, but having not driven a drum braked mini for many years I’d also end up fitting older Cooper discs to enable 10” wheels to be kept.

[SiC]

Ssssh. That engine is the heart of the ado16 it came out of. Only that vehicle it can go back into!!

[Stroller133]

The petrol cap is just wrong.

[MarvinsMom]

with the exception of the steering wheel, which is some 1980's thing and the wing mirror cos i'm not sure that the 850 got one of them standard, i'd say that i think the 850 above is pretty much as it would have been built.

 

i think those seats and single big clock speedo thing are bob-on, even in a late '70s 850.

 

i dunno how much i would want to drive an 850 though, hi-days and and holidays in the countryside prehaps, but i wouldn't want to drive one on a vusy trunck road!

 

and no, it doesn't need a 1300GT engine (other sources of 1275cc A-series are avaliable) putting in it.

 

it looks that unmolested, that after all these years it deserves to stay that way!!