Wanted Wanted - Mini

[Rusty_Rocket]

Like Marv'sMa says, it looks correct to me, in general, and if you're looking at it as an investment, the un-messed with cars are the best bet.

The steering wheel has been swapped because the original one is the 'bus' type and quite unwieldy!  Single speedo, fixed rear windows are correct for an 850.  It's a mk4 Mini, which means rubber mounted frames, no drip rails on the roof and a little sound deadening.  Believe it or not, these were advertised by BL as 'the quiet Minis'.  I said, THE QUIET MINIS     !!

 

The sunroof is a minus point.  Probably fitted in the 80s, Minis look wrong with the sunroof up and it hurts values.

 

Worth noting, the 850s have a 'shorter' diff, (a 3.76:1 if you're a geek) which further affects its usability as you'll find it extremely busy at anything over 60mph.

As for the price, if it's as good underneath, you'll not go far wrong.  (yes, I know we used to buy them for £100).

[egg]

My parents drove from Kent to Scotland on Holiday in an Mini 850 in the early 70s...(why they didn't take my dad's Super Minx I have no idea).

 

This one is appealing!

 

Good luck if you go for it.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

The petrol cap is just wrong.

So’s the steering wheel.

 

To be fair, the Mini looks a gem though. Do you like pootling, and having smily people smile as you pootle? I’d imagine this car would make it happen.

[HMC]

I like that. It's periodness wins it. At least to me, far too many end up red and with some cooperised bits and end up being a generic mini from no specific era. That's 70s and proud of it. I can almost imagine spike Milligan popping out of it in some period advert.

[Timewaster]

Less is more with a BL mini.

 

No wood dash, no wheel arch extensions, no spot lights, no stripes, no minilites, no Italian job stickers, no black and silver plates. Lovely.

 

Although I am guilty of more than one of those crimes in the past.

 

The steering wheel is from an '88 on car and should be a two spoke with an almost triangular vinyl pad.

 

You wouldn't lose if you bought it, unless you leave it parked in the long grass over a couple of winters.

[Timewaster]

Ahem.

 

 

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Mini-850/183312499973?_mwBanner=1&_rdt=1

[SiC]

I saw that when trying to find this one mentioned on this thread. Can't find the one on this thread though.

[Parky]

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.

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Ermehgerd it is exactly like my one! Albeit mine was crash damaged, rusty, not as nice in any way and only cost £60

[Christine]

My '67 hydrolastic morris mini  minor 850...     tastefully modified   with Dunlop alloys ,mk2 rear lights , rear wiper , huge plastic dash with a zillion gauges , 1275gt  and then a cooper spec 998 ,with 731 cam,  LCB ,  peco zorst,  buckets...165 70's ,  1/2 a mini trailer .. jeez I loved that car ... So did some cats! 

The late Nick Whiting at All Car Equipe nr brands hatch,and  Howe exhausts  made a packet out of me !  

 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

It's Java green, a base 850 so vinyl trim, single speedo, no reverse lights, sealed rear 1/4 windows. Should have a black grille. The 1000 and 850 SDL had the stripey velour, three clock dash, reverse lights. They should all have the boomerang steering wheel from late 1977 to 1980.

 

850's are okay - the later ones from '75 had the 1.5 inch SU and a good one isn't far behind a 1000.

 

I would suggest an earlier Rover Cooper tbh. Carbed ones go well, single point injection ones are really crisp, Twin Point ones can be very, very unreliable and hard to fix. For 3 grand, a solid example needing bits gradually done to it would be a better bet but that 850 does look sweet. But, these were normally utterly fucked with rust 25-30 years ago. Minis are so easy to bodge, and easy to disguise a rotten shitheap. 

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

but are the bumpers original, got a feeling they should be black on an 850 of this year. 

 

 

 

The Mini City had black bumpers - early 1980 on a V were the first ones, followed by a 998 Mini HL on the forest W plates to replace the 1000. 

 

The 1098 was a great engine. BL should have developed it for the Mini and Metro HLE - would have been a genuine 50 mpg car in 1980.

[SiC]

What is so great about the 1098cc compared to other a-series? I've read that the Mini tuners don't rate it that much as an engine compared to say the 1275.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Torque. It's very long stroke (same as the 1275) but with small bores and small ports. That means fast gas speeds and excellent throttle response. It worked far better in the Mini than it did in the 1100.

[SiC]

It worked far better in the Mini than it did in the 1100.

Don't tell me things like that! Surely there isn't too much weight difference between a Mini Clubman Estate and a ado16 in povo spec?

[Matty]

Not a thing that you buy with a practical mindset. My nan had minis when I was young, they were the first cars I ever worked on. Wanted one badly at 17 but even then they were too dear/well fucked. Not likely to get one now. Get it bought worry about whether it was a good idea later!!

[Rusty_Rocket]

My 1975 car has an 1100cc engine in it.  1098cc to be precise, it was the best engine I could get hold of when the original 998 lost oil pressure.  It has still only done around 50k from new.  I agree, they are torquey engines.  Mine has a 12G205 head, which is close to the 998 Cooper one, a maniflow exhaust manifold, RC40 exhaust, alloy inlet yada yada yada.

It looks standard and is no noisier than a stock example.  I reckon it's probably putting out 55ish bhp, not a massive amount but I can honestly say I've never really felt the need for any more power.

 

It's no show queen- it lives a life of blasting through B-roads and nipping to the shops 

 

20150709_125028 (2) by David James, on Flickr

 

DSC001244 by David James, on Flickr

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

^^^ Oooh I like that. Vermillion Mini 1000, about 1976?

 

The 12G295 was used first on the MG1100 and Sprite, and the 998 Cooper a year later. It was based on a Formula Junior design and works very well. From distant memory, some had locating rings for the inlet manifold and some didn't. 

[Rusty_Rocket]

It's Flamenco Red (orange) and pre-dates Vermilion, which was a lot more popular!  I think flamenco was also used on other BL tat of the time.  It's a 1975 car and the paint is original, but very thin in places now.

That's interesting re the head, like you say- it's a good design for its time.  This one doesn't have the locating rings.  It does mid 40s to the gallon, but the tank is tiny on mk3 cars so you don't go far on a fill up.

[Asimo]

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.

No. By the standards of 1976 when I first drove a mini, the brakes were completely inadequate. Fade is the word. To nothing at all really very quickly. 10" wheels just don't leave space enough for brakes with adequate capacity.

 

And hydrolastic is much better than the miserable rubber cones.

 

My favourite mini feature is the starter button on the floor. BMC gave up on that much too soon.

[Noel Tidybeard]

why has somone fitted the exhaust off an estate/van? shirley a std saloon one is cheaper and easier to find

 

be carefull reverse parking by a wall with that! lol

[Noel Tidybeard]

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.

 

no black/painted bumpers would be later than T reg- i'm thinking W reg onwards when they did the HL

[Noel Tidybeard]

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.

 

 

 

all vehicles first used after the 1st of August 1978, must have at least two mirrors that offer an adequate view to the rear of the vehicle

 

so that can be 1 interior + 1 door mirror or 2 door mirrors if no internal one

[Noel Tidybeard]

iirc the 8farty was 34 bhp with 40 for the 1000 and 44 for the 1100

 

ironically the extra powah of the 1100 clubfoot was enough to make the car slower than a round front 1000! 78 vs 84 lol

 

i seem to remember the 850 was not significantly more economical than the 1000

[New POD]

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*

Having owned :

1974 1000

1978 850

1977 1100 clubman

1988 1000

plus 2 metros

1275 Turbo and 1275 Sport

 

I'd rate 1275 and 850 as equal top. Both were more free reving than the others.

[BorniteIdentity]

Where is it? Got an advert link for it?

 

Sorry, I wasn't being deliberately evasive.  I was still weighing up whether or not I want to buy it.

 

I do still want to buy it.  But I won't.

 

Here's the link - hopefully it will work for you once you're logged into FB.

 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/423366011475751/

[SiC]

Sorry, I wasn't being deliberately evasive. I was still weighing up whether or not I want to buy it.

 

I do still want to buy it. But I won't.

 

Here's the link - hopefully it will work for you once you're logged into FB.

 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/423366011475751/

Link doesn't work. Has it sold? Either that or I don't have access to the group I guess.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 

And hydrolastic is much better than the miserable rubber cones.

 

 

 

 

+1

 

Hydro, when in perfect condition, is superb. They don't handle quite as well but the ride is excellent. Knackered hydro is awful.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Having owned :

1974 1000

1978 850

1977 1100 clubman

1988 1000

plus 2 metros

1275 Turbo and 1275 Sport

 

I'd rate 1275 and 850 as equal top. Both were more free reving than the others.

 

The A Series is an insanely good engine. Even today, a carefully built one with the right bits is torquey, excellent in fuel and with great throttle response. Fiat etc made all these OHC 5 bearing things and none had specific fuel consumption anywhere near the A Series. Mags used to laugh at the long stroke (torque), small bores (more torque), three bearing crank (low friction). They just didn't get it. With further development and a good five speed box...........

 

There's a reason BL made it for so long. 

[BorniteIdentity]

The A Series is an insanely good engine. Even today, a carefully built one with the right bits is torquey, excellent in fuel and with great throttle response. Fiat etc made all these OHC 5 bearing things and none had specific fuel consumption anywhere near the A Series. Mags used to laugh at the long stroke (torque), small bores (more torque), three bearing crank (low friction). They just didn't get it. With further development and a good five speed box...........

 

There's a reason BL made it for so long.

You’re getting me all aroused again. FFS.

[Guest Hooli]

I'd love a mini but not at today's prices.