Viewing and hopefully a cool-leckshion - ARSEHOLE ALERT!!!

[Peter C]

I've been looking for a warm hatch for a while and decided that a Mk1 Bini Cooper would fit the bill. So last month I bought a Ford StreetKa. I got it thinking that it would be fun to mess about with over the summer and that I should be able to sell it easily enough when the time comes. So far so good.

A few days ago I bumped into a work friend, who enquired whether I have found a Bini Cooper yet. Cut a long story short, he knows someone whose father recently passed away and has a low mileage 2004 Cooper S for sale, apparently going cheap. And it's local. The car has been standing in a garage whilst the old boy was unwell and now needs a new owner. This is where I come in. Based on the description (no photos), it needs a good clean and a service. 

I'm in two minds what to do. On the one hand this could be a great opportunity to buy a desirable car for little money but on the other I am still enjoying my little Ford and I don't want something that is going to turn into a project. 

All being well I will get to see it tomorrow. 

[Fraz]

Buy the mini. Sell the street ka

[dean36014]

Surely the correct answer is buy the cooper and keep both! Having been a passenger it my mates wife's sportska I confirm they go very well and handling is great! Never been in a mini as not the greatest fan but willing to have my mind changed.

[SRi05]

Street Ka will roffle out in around 35 minutes.

[big_al_granvia]

13 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

Street Ka will roffle out in around 35 minutes.

that long, i reckon 15

[Peter C]

3 hours ago, Fraz said:

Buy the mini. Sell the street ka

That could work!

 

3 hours ago, dean36014 said:

Surely the correct answer is buy the cooper and keep both! 

Not enough room at the inn.

 

20 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

Street Ka will roffle out in around 35 minutes.

 

6 minutes ago, big_al_granvia said:

that long, i reckon 15

Are you guys taking the piss? I got the impression that there aren't too many fans of my little Ford.

[big_al_granvia]

a wee ka without rust running a duratech, bloody tempting. the original ka was the most real mini like car i ever drove, een with a crossflow it was a fukin hoot round knockhill, its bigger sister the puma 1.7 was outstanding but try finding one of them that isnt rotten

[dome]

A good Cooper S is going to be potentially worth decent money in years to come. Keep us posted and even if you don't want it I'm sure someone on here will!

[Peter C]

I've read just about every buyers guide that is available on the internet and have made arrangements to view the Cooper this morning. 

The car is not taxed or MoTd but it's so close to my house that I am almost tempted to jump in and drive it home. 

[Sham]

Both are well respected warm teeny cars. I live too near the coast to be a StreetKa. It would dissolve between rust treatments.

[Minimad5]

I'd love a Cooper S

But sadly all the ones I've seen are utterly shagged.

If you end up passing on it, do pass details on.

[Peter C]

As arranged, I arrived at the property address at 10am. To be exact, I was parked outside five minutes early. I've been told that the house is empty and judging by the absence of any cars on the driveway, I assumed that the seller had not arrived yet. So I waited. And waited. And waited. At exactly 10:30am I called the seller. Without any apology, he told me that he is busy (no explanation given) and told (not asked) me to come back at 1pm. I agreed.

I went back for the 1pm appointment and found the seller outside the property and with the garage doors open, I could see the Cooper S parked inside. Despite our earlier telephone conversation, I remained polite and offered my condolences (his father had just died). I was then told (not asked) not to take a phone or a camera into the garage as it contains personal family belongings and a collection of expensive wine bottles. 

The garage had no windows and it was dark inside with just the front doors open. From what I could see, beneath a layer of dust, the bodywork looked ok. All four tyres were semi-flat and the alloy wheels were covered with brake dust and cobwebs. The interior looked mint but there was an overwhelming stench of rotting apples / cider. Not pleasant but hopefully nothing that a good clean couldn't sort out.

Despite standing unused for almost two years, the Cooper was apparently regularly started and the battery was charged. The engine needed a few seconds of cranking but it fired up. And promptly died. After three further attempts I got it to start and run but it was hunting quite badly and a strong smell of fuel was coming from the exhaust. I guess it was running very rich. The odometer was showing just over 33k miles. 

With  the seller's permission, I tried to reverse the Cooper out of the garage. Except I couldn't, for two reasons. The handbrake was off when I got into the car but the brakes were obviously seized on. The big issue, however, was the gear lever, which refused to select reverse. I tried numerous times, letting the clutch in and out, with the engine switched off, no chance, it wasn't going in. The lever moved towards the reverse position but not far enough to get the gear. Selecting 1st gear and letting the clutch out slowly prompted the engine to stall, so the clutch was working ok.

The seller was always in close proximity to me and witnessed everything that I experienced. Although by now I was 50/50 whether to buy it, I told the seller that by towing the Cooper out of the garage the brakes should let go, that I could pump the tyres up and take it for a drive around the block, which may free up whatever is causing the gearlever not to go into reverse. At this point the seller accused me of wasting his time and not being genuinely interested in buying the Cooper. My offer to return later this afternoon with a tow rope was rejected and I was told that the seller has a long list of people who are prepared to buy the Cooper without causing him so much inconvenience. I thanked the seller for his time and left.

I got back in my car and drove home, shocked at what had just happened. I had to be polite to the seller as he knows someone who I know via work but I don't mind telling you boys, the guy is an absolute fucking arsehole! Just don't tell anyone else.

One positive thing came out of today's experience, I really want a Bini Cooper!

[Kiltox]

Surely he just wanted someone to turn up with cash and a trailer and remove the car from the garage? It doesn’t sound to me like it was the kind of purchase open to a load of messing around. 

Granted not telling you he wasn’t going to be there at the agreed time is a bit shitty. 

[bunglebus]

Unless it was dirt cheap you've probably dodged a bullet both with the car and the seller by the sound of it

[Spurious]

Sounded like an awkward seller and a bullet dodged. There's plenty of Binis out there. 

[Peter C]

7 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

Surely he just wanted someone to turn up with cash and a trailer and remove the car from the garage? 

Agreed! Perhaps it was my fault for not asking enough questions before coming out to view the car. As the seller's father's house was local to me, I figured that I had nothing to lose if I pop over and view it. 

[Timewaster]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Unless it was dirt cheap you've probably dodged a bullet both with the car and the seller by the sound of it

Exactly this. Shame to miss a low miler but better to avoid a dick head seller.

Was a price discussed?

From what you have written I suspect he thinks he has something worth a fortune.

[Peter C]

1 minute ago, Timewaster said:

Was a price discussed?

From the outset I was told that the seller wanted a bag of sand and no haggling.

I would have bought it if the car made it out of the garage under its own steam.

[SRi05]

Not selecting reverse ? Mini gonna Mini 

Bullet dodged

[tooSavvy]

17 minutes ago, Peter C said:

From the outset I was told that the seller wanted a bag of sand and no haggling.

I would have bought it if the car made it out of the garage under its own steam.

Bag...eh? I got stuck for that and NO TEST DRIVE!

*OK.... I drove to Lincoln, from York, and back home to Tyneside off the guys drive..... Still 

[goosey]

Fair play, you have loads more patience then me, after the initial no-show I wouldn’t have bothered going back.

[Bren]

In that state whoever buys it is going to cause inconvenience.

Best avoided methinks.

[big_al_granvia]

knowing how bini gearboxes can be i suspect it may be fukin fuked... perhaps lack of backwards motion was the reason for being laid up

[tooSavvy]

4 minutes ago, big_al_granvia said:

knowing how bini gearboxes can be i suspect it may be fukin fuked... perhaps lack of backwards motion was the reason for being laid up

*and not reversed into garage

[cort16]

When I get attitude like that you I want to tell them to stick it up their arse out of principle. No need to be rude!

[Lanciaman]

2 minutes ago, cort16 said:

When I get attitude like that you I want to tell them to stick it up their arse out of principle. No need to be rude!

Exactly

[dome]

If it was me and I had contact details I'd be tempted to compose a text/email saying thanks for letting me view. I'd offer £X for the car as it is with X being what you'd be happy to pay.

It might sound harsh but I fully expect him to get a queue of folk offering £500 mate doing you a favour innit so you might well win out of it.

Or, scratch it up to experience and find another, especially if the lack of reverse gear is a serious thing and not just a dodgy linkage 

[tooSavvy]

"..the lack of reverse gear is a serious thing and not just a dodgy linkage .."

Lineage, m8.... = of BL

[Dave_Q]

Maybe the guy was told you were going to take it regardless and there were crossed wires. Obviously a stressful situation for him either way.

To me £1000 does not sound like a "maybe it works, maybe it doesn't" price, if you are trailering it away on the assumption it might be scrap or need extensive work, it would need to me like £500 for me. But I am not that genned up on how much they go for or what parts are worth.

[Lacquer Peel]

Did you buy the Daihatsu Grand Move 1.6 I recommended