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

[Rusty_Rocket]

You were gracious from the start, he was awkward and unreliable - best avoided sadly.

If the miles were genuine, it sounds like it would be a fantastic project for £1k. The 6-speed gearbox in the S is a very strong Getrag unit and not prone to failure; I'd bet the actuating cables were partially seized where it had sat. 

Keep looking, there's hundreds of thousands of worthwhile ones out there! 

[Erebus]

What an arse.  Proof that sellers as well as buyers can be messers and timewasters 

[garbaldy]

Half of the people here obviously haven't had to deal with a family members estate upon  death.

It is a fucking nightmare let me tell you which I've had to do 3 times now and usually to quite a tight timescale give the guy a break ffs,   for all everyone here knows the seller could have been expecting someone like me to just turn up hand over some cash and drag the old car away not expect to test drive a car that's been off the road for years,   could you imagine what would have happened if it was test driven and picked up by anpr,  a whole load more shit for the poor chap trying to sort out family matters that's what,  no one knows if the guy has had more timewasters already and is just sick of being pissed about so is being rather blunt with everyone now.   If that makes him an arsehole then that's just sad.

There's two sides to every story.

 

[Joey spud]

 Re the reluctance to select reverse back in my RAC days these things often suffered from the selector mechanism on the top of the gearbox seizing up.

They were easy enough to free up with lubricant and wiggling them to and fro though.

Not saying ity is that but wouldn't be at all suprised if it was.

 

 

[gm]

Thinking back to the Cooper S that I briefly owned, the gearshift was pretty stiff and took a good shove / thump to get it into reverse. I thought about replacing the cables but sold the car instead  

The one you looked at sounds like too much of a gamble at that money, I’d suggest you keep looking - go test drive a few and see how much fun that supercharger is 

[cort16]

2 hours ago, garbaldy said:

Half of the people here obviously haven't had to deal with a family members estate upon  death.

It is a fucking nightmare let me tell you which I've had to do 3 times now and usually to quite a tight timescale give the guy a break ffs,   for all everyone here knows the seller could have been expecting someone like me to just turn up hand over some cash and drag the old car away not expect to test drive a car that's been off the road for years,   could you imagine what would have happened if it was test driven and picked up by anpr,  a whole load more shit for the poor chap trying to sort out family matters that's what,  no one knows if the guy has had more timewasters already and is just sick of being pissed about so is being rather blunt with everyone now.   If that makes him an arsehole then that's just sad.

There's two sides to every story.

 

 I understand that’s a stressful and difficult  situation and there’s nothing wrong with being up front but no need to be rude. You’re probably right about him wanting it dragged  away no questions asked but he could have made that clear . . 

[Peter C]

2 hours ago, garbaldy said:

Half of the people here obviously haven't had to deal with a family members estate upon  death.

It is a fucking nightmare let me tell you which I've had to do 3 times now and usually to quite a tight timescale give the guy a break ffs,   for all everyone here knows the seller could have been expecting someone like me to just turn up hand over some cash and drag the old car away not expect to test drive a car that's been off the road for years,   could you imagine what would have happened if it was test driven and picked up by anpr,  a whole load more shit for the poor chap trying to sort out family matters that's what,  no one knows if the guy has had more timewasters already and is just sick of being pissed about so is being rather blunt with everyone now.   If that makes him an arsehole then that's just sad.

There's two sides to every story.

 

I hear what you're saying but in my defense I was very polite at all times, I did not react to the seller's rude gestures and despite the disappointing condition of the car, which was not disclosed by the seller - all he said that it needs a clean and a service, I persevered and wanted to return with tools and get the thing going. I was not there to kick tyres or offer £200 and a Nintendo Gameboy with a cracked screen.

[Faker]

Bini Cooper S don’t have the same gearbox woes though. Getrag or Getrax box in them. Selection or sludged gear oil possibly. An S with that mileage for a bag of sand is a bargain. Just saying... I’ve mothballed an 03 with 68k for the future. They’re getting quite a following at present. Still maybe worth a punt

[garbaldy]

3 hours ago, Peter C said:

I hear what you're saying but in my defense I was very polite at all times, I did not react to the seller's rude gestures and despite the disappointing condition of the car, which was not disclosed by the seller - all he said that it needs a clean and a service, I persevered and wanted to return with tools and get the thing going. I was not there to kick tyres or offer £200 and a Nintendo Gameboy with a cracked screen.

I never said you where but calling the guy names isn't exactly nice now is it,    believe me when  I say I really could not be arsed with anyone at all when my fither died let alone selling an old car,   he was probably not aware of what condition a cheep car had to be on or even disclosed upon sale,  maybe he's never sold a cheep car other than trade in and this may well be all new to him not all people are car people.

Politeness costs nowt and good on you for being polite but obvious from your post you  where driven to the the car because it was cheep which sometimes means trouble.