Issigonis, you git.................

[Rocket88]

For the first time in many years, I've had the dubious pleasure of taking an old Mini for a brief "once round the block". I'd forgotten what a nasty little device they were. Right knee jammed up against the window winder, spine being constantly assaulted by the appalling ride, the complete inability of the heater to operate with any more enthuisiasm than an asthmatic woodlouse, and the ridiculous driving position, all confirm my long held belief that Alec sodding Issigonis should be dug up, and repeatedly stabbed with a poison tipped Stanley knife.They are most over hyped pile of donkey excrement ever placed on God's green earth, with a complete inability to start when there's a light drizzle within 300 miles, a bonnet catch specifically designed to rip your scalp open when you open the bonnet [whiich you will be doing....a lot] and with more propensity to rust than an unprimed anchor.Issigonis, I know where you're buried, and I'm fairly handy with a spade.

[retrogeezer]

[r.welfare]

LOL! I had the mispleasure to have to move a Mini around a bit for a neighbour of a friend a little while ago. It had been moderatedly chavved by their son, including removal of the choke cable for some silly reason, which made starting (and keeping it running) a lot of fun. One of those times when you need three feet. I've never seen the appeal, following a moderate motorway journey as a passenger in one some years ago - same goes for original Beetles I'm afraid!

[FredTransit]

I make it point never to own a daily driver you can fit in the back of one of our lutons....

[shite_meister]

Its your fat little legs Colin, I have no problems with mine although I do find that I have to just back the window winder handle off a bit then its alright and I have a small steering wheel, sure I now have curvature of the spine from having to almost bend my right foot at a ridiculous angle but I can live with that.Was it Ryan's Mini and does he have seat extension brackets? they help. Big wheels and tired suspension make an acceptable ride pretty awfull, I've put some unusual 10" wheels and renewed the shagged rubber cone suspension on mine. I've driven loads of Minis, get one thats been fucked with on wheels bigger than 12"s and original suspension (cones and knuckles can wear rapidly if not looked after)and it will make you want to drive it to the nearest scrapper but one in fine fettle isn't too bad, a bit choppy but then the suspension was designed 50 years ago. Yeah Minis are shit but they're wickedly shit much like alot of shite the we all like here, Minis are great fun on a nice day flat-out...for a fairly short journey, fuggin lethal in the wet though I will agree that the bonnet catch is a pain in the arse though.

[STUNO]

Talk about giving a man a bad reputation Issigonis did not design the Mini with window winders. And the heater was an after-market extra. The ride, you got used to it. Mine had hydrolastic so rode better

[v6pop]

I will agree that the bonnet catch is a pain in the arse though.

oohhh,that must hurt !!! :shock:

[ashmicro]

I agree with all the above, and would add that the things are thrown together by people who were obviously annoyed about something. Full of rust and a bastard to work on. Have another? No bloody way.Same goes for the Hitler Beetle, with it's engine stuffed up its arse.

[STUNO]

And something in he depths of the remains of my mind says the engine was designed to go in the other way around when the A series was selected, anyway a bit of cardboard fixed the electrics.

[pogweasel]

Dreadful rusty cramped bouncey spine-shattering RUBBISH. Still utterly grin-inducing though.

[Pete-M]

Minis are fun, but it's always great when you can hand them back. I wouldn't want to own one again.I prefer the Ka.

[ashmicro]

Minis are fun, but it's always great when you can hand them back. I wouldn't want to own one again.I prefer the Ka.

+1

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Just before Christmas I borrowed my Mum's Mini for a 250 mile trip to pick up an engine block.

 

It took ages to defrost because the heater fan has one speed and makes such an unpleasant noise you can't drive with it on. The driver's window doesn't open. It had no carpets and water pooling on the floor. Because it's so loud on the motorway, I stuck to A and B roads.

 

It was bliss. Blasting down empty B roads that car felt like it was flying. Who needs derestricted Autobahns when you can scream along an A road at the legal limit, so close to the ground it feels like automatic ban territory? Sometimes I take it out at night when the streets are empty - not to do anything irresponsible, just to cruise around, enjoying the drive.

 

Minis are the best cars ever.

[Waderider]

And something in he depths of the remains of my mind says the engine was designed to go in the other way around when the A series was selected, anyway a bit of cardboard fixed the electrics.

Correct, the exhaust manifold was originally at the front, as was the battery. All change for the final prototype, et voila a car that can't handle humidity.......

[Rusty Pelican]

Had a 64 one once just to see what the fuss is all about and compare it to my Imps which were in direct competition , utter utter boneshaking rusty cramped badly built shite , had it two weeks , sold at a loss which didnt matter , just glad to get back in an Imp , I suspect mini owners dont agree though ala Peter , no offence mate , they sold 100 times more than Imps so commercially at least were a far better car .

[pompei]

3 of my Minis were sliding window models with 10" wheels and hydrolastic and I loved them! I got a screen thing to fit behing the grille to stop the leads getting wet and blathered them in waxoil too. I had a Clubman too, but never bonded with it ...I'd love to have a spin in one of those Astra or Honda VTEC powered machines or even a twin bike engined Z car!

[Rocket88]

Had a 64 one once just to see what the fuss is all about and compare it to my Imps which were in direct competition , utter utter boneshaking rusty cramped badly built shite , had it two weeks , sold at a loss which didnt matter , just glad to get back in an Imp , I suspect mini owners dont agree though ala Peter , no offence mate , they sold 100 times more than Imps so commercially at least were a far better car .

When they first came out, Ford bought when, ripped it to pieces, costed every last nut, bolt, and washer, and came to the conclusion they were losing about £80 on every one [this is when they were about £475 new] The floorpans were designed in such a way that they let in copious amounts of water, and the gearstick was 8 miles long. Issigonis, genius? Pah!

[Rusty Pelican]

When Rootes were developing said Imp the designers ( Parks and Fry ) went to lunch with Issigonis and each had a blast in the others cars , they disagreed for quite a while as to whome got it right , people still argue about it now

[Ratdat]

In 1959 when it was launched it was like TEH FUTURISTIC compared with the A35 it effectively replaced. It had performance and handling which the A35 didn't. Ride, comfort and convenience standards were way more basic back then and such a small car was quite acceptable, especially compared with the other tiny cars that were available back then. Most comparable cars then only had three wheels or some wheezy little single pot villiers. Really, the Mini should have only lived for about a decade. Honda's N600 showed that you could have a tiny car with a decent ride etc in a way the Mini couldn't and that should have heralded the end of the original Mini design but alas it remained long beyond obsolete.Mini's are fun in the same way that gokarts are fun. But you wouldn't want to go everywhere that way.

[babydriver]

Minis always put a smile on my face no matter how poo they are and thats what autoshiting is all about.one big sliding windows and summer = sweating like gary glitter in a nursary

[Dukestar25]

I had a 1981 HL (YLG457W, Is it still around?) which had 10-inch wheels, lots of rust, no radio and all-round drum brakes which made emergency stops on wet roads... scary!As regards ownership, It was a blast to drive and would do corners at any speed. I found that the faster I went, the smoother the ride became, especially as it was so uncomfortable, and it never broke down. A friend of mine used to modify Minis so I occasionally got to 'test-pilot' the faster stuff . It was a car I had to have just so I could say I'd owned one but unless I could get hold of an original Cooper or the later British Open model, I'll probably leave them to 'those who understand'. TBH, I prefer big cars any way. Volvo 760 GLE OR Mini Mayfair? mmmm...

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Minis are OK for a fun backroad blast but I wouldnt want one to be my means of transport, I cant get on with the driving position and ride.I once had a go in an automatic mini, christ it was the most unbelievably dire POS i've ever experienced. I'd rather get pushed naked down a sandpaper slide with my nuts tucked under my ass than drive one of those again.

[Simon M]

I had a 1981 HL (YLG457W, Is it still around?)

vehiclelicence.gov.uk wrote:

The vehicle details for YLG 457W are: Date of Liability 01 10 2003

[Gompo]

I went through a 2-3 month stage when I was 16 where I really wanted to get one as my first car. After speaking to my mechanic uncle he put me off them, partly because of the lack of safety aspect but also rot and general poor mechanics. I'm tall too so unsure whether I'd get particularly comfortable.I do fancy a drive in one sometime though, I have driven a few very good handling FWD cars and Minis are meant to be somewhere in the equation so would like to see how they compare.

[Autoplas]

I bought a Cooper brand new in 1995 (M150 YVX) and if it is still alive and I knew where it was I would buy it back in a shot.I'll add a couple of other points. It was in production for 41 YEARS !!!! If it was crap would it have been in production that long ?. Secondly I'm 6'4 with wide shoulders and never had any problems with comfort - comparing it to something modern like a Ka is missing the point for me (I have had one of those and loved that too I will hasten to add)It used to take me, my mate who was 6'5 and two masssive bags of american football kit all over the place without any problems. I traded it in for a Sapphire Cosworth and still regret it even now !!!!Come back M150 I love you !!!! LOLStill, if we all liked the same things the world would be a dreary place

[Polystratus]

I went through a 2-3 month stage when I was 16 where I really wanted to get one as my first car. After speaking to my mechanic uncle he put me off them, partly because of the lack of safety aspect but also rot and general poor mechanics. I'm tall too so unsure whether I'd get particularly comfortable.I do fancy a drive in one sometime though, I have driven a few very good handling FWD cars and Minis are meant to be somewhere in the equation so would like to see how they compare.

Me too, how tall are you, Im about 6'1 and didnt find it too bad when I was a passenger in a mates '92 Cooper front seat.

[Station]

For such a small, 40 year old car, you're all probably expecting a little bit too much.

[Milford Cubicle]

For such a small, 40 year old car, you're all probably expecting a little bit too much.

Are you stuck in 1999?

[fotorabia]

In the 70s up in the Highlands Mum progressed from a A35 van to a Mini version my Grandad gave us which was his ex-works engineering company car..resprayed royal blue for us..once rusty enough it became a 6 wheeled Moke kit built by a friend..we replaced it with Mk1 Escort..

 

Good thing about them is you can park them anywhere...

[Station]

Are you stuck in 1999?

Yes, I have 14400 baud dial up and all.