9 replies to this topic

[Urumiko]

Hey guys.

Well.

The plan was, sell my current car (mk4 golf gti) and use the money to buy a cooper.
I was going to tinker with the engine and learn how to do minor jobs like servicing and changing gaskets and bolt on parts.

Unfortunately though I couldn't get my car sold and auto trader is expensive so no money, no mini for now

However I thought I could have some fun and satisfy some of my curiosity without spending any money by getting a few books on the subject of mini restoration/tuning from e-bay.

I was just wondering if anyone had any recommendations for on these topics. id probably like a few, the more detailed and user friendly the better.

books i've seen so far are:

how to MODIFY your MINI by David Vizard

just about everything by haynes


P:S if anyone i can learn from has a laid back project on the go and needs someone to make tea and pass spanners please feel free to give me a shout

i live here

[1964Woody]

Welcome to the Forum.

I can always use a hand on my project Mini. Usually start about 7:00 pm most nights. I'm in Calgary- Western Canada

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Welcome, this thread could get very interesting to read.

Ps; I'd love to live by the coast

[davidv]

The David Vizard book is the best for Mini Mods. and info.Easy to follow and a great read.I used his book years ago for all my Mini mod. advice.The Haynes is a must also.Most of the Advice you need you will find on the Forum.

[LuckyThe1275]

A Haynes is handy when you don't have much experience working on cars, and have only just brought a mini... I've found it indispensable!

There are some cool mini books too, and dvd's, i'll list a couple I have enjoyed when I get home

Matt

Edited by LuckyThe1275, 01 September 2010 - 11:37 AM.

[somecrapname]

getting a Haynes manual is definitely the first step, they aren't the best but come in handy. I also bought David Vizard's book, but it's quite technical and for the most part not required (unless you're into serious engine mods/tuning but is a good read).

someone else might have a suggestion as to a good in between read?

[Jacko-lah]

I recently read 2 books.

1) Called THE TOYOYA PRODUCTION SYSTEM by Tachii Ohno
2) Called the Machine that changed the world by Womack (et al)

These 2 books explain the demise of the British, European and US car industry, and go some way to explain why Toyota has expanded so rapidly.

Nothing to do with Mini's.

I used to live about 100 yards from the Libary in Rednal, not far from Crofton Park and less than 1/2 mile from Longbridge. They had lots of books about The british motor industry, and biographies of Lord Austin, and William Morris etc. Did you know that the spec for the austin seven was that it had to be able to get up Rose Hill fully laden, at Lord Austin had a house in the Lickey Hills

[davidv]

Yes the Haynes is a must easy to follow and understand.You will learn many things reading it and when working on a car its great.The Vizard book is a must for many levels of Mods.If you find it a bit much to Grasp you still learn the ideas.With my Friends many years ago as we all had Minis i was the one left with the Books.
When you get stuck just ask on the Forum...

[AVV IT]

I've found some of the posts here and particularly in the "frequently asked questions" section to be more informative than many of the books, as they are real experiences written by enthusiastic amateurs using basic tools & facilities. Much more realistic and more like what I'm doing than the "haynes" strip down of a new car in a pro workshop by a mechanic, with phrases like "simply disassemble & remove"! What's more I've found that when you see some of the stage by stage work (with photos) that other people have done here, you tend to think "I could do that", whereas when you read the books you tend to think "err maybe that's a bit ambitious for me". Obviously TMF has the advantage of being free (even better if your skint), but I would recommend paying the TMF+ fee, as I think it's only fair to give something back, having got so much out of this site.

... and why couldn't you sell your Golf GTI??... It's a collectible & desirable model so you should be able to shift it no problem, so long as your asking the right price for it. Did you try advertising it on some of the VDUB websites (usually free) & if Auto trader is too expensive, then stick it on an Ebay classified advert (£15 for 28 days) which is hardly expensive, or you could auction it on ebay for even less!

Stop dreaming and wasting your cash on books..... Get it shifted, get a mini & get yer hands dirty!!!

[njathind]

I've found some of the posts here and particularly in the "frequently asked questions" section to be more informative than many of the books, as they are real experiences written by enthusiastic amateurs using basic tools & facilities. Much more realistic and more like what I'm doing than the "haynes" strip down of a new car in a pro workshop by a mechanic, with phrases like "simply disassemble & remove"! What's more I've found that when you see some of the stage by stage work (with photos) that other people have done here, you tend to think "I could do that", whereas when you read the books you tend to think "err maybe that's a bit ambitious for me". Obviously TMF has the advantage of being free (even better if your skint), but I would recommend paying the TMF+ fee, as I think it's only fair to give something back, having got so much out of this site.

... and why couldn't you sell your Golf GTI??... It's a collectible & desirable model so you should be able to shift it no problem, so long as your asking the right price for it. Did you try advertising it on some of the VDUB websites (usually free) & if Auto trader is too expensive, then stick it on an Ebay classified advert (£15 for 28 days) which is hardly expensive, or you could auction it on ebay for even less!

Stop dreaming and wasting your cash on books..... Get it shifted, get a mini & get yer hands dirty!!!

"Piston heads" is free to advertise on and so is "car and classic"