11 replies to this topic

[JuaniKart]

Dear forumers,


5 years ago I restored my Mini thanks to the advice of many forumers here, so is only fitting that I post again to ask for opinions into what to do with it..


Here is a short version of the story: I used the car to go from/to university, I did 15,000miles in 12 months,after a very fulfilling year it then failed its MOT, it needs front shock and some other bits (If I remember correctly is £400-500 worth of repaires) At the time I could not afford it, and dumped it in a friends garage..

I have lived "car free and proud" for the past 2 years, I commute by bicycle everywhere, but my friend is moving and I need to decide what to do with my first car, my only car..


I now have a full time job and money is easier to come by, and I think its the perfect time to finish my car up.

Ideally I would love to have a hybrid petrol/electric car, rust free that will last the rest of my life, I dont even know if this is possible?

Thank you for your help once again




Any ideas? This car means a lot to me, money is no objection.

[olds_kool_lews]

its your first mini, first car, i would keep it and spend some cash on it, nothing beats your first mini, (although sayng that, i cut my 1st mini into 3 pieces, i was only 13 at the time though lol)

[miniman44]

If it were me I'd keep her,I often wonder what happened to the first one I ever drove,my late partners Mayfair.Such are memories.

[Scallywag630]

Keep her.

[grahamransom]

keep her mate im fairly sure there may be a way althogh ive never seen it before of sticking an eco engine in maybe with a ton of fabrications a prius one or the honda versions

look for the engines and just measure things up and talk to a few mini specialists see if they will help you out talking to professionals is always a help. things like suspension and brakes are fairly easy with a manual at hand and if keeping the original a series is easy. (so far its the easiest engine ive worked in my car life however im on my 7th car )

minis are so easy to make to your needs however a lifetime without rust......impossible lol

[RobFox]

Defo keep her!

I have decided I want to keep mine for the rest of my life. Even if I go homeless I will never let her go .

[Jacko-lah]

Let me tell you a story about mini (and metro) regrets (plus some others I have too)

First car aged 18 : Spitfire. I was crap and I don't regret selling it.
4th Motorbike RD350LC : Sold it for £400. Boy do I regret that.
Mini 1000, a 1974 model, I regret selling it as a student in my final year. It needed 200 quid spending on it, and my parents were about to move house, so I couldn't leave it in the old garage, and they didn't yet own the new one.
Mini 850 - My wife's - over 4 years I replaced panels and kept it going, until finally when she was pregnant she decided that we couldn't afford 2 cars, and she gave it to a friend. The freind was supposed to give it back, eventually, but she scrapped it.
Mk2 Cavalier 1.6 why I sold it to buy an AX I have no idea.
mk2 Cavalier Cdi Auto - Why oh why
Mk2 cavalier Sri - why oh why oh why
mk2 cavalier Calibre - oh why why why
metro turdo. Why (oh the insurance rates for 25 year olds whose wife's were pregnant and they were skint)
metro 1275 sport - Please can I just have the 75 bhp carb engine back ?

Now there's no way you can keep all those cars (and bike) but if I had the 850 and the metro engine I'd have a nice motorway cruiser !!!
If I had the Calibre I'd have the rarest cavalier out. Rarer than rocking horse pooh.
If I had the Cdi Auto I'd have an armchair for local journies.

But OVERRIDING all that.

If I had the mini 1000, I'd give it to my 17 year old son when he passes his test, instead of looking at overpriced lumps of rust. How cool would that be ? But I can't cause in 1989 I had no garage, no money and I had no time (had to study for finals)

On your hybrid/petrol car thing. Don't be fooled into the indoctrination. It's about as enviromentally and ethical sound as the Nazi's burning the bodies in open ground. A bit OTT ? The western mining companies record on human rights abuse of local workers in close to slavery, and they are less efficient than a decent VNT equiped Deisel. And they have a life expectancy of 10 year and 3 days.

If you want to help the environment you need a mini. No need to chop down trees, or dig metal out of the ground, to manufacture it. Durable car ownership is the hippy thing !!!

[ukcooper]

I miss my fist car fiat 127 Was poo pants but first bite of freedom.

If your going to use it keep it if not pass it on just dont let it rot away.

[clovus]

The mini experience had a picture of a moke with a 3cyl diesel diahatsu engine that got over 1000k's per tank. The Ausmini forum has someone who put a 3cyl motor from a Diahatsu Sirion into his mini wit really good results - nice and light and economical too.

Keep it, even if you repower it....

[JuaniKart]

Hi Guys,

Late reply (a year? ) Thank you for your replies, I have decided


I AM KEEPING HER! and I am also getting it to its former glory.


The Plan


Summary
First thing I want to do is get it road worthy, not worry to much about aesthetics.

Step 1: Starting the engine
Tried to start it this weekend, no spark.. changed rusty spark plugs, still no spark
Options:
1) Send it to garage, £100 to get it there, £???? to get it started

2) Try and learn how everything works (I am a newbie when it comes to electronics) 1,000's of hours

3) Any ideas?

My dream: get a mini specialist to have a look, tell me what things are wrong with it (rust, broken bits etc) and come up with a cost plan, then divide into what I can do and what they can do.


Catching up on mini reading, I forgot how awesome it is:)

I've been mini'd

[Ethel]

Looks like your Mini has already started on completing your education. Open a new topic in the technical & problems forum & tell us what year & model it is. A good starting point would be to make sure the coil is getting power with the ignition on. Take the wire(s) of the +ve terminal and tap them on bare metal (coil mounting strap will do) to see if they spark.

[89mini-boy]

Hi Guys,

I've been mini'd

Sounds good