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A Mini Crime Surely?


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#1 taffy1967

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 01:32 PM

Okay this isn't a real big deal as such, but an article in last weeks The Sunday Mirror (28/05/06) got brought to my attention whilst I was at my mothers and to be honest I wouldn't use The Mirror or it's Sunday variant to wipe my anus, but it still irritates me when people get things wrong anyway.

Right well here's the article that featured on Quentin Wilson's page:-

Q I'm 34 and just about to buy my first car. I have my heart set on a Mini, but can only spend £2,000-£3,000, so it's obviously going to be an old style model. My dad says that it won't be safe enough and I'll be paying out more than I can afford because it's a classic. I am a sensible person and I understand his concern, but I still want something with character rather than a boring little box. - Andrea Beeson, email.

A I LOVE your idealism, but Dad is right. Your Mini will have no air-bags, no seatbelt pre-tensioners and no side impact beams. Call me old-fashioned, but that matters. You'll also be forking out a fair bit of wedge just to keep it running and nursed through an MoT every year. I know you don't want to hear this, but you'd be much better off buying a Ford Ka, VW Polo or Peugeot 206.
[/i]

And this is the e-mail I sent Mr Willson or the muppet that sends these answers without even doing any form of research:-

Hello Quentin (or whoever else is handling the e-mails),

After reading your little column in The Sunday Mirror today, I felt I had to e-mail you to correct a major crime!

Yes in the question and answer section you apparantely advise Andrea Beeson not to buy a real original Mini because it isn't equipped with an air-bag, side impact beams and seat belt pre-tensioners.

Come on Quentin you know very well the real original Mini got all these safety features from late 1996 onwards, I mean you test drove one on "Top Gear" and raved about them on your "The Cars The Star" TV Show back in 1997.

So why are you dissing the Mini now? After all as you know it's one of the most important cars ever made and it changed the face of motoring forever. Yes they can be right pains if their not serviced and abused, but if you look after a Mini, it'll look after you!

Oh and their one of the few cars that you can actually tinker with yourself, yes DIY service and repairs are easily managed, something you can't do with most modern cars today.

So please can you address this ere oversight? And recommend Andrea Beeson buys a late 1996 onwards Mini model, because her father will then be happy too as it's as safe as an ugly Ford Ka or a boring VW Polo etc, but it's considerabely more fun and she'll automatically get thousands of friends thanks to the massive following the little buz-box has around the country/world with Mini Clubs and lots of support etc.

Okay rant over, but please address this mate, or I'm never buying The Sunday Mirror or reading your page either as I'll never believe what's written there again!

Thanks for your time.
[i]

The dumb thing is there's a link on The Sunday Mirror website to Parkers Car Guide and the Mini gets a reasonably high safety marking from 1996 on and it clearly states there that they have the safety features fitted too.

But like I said it's not the end of the world, but it's annoying when people get things wrong through lack of research, so I've e-mailed the muppets, so why doesn't everyone else here do the same? (just a quick e-mail telling them their wrong & the Mini got those safety features from 1996-2000 will do). After all they probably won't do jack rhubarb unless they receive a fair amount of complaints and regardless of what you think about the Mini, they've made a mistake because the car did get those very safety features they claim it never had.

Oh yes so Quentin should really have advised that woman to pay a little extra and buy one with the safety features, instead of writing the thing off completely.

Oh and here's Quentin's e-mail address:-
[email protected]

Anyway it's good to put the world to rights, especially when it concerns our little marvels eh? :w00t:

#2 taffy1967

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 01:44 PM

So what do you think folks? :w00t:

#3 Clubby1275GT

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 01:46 PM

good on ya, if i was half as witty as u and had the time i would mail mr wilson!!
mine ent got any of them features but i dont care!

#4 taffy1967

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:15 PM

Yeah but you could still tell them their wrong anyway! Go on as my 1990 model doesn't have those safety features either, but they need telling as their wrong and if enough of us bombard the muppets, perhaps then they'll amend their comments and do a follow up piece or something. :w00t:

#5 Clubby1275GT

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:26 PM

or i could just be blunt and mail him,

"OI WILSON!!! u suck!! clarkson rocks!!!"

there is the problem of no matter what year ur mini is, if u crash it ur likely to come out in a totally different shape to when u got in it!

#6 Garagiste

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:27 PM

:w00t: "2 L's" Willson, hmm. A man who bought a personal plate with the letters "OW" because it was the closest he could get to "QW".
I think that says all we need to know about the man.

#7 Grant

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:30 PM

you certainly told them lol. lets protest lol.

#8 terry

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:40 PM

Okay this isn't a real big deal as such, but an article in last weeks The Sunday Mirror (28/05/06) got brought to my attention whilst I was at my mothers and to be honest I wouldn't use The Mirror or it's Sunday variant to wipe my anus, but it still irritates me when people get things wrong anyway.

Right well here's the article that featured on Quentin Wilson's page:-

Q I'm 34 and just about to buy my first car. I have my heart set on a Mini, but can only spend £2,000-£3,000, so it's obviously going to be an old style model. My dad says that it won't be safe enough and I'll be paying out more than I can afford because it's a classic. I am a sensible person and I understand his concern, but I still want something with character rather than a boring little box. - Andrea Beeson, email.

A I LOVE your idealism, but Dad is right. Your Mini will have no air-bags, no seatbelt pre-tensioners and no side impact beams. Call me old-fashioned, but that matters. You'll also be forking out a fair bit of wedge just to keep it running and nursed through an MoT every year. I know you don't want to hear this, but you'd be much better off buying a Ford Ka, VW Polo or Peugeot 206.
[/i]

And this is the e-mail I sent Mr Willson or the muppet that sends these answers without even doing any form of research:-

Hello Quentin (or whoever else is handling the e-mails),

After reading your little column in The Sunday Mirror today, I felt I had to e-mail you to correct a major crime!

Yes in the question and answer section you apparantely advise Andrea Beeson not to buy a real original Mini because it isn't equipped with an air-bag, side impact beams and seat belt pre-tensioners.

Come on Quentin you know very well the real original Mini got all these safety features from late 1996 onwards, I mean you test drove one on "Top Gear" and raved about them on your "The Cars The Star" TV Show back in 1997.

So why are you dissing the Mini now? After all as you know it's one of the most important cars ever made and it changed the face of motoring forever. Yes they can be right pains if their not serviced and abused, but if you look after a Mini, it'll look after you!

Oh and their one of the few cars that you can actually tinker with yourself, yes DIY service and repairs are easily managed, something you can't do with most modern cars today.

So please can you address this ere oversight? And recommend Andrea Beeson buys a late 1996 onwards Mini model, because her father will then be happy too as it's as safe as an ugly Ford Ka or a boring VW Polo etc, but it's considerabely more fun and she'll automatically get thousands of friends thanks to the massive following the little buz-box has around the country/world with Mini Clubs and lots of support etc.

Okay rant over, but please address this mate, or I'm never buying The Sunday Mirror or reading your page either as I'll never believe what's written there again!

Thanks for your time.
[i]

The dumb thing is there's a link on The Sunday Mirror website to Parkers Car Guide and the Mini gets a reasonably high safety marking from 1996 on and it clearly states there that they have the safety features fitted too.

But like I said it's not the end of the world, but it's annoying when people get things wrong through lack of research, so I've e-mailed the muppets, so why doesn't everyone else here do the same? (just a quick e-mail telling them their wrong & the Mini got those safety features from 1996-2000 will do). After all they probably won't do jack rhubarb unless they receive a fair amount of complaints and regardless of what you think about the Mini, they've made a mistake because the car did get those very safety features they claim it never had.

Oh yes so Quentin should really have advised that woman to pay a little extra and buy one with the safety features, instead of writing the thing off completely.

Oh and here's Quentin's e-mail address:-
[email protected]

Anyway it's good to put the world to rights, especially when it concerns our little marvels eh? :w00t:



#9 taffy1967

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:42 PM

Yeah I told them, but I received no reply and no comment was made in this weeks paper either. >:w00t:

But to be honest I've had many a smash in my Mini's over the years, mostly within the first year of me passing my driving test mind, and I was wearing my seat-belt, had an A'series engine and a subframe between me and the large tree (on the first occasion) and back of a lorry (on the second) and I was fine. It just needed a fair bit of work and money (insurance job anyway) to sort out my Mini that's all. :w00t:

So yes everyone e-mail them and tell them about their mistake here:- [email protected], then perhaps we'll get a response. Oh and I agree Mini's are buggers to rust, newer ones more so sometimes (although my niece's 1998 Paul Smith was very good and only had a few bubbles under the headlights), but if their regularly serviced their very reliable, well the several I've owned have been and so was my niece's as I did all the servicing work etc. So yes their a bit bang out of order saying the Mini is a pain to keep running right too.

Oh and here's an old snap of my first Mini taken back in 1985 after it got it's face job and new front subframe etc:-

Posted Image

#10 Don't Panic

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 02:58 PM

I sent him an email too. Good spot

#11 taffy1967

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 03:08 PM

Cheers mate your a star! :w00t:

#12 Ste-V

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 03:22 PM

Sent. Who cares about pre-tensioners, airbags etc.

Mini's kick ass!

#13 taffy1967

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 04:17 PM

Well yeah I'm not bothered either, but since they claim the Mini never got them, but they actually did, then they really should be told anyway. :w00t:

#14 seemax

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 07:07 PM

Wouldv'e been interesting if today was 5th June 1996. I wonder what Quentin's recommendations would have been then ?. :w00t:

I'm not defending the bloke and please correct me if i'm wrong, but can 2 to 3 grand buy a decent 1996 onwards Mini with all the safety features ?. :w00t:

#15 pikey7

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Posted 05 June 2006 - 09:20 PM

I'd be more worried about Andrea being 34, getting her first car, asking Daddy for advice, and still not knowing not to ask QW about cars! :w00t:

(Yes he is an idiot though)




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