29 replies to this topic

[93-rio]

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!

(Yes he is an idiot though)

LMAO you'd think that at 34 she wouldnt give a damn about what her dad thinks lol, off the point. QW YOU FIEND i'm shocked at his lack of knowledge for someone supposedly in the know! idiot!

[Roo]

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

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 ?.

Yes it can. i bought my limited edition mini equinox 96 plate for £2500 you just have to look for them.

[taffy1967]

Yes and my niece Melanie sold her 1998 Paul Smith LE Twin-Point with all those safety features for a paltry £2,000 back in Christmas 2004.

Well she needed the cash quick and all the local dealers (Rover included) would only give her £1,000, (even though it was mint apart from the obligatory rust bubbles under the head-lights). So she sold it privately and a family from Wolverhampton came all the way to us here in South Wales to buy it, after I mentioned the fact it was for sale at £2,000 on a Mini Forum!

Okay she was robbed, but she needed the cash as she was rushing off to Australia for a few months with friends, living and working out there and she couldn't wait to get a better deal on it.

I'd have bought it, but we were skint as it was Christmas and I couldn't afford another Mini. Oh well.

So yes if your lucky you can get a good late 1996 model if you look hard enough I guess?

[taffy1967]

Anyway I'm so miffed Quentin (or whatever muppets are running his page) didn't bother replying to my first e-mail, that i've sent another e-mail using my other e-mail address and as a bit of a sarcastic dig too.

So this is what I just sent and if you haven't already sent your comments to him at:-

[email protected]

Then please will you do it? Oh and be sarcastic like I was too if you want, right here's the second message below:-

I HAVE SOME SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR, CAN YOU HELP?

Hello Quentin,

Yes it seams I have some serious problems with the car I own, as for a start it has a drivers air-bag, side impact beams in the doors and seat belt pre-tensioners, plus there's the fact that since I've owned it for the past few years I've only needed to pay out to get it serviced when required and it's been completely reliable apart from that and it's virtually gone around the clock too!

Okay that might not appear to be a problem to you, but if I told you my car is a Mini, yes a late (old style) model, then perhaps things may become clear as last week (28/5/06) in your column in the Sunday Mirror you claimed (old style) Mini's never got these safety features and that their essentially unreliable cars too.

So i'm now very worried as my car has the very safety features you claimed it shouldn't have and mine's been completely reliable and up to now I've been happy with it too, so what can I do about this situation. Oh and I've seen similar Mini models to mine with the same features too, so should we assume that these 1996 onwards Mini's are a large faulty batch then to have all these things fitted as standard?

Maybe Rover were confused towards the end and fitted all these safety features without telling anyone perhaps? Or could it be more a case of your about as effective as a Motoring Journalist as you are a Ballroom Dancer? Well to be honest Quentin we saw you making a fool of yourself on that "Strictly Come Dancing" TV Show last year and we weren't impressed at all and we're not very impressed now that you didn't know that a motoring legend like the Mini had significant changes made to it too and your now giving incorrect advice as a result!

I hope you'll see fit to correct your *male chicken*-up mate as your advice is obviously worthless otherwise!

Thanks for your time,

[taffy1967]

So what do you think folks, sarcastic, nasty but funny anyway eh?

Yes i'm bad, mad and just a bit sad, but I love the frigging Mini all the same and no my 1990 model doesn't have those things either and i'm not bothered, but those xxxxing muppets need telling all the same!

[taffy1967]

Made me laugh anyway?

[Mini Tom]

Call me crazy but I prefer minis without all the safety features. Gets the adrenaline running

[taffy1967]

Well yes mine doesn't have them either, but the fact the Quentin Willson column claims they never got them fitted (which they did), just proves how reliable a source they are for information?

Anyway I think those questions from the public are bogus and the answers are given by people who obviously do no research. Well they didn't for the Mini at least!

[Pie]

let us know if you have any replies!

[taffy1967]

Well i've not received any replies so far and I sent an e-mail telling them I was disappointed that they'd not responded to my post.

Oh well at least I tried?

[Garagiste]

WRT airbags, etc, best thing I ever read on the subject went something like this:

If we were really concerned about road safety, rather than an airbag, a big sharp spike should be fitted to the middle of the steering wheel. Driving behaviour would improve dramatically as a result.

[Natalie]

but I still want something with character rather than a boring little box. .

I know you don't want to hear this, but you'd be much better off buying Peugeot 206.

He recommends a french a car, a 206 at that on reliability. One of the worst built cars aren't they?

[[email protected]]

TO play Devils advocate -

For the budget she has I think he is not far off right to be honest. The Equinox mentioned above won't have an Airbag and won't be as safe as the VW. Oh, and £2000 won't buy a Paul Smith anymore. (If anyone has one or has a sister with one at that money give me a shout please )

There is definately a Premium on the prices of Minis because of their cult status. IF they hold their value over the next few years they are a great buy at the moment. If, on the other hand they follow some other classics and drop they will look very expensive.

Minis do take more work to look after them properly and if you are someone who just wants to climb in every morning and have a nice warm uneventful drive to work they may not be for you.

Everyone non Mini person who comes to see me to buy a Mini is warned of the potential pit falls. They are an enthusiasts car. A brilliant, fun, laugh enducing, frustrating enthusiasts car. Even loads of Mini loving club members get a "normal" car for everyday use or for when their Mini is off the road for "fixing"

His point on MOT's is valid as well, just read all of the posts on here about the nerves pre MOT time :'(

Having said all of the above they are the best 1st car in the World and I love em

[Wigan]

Right, you've gone and done it now Colin ..

After three ..

"Land of Hope and Glory ...."

[taffy1967]

Well I can only go by my own experience and I've owned the odd few and I've used most of them quite heavily for work and up to a few years back I could do little else than check the oil on the dipstick and add water to the radiator and washer bottle, but that was about it and okay I saw that mine were regularly serviced and they were all fine, even though they got used every day of the year in all weathers too.

But yes you can mistreat many a modern motor and it won't complain until it's well damaged ususally, but an A'series demands respect and in the many years I've owned and driven a Mini, i've come to the conclusion that if you look after a Mini, it'll generally look after you too.

Still I think they should have recommended she payed a little more cash and got a post 1996 model with the safety features fitted to keep her father happy, but from their recommendation you'd think no real Mini ever got the exact features they listed.

So that's why I sent an e-mail in protest as their main claim was incorrect and I still haven't received a reply, so if you haven't already e-mailed Quentin, if you have the time, send him a short message just telling him that Mini's did get those safety features from late 1996, then they may respond?

[email protected]