14 replies to this topic

[SamFoster]

Hi all.

 

I'm looking at buying a mini as I believe these next few years will be the last chance before the prices go mad and make it near impossible to own one!

 

I have minimal ability when it comes to spanners so can't really buy a mini that needs a full restoration because my wallet is no where near big enough to pay someone else to do everything.

 

How much should I be looking to pay for a mini? I want it to be clean (within reason) and would love to try and do a B16 engine swap which I saw a guy called Kieran on here do.

 

I would be looking to spend around £2000 on a mini as a starting point, but i'm not sure if this is going to get me something decent that won't break down or be rotten.

 

I would love to hear what you folks (the specialists that know what to look for) have to say and really appreciate any advice.

 

Is it best to stay away from eBay and look on places like carandclassic.co.uk?

 

Many thanks

 

Sam

 

(from Kent).

 

 

EDIT: here is one I saw on carandclassic, what do you guys think?

 

http://www.carandcla....uk/car/C549913

Edited by SamFoster, 24 June 2015 - 10:35 AM.

[thedjse]

Hi i have recently just bought one.... Like yourself was at the point where i had a bit of spare cash and knew this would be my last chance to own one.

 

I love my mini, i spent about a month looking at various ones ready to buy so many but let down for many different reasons.

 

I bought one from the owners club on facebook was up at £2k i got it for £1500 after some negotiation. I have had problem after problem with it but still love it and its not the minis fault i have had issue after issue its poor repairs and people not knowning what they are doing in the past.

 

I will be honest with you if your not too good with spanners quiet possibly not the car for you they are really easy to repair but they do need quite abit to get ontop of at your budget anything around the £2k range will need work.

 

The mini will break down and it will have some rot haha... Someone said to me a couple of days ago the issue is they were cheap cars when new and they have mainly been repaired cheap so bare that in mind.

 

I will say this tho they are awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love mine i get attention and smiles from everyone and they are great fun to drive.

 

Good luck with your search buddy look on the owners clubs rather than ebay alot of dreamers on there and most are hiding something or gone.

 

All this is just my opinion and my experience hope this helps... It may differ from other peoples lol  

[Gerbil367]

Dont rule out e-bay, piston pokers, gumtree etc - the main thing is to actually go and see the car and look for yourself at all the problem areas.  Main thing - get a solid shell!  All Mini's leak a little so if there are a few spots of oil on the floor its not a worry (just so long as it hasnt had a recent puddle under it!!).  Im sure there are threads on here that advise of the areas to look at. 

 

In my own experience and where I looked - check the sills, wheel arches, rear top mounts, scuttle, boot floor, under the carpets etc.  Make sure to get a look underneath if you can - I used the camera on my phone to take pictures underneath.  Have a good look for repairs and welds (make sure they are done properly) and stay clear if the scuttle to wing areas are smoothed over, same for under the headlights - they will likely be full of filler and will crack in no time.

 

Others will be along with more advice or links to a buyers guide (Im sure there is one on here).

 

Good luck - check out the cars for sale on here too

[Carlos W]

Welcome to TMF.

 

Are you on Facebook? 

 

If so, what about something like this?

 

https://www.facebook...744197805651568

[SamFoster]

Thanks for the reply lads. I can do basic stuff like servicing but anything more I would probably have to annoy everyone and ask for help haha. does anyone use theirs all year round? 

 

Carlos that mini is exactly what i'm looking for (red with the white strips, just needs some larger wheel arches and those lovely wider wheels I have seen on a few minis). 

 

I think my biggest worry is the buying one and hoping it won't need a full resto. It will be my daily driver (I have bikes too so won't be used everyday) so would like something I could work on over time while I use it.

 

I think I just need to keep my eye out and not rush into anything, like the link I posted above of one I found on carandclassic, that guy seems to have had all the shell done which just leaves me with the paint and engine to deal with, something I would happily do (only thing is he is the completely other side of the country lol) apart from that its good :).

 

I will keep my eyes open and if anyone else has any other advice i'm all ears :).

 

Cheers guys.

[Carlos W]

The link I posted is near Ashford, and the seller is a member on here.

 

I haven't seen the car in the flesh so don't know what it's like

[spiguy]

If you are going to get a mini then go into it knowing that you will need to use it also as an opportunity to become a competent DIY mechanic. If you are happy to do that, and you think you have the aptitude for doing that, then you will be fine. Using garages for minis just isn't practical IMO, it can be done that way but the costs will soon mount up and these days unless you are lucky enough to have an old school style independant garage you know and trust then you run the risk of being on the receiving end of some shoddy repairs...  

 

Great cars to learn on though, they are just like big meccano sets, and of course they are great fun. Very quirky but great fun. There simply isn't a car 'scene' (hate that word) that comes close to that of the mini community, as can be seen by the great characters on here. And if you join a busy club that does mini runs then that is top fun too. Nothing like being out in a big convoy of minis on tight and twisty back roads. Certainly you will never be short of a helping set of typing fingers as far as advice goes. Still amazes me that I can put a post up here and have a range of helpful and knowledgable answers within minutes in most cases. You just can't buy that sort of support, or if you could it would cost a fortune!

[SamFoster]

Thanks for the reply Spiguy, I'd certainly love to give it a go, but my god will it be a massive learning curve for me. I'm certainly not going into this thinking i'm going to get a showroom condition example for about £2,000. My only worry is buying something that turns out to be an absolute rotten job. If I have to buy something that has had the hard bits done (by that I mean the welding etc, making the structure in good shape as I have no idea how you weld) then I would be happy, as paint and interior can be done over time if you know what i mean. 

 

I've always loved the mini and wanted one as my first car (insurance companies didn't approve of this), so want to take this opportunity before its too late! The prices for great condition minis are soaring!

 

Hopefully I can learn to do a lot of the stuff (I think I may need to increase the amount of tools I have haha) and if I ask nicely maybe another Mini owner near me could help :).

 

Thanks for all your replies and advice, really appreciate it. 

 

Sam.

[Carlos W]

Whereabouts in Kent are you?

 

Why don't you get yourself to the Brands Hatch Mini Festival this weekend?

[Titchywitch256]

I was in the same position as you last year, but found a good car for £2K. If you look on it as a learning experience then I'm sure you'll have lots of fun. So far I've learned how to weld and spraypaint, overhauled the suspension and brakes, and various other small-ish jobs - all stuff I couldn't do this time last year.

 

I've found this chap's blog to be useful.

 

http://www.myminipro.../lucy/mini.html

 

it neatly highlights the fact that there will always be something going wrong, but that most problems can be fixed with enough determination.

 

The main thing I've learned though is be prepared to buy LOTS of tools and always buy the correct one for the job even if you only need it once or twice. 

 

Good luck!

[humph]

Good luck with the hunt. My advice would be this if I were doing it for the first time, find a good friendly local club, attend a few meets and socialise with them. You'll be welcomed with open arms I'm sure even as a prospective owner, and I'm sure a few of them will know of good cars for sale, and be willing to help view some too. A knowledgable eye is always a good thing when viewing as Minis can hide there faults quite well under glossy new paint. Take your time, don't rush, you will find the right car.

[SamFoster]

Thanks for all your replies, sorry I have taken so long, I thought I would get emails when someone replies.

I would love a pre 1975 mini, there's one for sale at the moment for £1850, but it's hard to gauge what I should be paying, as I hear most the minis for sale on eBay are way overpriced.

I'm guessing I really need to have a daily car if the mini I buy is likely to come across troubles?

Edited by SamFoster, 30 June 2015 - 08:07 AM.

[SamFoster]

This is the classic mini I have seen on eBay, they might even be a member on here...

 

http://www.ebay.co.u...=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

[geoff-d]

Pm Lawrie124 on Tmf
He has a car in the for sale section

[lawrie124]

thanks Geoff-d.

 

this is the little beauty I'm half~heartedly going to have to sell, but really don't want to as it's been our bullet proof reliable runaround.

 

http://www.theminifo...rite-13i-l3000/