77 replies to this topic

[Mcgreen]

My 1st one leaked from the air vents in heavy rain and if i hit a puddle at speed. 
my current one is (touch wood) leak free at the moment...
as for wet/winter driving, i drove last winter on these and it was fine. grip in the dry is unbelievable and grip in the wet is very good for the tyre, snow and ice was a tad iffy but it got me to uni and back.
 

Where did you get your mini from, what price? I'm just wondering if it'll be worth spending more like 3k, depends on what body condition I could get

[Mcgreen]

Cheap to run and insure, pennies to fix when they go wrong and panels cheap if she has the odd ding! What's not to like.

When you say cheap to insure, can you help me out. I've put my credentials onto Directline, footman james, adrian flux and lancaster and all have come up with "unable to quote". 

 

1. this makes me very confused as to why not

2. I obviously have no NCB as its a first car and I have to put 0 years without an accident as I haven't actually driven yet (which also seems stupid)

3. is there any advice as to how to lower the quote. Does putting extra drivers on lower it (I put my dad who has a very high NCB, been driving for 30 years)? 

Edited by Mcgreen, 16 July 2017 - 05:51 PM.

[Mcgreen]

 

Edited by Mcgreen, 16 July 2017 - 05:51 PM.

[alex-95]

 

Cheap to run and insure, pennies to fix when they go wrong and panels cheap if she has the odd ding! What's not to like.

When you say cheap to insure, can you help me out. I've put my credentials onto Directline, footman james, adrian flux and lancaster and all have come up with "unable to quote". 

 

1. this makes me very confused as to why not

2. I obviously have no NCB as its a first car and I have to put 0 years without an accident as I haven't actually driven yet (which also seems stupid)

3. is there any advice as to how to lower the quote. Does putting extra drivers on lower it (I put my dad who has a very high NCB, been driving for 30 years)? 

 

Have you put it into comparethemarket etc? I would put your dad and mum on it as that usually make it go down. having a limited mileage on it makes a difference.

[some1158]

Footman James evidently does cover young drivers but you may need to be 18: http://www.footmanja...ce-young-driver

 

It might be worth phoning them and the others.

[Mcgreen]

 

 

Cheap to run and insure, pennies to fix when they go wrong and panels cheap if she has the odd ding! What's not to like.

When you say cheap to insure, can you help me out. I've put my credentials onto Directline, footman james, adrian flux and lancaster and all have come up with "unable to quote". 

 

1. this makes me very confused as to why not

2. I obviously have no NCB as its a first car and I have to put 0 years without an accident as I haven't actually driven yet (which also seems stupid)

3. is there any advice as to how to lower the quote. Does putting extra drivers on lower it (I put my dad who has a very high NCB, been driving for 30 years)? 

 

Have you put it into comparethemarket etc? I would put your dad and mum on it as that usually make it go down. having a limited mileage on it makes a difference.

 

Yes I did that also, cheapest quote was 1296 which seems extortionate given my sister's fiesta (she's 17) is insured for 840/year. Plus everyone seems to be saying how insurance should be super low on classic minis 

[CityEPete]

You'll probably need to talk them like the good old days.

[greenmini1275]

 

 

Cheap to run and insure, pennies to fix when they go wrong and panels cheap if she has the odd ding! What's not to like.

When you say cheap to insure, can you help me out. I've put my credentials onto Directline, footman james, adrian flux and lancaster and all have come up with "unable to quote". 
 
1. this makes me very confused as to why not
2. I obviously have no NCB as its a first car and I have to put 0 years without an accident as I haven't actually driven yet (which also seems stupid)
3. is there any advice as to how to lower the quote. Does putting extra drivers on lower it (I put my dad who has a very high NCB, been driving for 30 years)? 
 

Have you put it into comparethemarket etc? I would put your dad and mum on it as that usually make it go down. having a limited mileage on it makes a difference.
 

Yes I did that also, cheapest quote was 1296 which seems extortionate given my sister's fiesta (she's 17) is insured for 840/year. Plus everyone seems to be saying how insurance should be super low on classic minis 

Minis are easier to steal than fiestas. Tbeyre also more desirable to thieves. Also your male, men always pay more insurance than women as the insurance companies automatically think you will be a boy racer. I have always put my mum on my insurance as that always knocks it down even now I'm 38. I now also add my wife as that knocks it down as well. At 19 when I passed my test I paid £800 fully comp for a Metro Vanden Plas.

[SolarB]

I've had my Mini on the road now for 6 years. It's a daily driver and lives out side, it's never leaked and has always stayed dry inside but I am a firm believer that cars deteriorate if not used regularly.
For reliability, a little preventative maintenance will increase reliability. Yes, electrics can be troublesome but a day spent inspecting, cleaning, protecting and re-working crimp joints and connections will pay dividends when the weather turns wet.
As for back pain, I suffer from this but for some reason the Mini doesn't aggravate it. Perhaps something to do with the fact I've been folding myself into Minis for more than 30 years now.
If you buy an run a Mini for a year or two you'll learn a lot and have fun while you do so.
Go on, have a Mini adventure.

[Zach P-D]

 

My 1st one leaked from the air vents in heavy rain and if i hit a puddle at speed. 
my current one is (touch wood) leak free at the moment...
as for wet/winter driving, i drove last winter on these and it was fine. grip in the dry is unbelievable and grip in the wet is very good for the tyre, snow and ice was a tad iffy but it got me to uni and back.
 

Where did you get your mini from, what price? I'm just wondering if it'll be worth spending more like 3k, depends on what body condition I could get

 

Mine is a 1995 1275 SPI, (Single Point Injection) was recently restored by the previous owner and I paid £4150 in October of last year. (all of the current mods were already done to it as well..) 
probably a little too much but it was the car for me and I was happy with the price.

[Cooperman]

Having a classic car as an everyday car is a labour of love.

My Grandson has been working on classic cars with me since he was 4 (he is now 22) and has done most everything on a Mini there is to do.

When he was 16 he decided that he wanted a Mini as his first car and he bought a 1997 Cooper MPI which was in need of some restoration. We did a very thorough and complete job and he used it every day for around 6 months after he passed his test.

However, he soon got fed up with the short maintenance intervals, the need for constant minor adjustments, the poor heating/ventilation system and the harsh ride. He sold it (for a profit) and bought a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec with power steering. air-con, super seats, total (almost) reliability, a high equipment specification and excellent performance compared to the Mini.

He now has a 2007 BMW 325i Coupe, but, of course, he can use my Minis any time he wishes. He and I also co-own a 1971 MGB-GT which is part restored and we'll do that once my 850 Mini is finally completed.

I remember him saying, when he decided to sell his MPI, that it was fun driving what is, in effect, a 1960's car, but in modern conditions a more up-to-date car is preferable. Retro-driving in a Mini is only fun on short journeys.

Personally, if I was going to have a classic car as an everyday car it would not be a Mini. It would be something like a Sunbeam Rapier, a Triumph 2000. a Rover P6 or an MGB-GT with overdrive. They are much more practical and still have that 'old car' feel.

[mk1coopers]

My first Mini (and car) was used every day for 10 years, I would say when you are young and if you can fix it go for it, when you get to the point where you need something else try to put the Mini away so you have something for the weekends.

 

I did a 4 hour round trip in mine last week, the next day I did practically the same trip in my 'modern' car, I had more fun in the Mini but definitely got out of the modern feeling thankful I have it !

[Cooperman]

I bought my first Mini, a late 1961 850 in early 1963, so I had bought a current model modern car.

If I had wanted an old car I could have bought one of these (a 1920's Austin 7) and modified it to try to make it a bit quicker'.

 

 

To have done that would have been just like buying a Mini as an everyday car now and living with the performance, safety, comfort and reliability differences.

 

A 1920's Austin 7 was fun back then, just as a Mini is now, and was real retro-driving. But technological improvements mean that old cars will never be the answer to modern driving conditions or expectations.

[Ethel]

Loving that piccy, but the difference isn't quite as gaping, Minis were designed for tarmac roads  while the 7 still had to cope with unsurfaced tracks 'n cobbles in its day. The Min was also meeting design requirements just 17 years ago.

 

 

For the OP, you will have to ring for proper quotes. Minis can be cheaper to ensure because they are enthusiasts' cars and often coddled, a Fiesta will have better a NCap rating so on the face of it carries less risk for personal injury claims - more of a cost factor than bent metal. Your age may exclude you from getting a specialist classic car policy

[SolarB]

A Mini is an entirely practical every day car. In fact, millions of people used them as such for many years. Yes, it's a little noisier and bumpier than more modern cars but the steering and clutch are light and the visibility is good. Some people desire a car to be as close to a silent motorised arm chair as possible while others will trade this feature for character, fun and a host of other reasons.

As for reliability, I commute 14 miles each way in my Mini and in the 6 years since it's restoration it's let me down once, with a worn ignition switch. It's actually been more reliable and certainly easier to repair than my more modern runabouts.

 

You pays your money and takes your choice.