313 replies to this topic

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Batman?

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Possibly. That Really is a terribly Innacurate model for the price it goes for!

Well it didn't cost that much when it first got released (around a tenner I think?) several years back, but then Apple records threatened to sue Corgi for using their image and so it got withdrawn from sale.

But like most things, the price got very silly and will probably continue to do so.

yeah, silly.

[The_Mistro]

Hoping to have a good debate here on this one...

Maybe it is just me, perhaps i'm getting old... not sure...

Why when this classic car is becoming rarer by the day do people insist on modifying it? Adding turbos and motorbike engines etc etc ? I even saw a thread on how someone actually owns an spi and wants to put an older engine in it to get the carb! ! !

Now look, I know the situation is different in the UK but here there is only a few mpi minis - prob 10 at the most in the whole country. The others - closer to a hundred maybe, are the carb versions. I know of only two vans and one MK1 in the country.

I just cannot understand why the 'young' generation is so intent on making everything go faster, louder and with bigger speakers than a concert!

This country is currently having big problems with what police have dubbed "boy racers" - packs of youths driving around with dustbin exhausts and neon lights causing chaos on the streets. Everyone is trying to be 'better' than their peer.

I know the mini genre is different, but there is still those that think putting a honda engine in a mini and driving it around makes them a classic car enthusiast.

To be honest - if I had my way, I would make insurance premuims MASSIVE for anyone that puts aftermarket non standard parts on their car.

There are actually people thick enough to cut the springs on their cars to lower them! They have no idea how unsafe they have made their vehicle, how much risk they put on others around them. Painting your car pink and putting fluffy seat covers on is one thing but cutting suspension, adding turbos to classic cars, putting motorbike engines in minis??? Its madness!!!

It appears the majority of TMF members are under 25 (from reading the post content). So I am interested in hearing about what it is that motivates the young people of today to mutilate the classic mini, making them rarer and the whole industry more expensive...

Rant over!! Note, this is not a dig - I have nothing against anyone I am mearly curious and wish to understand the subject better!!!

if that is your way of asking why people you have never met mod their car, i would hate to hear how you speak to your wife! clearly first impressions arent your strong point! are you one of these people who cant remember what being a kid was like? awww dont tell me, deprived as a child?

you dont even have insurance! so theres no point you even saying that!

if you want to know why i modified my car il tell you, because i got myself a job, i was earning decent money considering i was still at school, so i thought i wouldnt spend it on fags, or drugs, or booze, il spend it on something i enjoy, i.e my mini! and my view of having a mini is "an expression of a personallity" if you have noticed, there are a lot of different mini drivers:

- "young uns" - as a mini is retro, its "cool" as retro is in at the moment if you didnt know! and if you look back in the past, maybe at taffys lovely pictures, minis have been modified from brand spanking new! look how wood and picket made there money! and they are gods of the mini world! anyway back to the point! another thing that is "in" is to be individual, either with clothes, music taste, hair style, whatever, so i decided to do it with my mini! i have tried to keep a more sophisticated, mature look! so i havent added too much chrome, or tinted windows or too many decals! When i brought the mini, it had bucket seats held in place with blocks of wood, and were so big, i couldnt reach the handbrake! so i got some other smaller seats from a friend cheap, and put them in on some proper seat subframes! problem sorted, this gave me more time to come up with a theme, and find some other seats that i liked, now i have found the seats, and saving up for them! so, young uns = individuality, an expression of their personailty

- "enthusiasts" - people who are just enthusiastic about minis, just love the car, people who want to leave their mark on the mini scene! so, entusiasts = love the car and want to leave their own mark

- "small car drivers" - people who just want a small car to tootle around in, and that is easy to park, generally OAPs, and they use it as a shopping car! we all know that minis can have heavy steering, so they may pay to have power steering installed in it, so its a bit easier to park or turn at low speeds! so, amall car drivers = a small car, easy to park

- "overseas cars" - people who have seen this little car, and want one of their own, but its not really that suitable, as parts are hard to come by or its just unbearable to drive as it gets so hot in their! so what do you do, add air con! japaneese minis had air con, to make them more suitable for their surroundings! also, if you look on here, there is a guy from i think, trinidad?, who has done many engine transplants as A series spares are hard to come by! and very expensive to import! so they have put engines such as nissan micra engines, as the parts are easier to come by, and more reliable, a bit like a honda engine! so, overseas cars = parts are hard to come by, and may not be suitable for the country they are in!

- "Projects" - if you save a car from the scrap heap, its a wreck! rusted away, holes everywhere, you got to rebuild it from the ground up, its their money they are pouring into it, so why not go the extra mile, and make it something that people will know that they have built, know your blood sweat and tears when into! yeah, when people see a standard mini, which has been kept in top condition, they go, "thats a really nice mini", and if you see a gorgeous modified mini, they go "that guy has put a lot of effort into that" and wouldnt you want recognition for your hard work!? yeah there is satisfaction in knowing that you have a completly original mini, but if you dont know what it was like originally, how can you put it back to that condition?

i might actually be getting a second mini, and i have been doing some research on the model, and have found out that it was a "limited edition" mini, and because of this, i am going to keep the outside and interior standard, but i have modified my current mini! but i still want to modify the engine, this is not because i want it faster, but because i want to understand how the engine works, and on what principles make engines behave in differnet ways! plus the fact i want to go into motorsport, and minis are an icon, in motorsport and road cars! and the fact the A series is one of the easiest engines to work on and tune, why not start here!? so, Projects - You have a blank canvas to start with! wanting to learn how things work

is that more the sort of reply that you were after!?

[taffy1967]

Fast forward this YouTube video to about 6 minutes and you'll see George driving that psychedelic Mini Cooper S of his around a race circuit in their famously mad 1967 TV Film 'Magical Mystery Tour': -

SMc3sCemS0c

[Jimmy Hat]

Batman?

Dont know what you're missing

[camp freddy]

My personnel opinion is: As long as a mini is kept on the road and off the scrap heap
does it matter what modifications have been made to it, every one has there own
preference to style of mods and these should be respected... I personally like the
stripped out 'A' series powered street racer style, but i don't like the big sound
system style but i respect the work put into fitting big ice !

[mini_mad69]

Auckland City Viaduct Harbor:


Auckland City Museum:


Auckland City Viaduct Harbour:


Auckland Harbor Bridge:


Auckland Harbor Bridge:


Auckland, Mission Bay:

I could be wrong MR disco, but is your mini not modified from standard spec?

[scrog]

ok hav'nt read all coments but heres one for the oldies (inc me in that)
how old were you when you got your first mini include the year
and what did you do to it (behonest)

i was 19
1984
i got a L reg it had an 1100cc unit (was a round nose)
but i :
chopped of the back box and put a straight pipe on
10" banded cooper rims (6" wide)
modded the carb and air filter
big spots (2 up 2 down)
big speakers

point being most young'uns
will mod there cars
why not
nice to see the younger ones taking an intrest in minis

as we get older we want different things

leave them to i say (we can always restore them to orignal later when they get fed up of getting beat by there mates in there mums puntos LOL)

[Jackman]

Id be classed as a young un when i rebuild Jynx.

I did her when i was 21-22 and she is very retro styled, no kits, no stupid exhausts with a nice interior. Still has music and a nice spec engine but i guess unless its standard there is no pleasing some people.

At the end of the day its my car so i can do what i want with it. If you really want you can rebuild it to standard but its only a city e.

Im doing the same with my estate but then again considering the only good panel is the roof left on it what should i do?

[cooperdan]

As mentioned by scrog and myself its great to see the younger generation seeing the intrest...

Your title Young'uns Ruining The Mini... is out of line..maybe a Questiion Mark for peoples views...But to simply say Yes They Are etc...is Bolloc*s

[The_Mistro]

I could be wrong MR disco, but is your mini not modified from standard spec?

exactly what i pointed out on the last page! im glad i am not the only one who noticed

Edited by The_Mistro, 24 February 2009 - 07:14 PM.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

We Created a list on msn of how Politically incorrent his car really is the list went from

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[rimmer1993]

lol craig

[The_Mistro]

craig lol at how u put that, it was pretty long though!!

[taffy1967]

ok hav'nt read all coments but heres one for the oldies (inc me in that)
how old were you when you got your first mini include the year
and what did you do to it (behonest)

i was 19
1984
i got a L reg it had an 1100cc unit (was a round nose)
but i :
chopped of the back box and put a straight pipe on
10" banded cooper rims (6" wide)
modded the carb and air filter
big spots (2 up 2 down)
big speakers

point being most young'uns
will mod there cars
why not
nice to see the younger ones taking an intrest in minis

as we get older we want different things

leave them to i say (we can always restore them to orignal later when they get fed up of getting beat by there mates in there mums puntos LOL)

I was 17 back in 1984 and that's when I inherited the family Mini (which thanks to my sister and her plonker of a boyfriend was a badly abused Tahiti Blue 1975 MKIII Mini 1000).

Anyway after passing my driving test I had the odd crash or two due to my inexperience and dodgy drum brakes. But I loved that Mini to bits and so I couldn't let it get scrapped even though it required a replacement front subframe on one occasion oops. But it didn't get written off as it hadn't long received a brand new replacement rear subframe for the MOT.

So whilst it was getting fixed up I had it resprayed and gave it the 'Cooper' look with a white roof. The rubbish plastic wheel trims were only meant to be a stop gap before fitting better wheels: -



Apart from that it was pretty standard, even though the previous idiot of an owner had fitted one of those hideous plastic dashboards in place of the classic oval instrument housing.

I passed my driving test in that Mini, but sold it during late 1985 as I'd test drove a brand new Mini Mayfair and really enjoyed the extra comfort. So a MKV Mini Mayfair was mine come November 1985, although I still regret selling my first Mini.