31 replies to this topic

[lgreenwood]

Hi,

I'm now to the world of the Mini.

I'm currently having my driving lessons in a new MINI, but I'm beginning to come to terms with my need to get an older Mini when I pass. I've done a bit of research and it seems that a 1996 (or later) Mini MPI is what I'm after. I'm looking for it to first and foremost be a safe drive and it's my understanding that these later models have airbags and a stronger chasis, is this correct?

I'm also after a more reliable car, something I can drive daily and rely on it being fairly stable, also the odd London to Hull drive and the odd camping trip. I'd guess a later model will be more reliable and better for this use.

But importantly I'm also looking for a good project to introduce me to cars, it seems that for tinkering Mini's are right up there.

So does a 1996 or later Mini MPI (not cooper, afaik insurance class that as a sports car, insurance for a new driver would be a bit steep!) I'm looking to spend £2000 at max within the next 5 months.

Thanks for any help

Lou

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

First of all Welcome to the forum.

Finding a mini as late as 1996 in good condition for £2000 is going to proove very hard at the moment. Older minis are just as reliable But dont have as many safety features if that bothers you, like Later minis have Re-inforced doors etc which all add up to make it safer over-all, but they all come at a cost.

when i can drive in 2 years My first car will definatly be a mini, but most probably a mid 80s model just because as the market is at the moment it seems there alot alot cheaper than anything newer than after 89 But just as reliable.

Im sure somebody can go into more depth than i have but i hope i helped anyway.
Craig

Edit: Get in touch with Somebody like ANORAK or Taffy for info on later minis, they know everything there is to know. Il direct them to the thread if you like.

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 14 March 2009 - 10:23 PM.

[lgreenwood]

Hi, thanks for the reply and suggestion on the other members. I'll look out for their posts.

The safety is majorly important, I want to keep this car for many a mini year. Knowing that if i'm in a serious collision I've got some extra safety features (although still 'mini'mal compared to modern cars ) keeps my conscience at bay.

I've been doing some ebay lurking and looking at the for sale section of this site and it seems that I'll be able to pick something up for £2000. I'm looking to pay off my first ears insurance aswell, so this is going to be a pricey project considering I'm moving to London at roughly the same time. But some hard graft after I finish my degree in 2 months should pay for it all!

I'm getting well excited seeing everyones cars on here and looking at some of the rebuilds, but part of me is saying that for £2000 i could get a much more reliable first car, just no where near as fun or educational though, and that's what life is about!

Thanks

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Hi, thanks for the reply and suggestion on the other members. I'll look out for their posts.

The safety is majorly important, I want to keep this car for many a mini year. Knowing that if i'm in a serious collision I've got some extra safety features (although still 'mini'mal compared to modern cars ) keeps my conscience at bay.

I've been doing some ebay lurking and looking at the for sale section of this site and it seems that I'll be able to pick something up for £2000. I'm looking to pay off my first ears insurance aswell, so this is going to be a pricey project considering I'm moving to London at roughly the same time. But some hard graft after I finish my degree in 2 months should pay for it all!

I'm getting well excited seeing everyones cars on here and looking at some of the rebuilds, but part of me is saying that for £2000 i could get a much more reliable first car, just no where near as fun or educational though, and that's what life is about!

Thanks

For £2000 you can almost certainly pick up a great mini, but if your looking for a mini around the 96 mark i would say your looking at double that at least in good condition, the later ones tend to rust alot more than the older ones to.
Ive seen Freshly restored minis Go for under £2000 before, mint condition minis were talking here, so its the perfect amount really, but the only thing i could say is dont jump into to buying one, wait, look around and find the onewhich is right for you, you will no when it comes, you can feel it deep inside

Minis can be just as reliable as any other car if you treat them right and perform the maintanence on them that they need!, besides, why would you want a corsa or saxo when you could have a mini ? Go to some shows and you will fall in love with the hole thing, not forgetting when you buy a mini your not just buying a car, your buying a pass into the world of minis, and it really is a fabulous scene when you start getting out n about!

[lgreenwood]

Like I said It's mainly safety features which are drawing me to the post '96 cars (aswell as quieter engine). As far as I'm aware this is airbags, reinforced doors & roof. Do you know if this is this correct?

My main worry is the safety aspect, they do feel a little like a tin can when you're sat inside, which is a double edged sword, great for driving and feel but I imagine would be a major problem in a serious collision.

I've googling,, looking for mini safety ino but can't seem to find much, any suggestions?

Thanks for the advice!

Lou

[roberts]

to be honest if your after safety stay well clear of a Mini!!

an air bag isn't going to save you...

[lgreenwood]

Hi roberts, what makes you say that? As I mentioned in my previous post I've tried to research mini safety info but google isn't turning up much, could you point me a good direction to learn a little more?

Thanks

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Ok, I suggest you look here click me For pictures of Crashed/Damaged minis, will give you a good idea of the scale of damage that occurs in incidents and hopefully you can identify the post 96 cars which should clear things up for you a bit.

Edited by Mini-Mad-Craig, 14 March 2009 - 10:51 PM.

[THE ANORAK]

and ALL Mpi minis have the exact same engine, regardless of whether or not they are a cooper. not sure how that effects insurance

[lgreenwood]

I was talking to someone at work today who mentioned that insurance companies regard coopers as sports models and will up the premium, as a 23 year old male first time driver i could do without the extra money on the premium.

So now to decide whether the larger engine size, and in turn premium will be worth it?

Just reading through some rebuilds now, some good stuff!

[THE ANORAK]

like i said, it depends on the year. if you want an MPi then they all have the exact same engine, its sad i know but basically its a set of stickers that make it a cooper

i think it's worth checking with the insurance companies (not someone at work) before you rule out a cooper

[oli8925]

the most important safety aspect of any mini is that its well maintained. you can have your fancy airbags and rubbish like that if you wish, but if that body crumples because its full of rust and filler, then an airbags not going to do you much good. i have an 89 mini city, bought a couple of years ago for £900, and it was quite poorly maintained in the past. my dad and i did all the maintenance and repair ourselves at home. where there were holes or filler, it was ground out and replaced with fresh metal, and properly welded in and treated. anyway, i think its fair to say we maintained it from that point on very well. there was still rust here and there, but when something came up, it was dealt with instead of swept under the carpet.

i then had a head on crash at 50mph into a stationary vw transporter van, squashed my min by an inch or two and obviously did quite a bit of damage (see my rebuild thread in the link in my sig). i opened the door and walked away from that with no more than a few bruises and a broken heart (emotionally!). so before you think about the extras, get one that you know has been well maintained and is metal!

as for reliability, as craig says, a carb'd mini is just as reliable as an injection mini. again, it all depends on maintenance. mine was in a pretty poor state, and it took me a lot of time and money to sort through the problems bit by bit. but by the end of it, she very very rarely went wrong, and if she did it wasnt a serious problem, just mini character. and she was my daily runner, clocked up thousands of miles, short and long journeys.

and just to add, my new daily car is a 1975 vauxhall viva, bought for £500. so i know old carb'd cars can be great daily runners, and not necessarily unsafe.

with £2k, your not going to get a great mpi mini, and not one in good condition. as craig also said, they rust more than earlier ones. however £2k will get you a very nice 70's/80's mini, well maintained with very little for you to have to worry about. although dont expect a mini never to go wrong! no matter how old it is. if you go for this age range, you will also have the choice of a 998, or a 1275 mini. despite what some people say, the 998's are perfectly capable and if you need a bit more oomph, you can add a stage 1 kit for very little dollar. you may also find insurance to be quite a bit easier on your wallet with a 998, but as insurance is different for every person, i wont open that can of worms. and as engone changes are so easy, when you want, you can always drop in a 1275 anyway. just remember to inform dvla.

dont think theres much more i want to say and i expect everyone else has said everything in the time ive taken to write this anyway damn MOTD!



oooh, as for ccopers and insurance etc: i saw somewhere, but no idea where and cant find it again, that insurance groups go something as follows (in general)

998 city/mayfair: IG 1
1275 city/mayfair: IG 3
1275 spi's/mpi's: IG 5
Italian Job: IG 6
Cooper: IG 8

at least i think thats how it went, roughly is anyway. i was looking as i was looking at an italian job just after my accident. insurance quotes werent cool!

Edited by oli8925, 14 March 2009 - 11:04 PM.

[lgreenwood]

Anorak: I think a trip to confused.com will sorth this one out for me

Oli: Thanks for the post, I like what you said about the filler vs metal, that's something I hadn't really thought about. think that my eyes are being opened to a world beyond post '96, thakyou.

I've just realised the irony in my being adamant about a safe mini, yet I've being cycling about town to and from work for the past 5 years without a helmet!

[HARBER07]

I will definitely 100% agree that a carb'd mini is as reliable as an injection mini, IF its maintained properly. Ive just done one massive trip in the mini, clocking up nearly 600 miles in a carb'd mini with no problems atall.

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

and just to add, my new daily car is a 1975 vauxhall viva, bought for £500. so i know old carb'd cars can be great daily runners, and not necessarily unsafe.

You are kidding me Oli? You Paid £500 for it, its georgous.