26 replies to this topic

[Tifferrobinson]

My heart is slowly breaking. We have to decide whether to use the scrappage scheme to buy a new Hyundai i10 or keep the mini for a year and then just buy a year old hyundai, and sell the mini. But I cannot imagine how much I could get for the mini. The following is a description of said mini - if I could sell it in a year for more than a couple of hundred I might not scrap it. What do you think? Is it time for the scrap heap for this mini, which only has 42000 on the clock?:


We bought Moocher the mini (1992 reg, 1000cc) a year ago from a friend of a friend, who had left it rusting on a driveway without being driven for a year and a half. We gave her 350 for it and then had to spend 650 pounds getting it through the MOT - the sills had rusted away and were replaced and welded (badly I have been told).

Since then I have spent probably 300 pounds on her or so, parts and tools and the engine brace wasn't secure or something and needed to be fixed. I have been told that the rear subrframe is corroded and also that the car is "sitting on the bumpstops" and has no suspension - the garage I took it to refused to test drive it for this reason. I assume the suspension was removed to "lower" the car a while ago, but it has never failed an MOT for that reason. It is so bumpy that my wife stopped being able to travel in it when she was just a few months pregnant!

There is rust on the bonnet, a dent on the front right of the car (not too major) a lot of rust below the boot where she was reversed into a lampost a few years ago, and some of the paintwork is bubbling. Boot panel is black replacement while the rest of the mini is blue. Lock on boot doesn't work.

The heater leaks, but due to the use of a lot of sealant only very minor amounts(a rag collects most of the coolant), but when the heater is on you can smell coolant strongly.

The two back tyres need replacing (slow punctures), and the gear stick jumps around a lot - it sometimes hits me on the leg and it hurts!

What do you think?

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[mini_mad69]

I doubt many people will say scrap it. Being enthusiast an all.


My advice is do whats best for you financialy, I know its a shame too see a mini get scrapped, but it's whats best for you.

[skaterava]

Even with those small problems someone will buy it. Personally I wouldn't want to scrap a classic, would play on my conscience. I would sell it on, someone would be able to fix it in no time. My mini had bad overheating problems, despite the heating system in the car not working at all plus the brake and interior lights would constantly fail, scary at night. But i stuck it out for half a year until those problems were solved. I'd wait and buy something next year, then sell the Mini on. As long as it's not too dangerous to drive

Or, sell the working parts off, bit by bit. I'm sure the doors, boot lid, alloys, bumpers, seats, engine, lights, arches, windows, grille, the bodyshell, and anything else i've left out would get to £1000 or more the wheels look like they're worth nearly £200 alone.

Edited by skaterava, 01 September 2009 - 11:56 PM.

[Nick Warwick]

you would get more if you sell it i would say doesn't look too bad from the photos

[Tomf]

Scrap it, i know its a classic and what not, but for the money the scrapage scheme is offering, you wont get the same sort of money if sold privately...

[dave585]

If you need a new car then go ahead scrap it. I know some will say dont but in the current climate there is a poss you will what a long time for some one to buy it, plus you will never get the money you want for it as poeple dont or will not pay the asking price.
The money for the scrappage is fast running out with october the penciled in date for it to end and not next year as planed.
Now what you can do is what i did and sell the mini buy a new car and when the time is right buy a little project car and do it up or one that needs little work. My advice is go with it, if you need to then do it.

[my_first_mini]

dont scrap it

if you head to a dealer at the end of the month u will b able to knock off the price u would get if u scrapped in your mini, my mate went and brought a new car few months back and decided not to scrap his mini beacuse they knoocked off £2500 anyway (but the dealers wont knock off money and use the scrappage scheme)

your choice entierly tho, looks like a very nice mini tho, shame to see it bein scrapped

[olds_kool_lews]

if you do decide to scrap it, ill av the wheels from u, ill give you a set of steels to replace em, they got bit of over spray, but it wont matter as they wont be around for long once the crusher gets hold of it! let me know if ur interested, n can come to some arrangment?

cheers
lewis

[minidaves]

put standard bits back on it and sell the wheels etc seperate and do what ever works out best for you

dave

[minimininut]

I know the scrappage scheme sounds great, but please don't scrap it if you can avoid doing so

The problems are not huge and an enthusiast with the time and skills would undoubtedly be interested, or as others have said you could sell all the parts of the car so that at least they don't go completely to waste.

Or maybe you could try to sell it on here and on ebay with a reserve and see what people are willing to offer?? And as my_first_mini says, you can always get discount on a new car if you haggle!

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck to you, and thanks for thinking about it before just diving in on the scrappage scheme

[dave585]

dont scrap it

if you head to a dealer at the end of the month u will b able to knock off the price u would get if u scrapped in your mini, my mate went and brought a new car few months back and decided not to scrap his mini beacuse they knoocked off £2500 anyway (but the dealers wont knock off money and use the scrappage scheme)

your choice entierly tho, looks like a very nice mini tho, shame to see it bein scrapped

You are right you can haggle with the dealers, but at this time some will be uneasy giving a discount on new cars, i know this i work in the trade. With the scrappage most dealers will only do this on brand new cars with a trade in, the discounts on used are separate and could work out better but are sometimes uneasy giving money off as they need to make money off a car.
For example a chevy matiz is 6999 with scrappage 2k off the dealer is giving 1k with the goverment giving 1k so will not give any more were as a used one is 6499 so are more likely only knock 500 pounds off at the most.
Many dealers are still waiting for the money off gordon browns muppets for the cash and are making a loss on cars untill they get the cash.
it can be done i walked into Mini dealer last october and brought a 56 plate cooper that was up for 10995 it got them down to 10k so it doesnt hurt to try and that why you can keep your classic on the road, but as i said before if you have to do it then do it, but remove anything that you can make money off it first .

[MiniBonkerz]

If you do dont go with the i10 get the i30 comes with everything you will need and is a great car two of my friends have done this although not with a mini and they are very happy chaps

[Pitcrew6464]

Noooooooooooooooooooo

[Lot]

Noooo save that Mini!!!!

Buy something else and use it in the scrap exchange for the discount.

[Tifferrobinson]

Thanks all for your replies!

Alas I cannot buy another car and use it in the scrappage scheme - you have to have owned it for 12 months. We only just qualify with this mini.

Clearly the wheels cannot be scrapped - I may take you up on your offer lewis.

It sounds like I could make a fair amount effectively scrapping it myself - but this would still break my heart and I thought that scrap yards do that anyway?

The pictures don't do justice to the rust I realise that - I tend to take them from a distance for that reason!

I have budgetted that we could probably afford to spend 600 pounds on it to get it through its MOT and still not lose out if we just bought a used hyundai next year, and sold the mini for 300. How likely does this sound? I can do minor bits myself. I am loathed to spend 50 quid on an MOT if I'm not going to keep it.