10 replies to this topic

[Ultimate_Gaming_Legend]

Hello!

I'm Completely new to mini's but is very interested in working on them. And im going to have alot of questions to ask for the rest of my life on here lol.
This is gunna sound really retarded but i wanted to no the difference between an austin mini and a rover mini apart from the age?

I want to get one of them and then partially modify it nothing major just restoring the engine and cosmetics mainly unless i get too addicted to it lol.
i dont no which one everyone uses to do this though? and was wandering if someone could help me out.

i would still like to know the difference between them both,

also ive started my search on looking for my project mainly looking at austins at the moment unless ii get told not to by someone lol because its not the right car for what i want to do lol. but i mainly find automatics and i dont want an auto, are manual mini's rare or something?

one last thing at the moment does anyone no where to get a hayne's manual sorta thing for a mini? as i am only a begginner with mild experience lol. and il be getting alot of help from mates but i want to learn myself.

thanks everyone that helps and oh the names marshall!

[Ouster]

Quite the opposite - automatics are rare, manuals are common.
Pick up a Haynes almost anywhere - ebay is a good bet though. It will become your bible!

[cooperdan]

the badge's lol

alrite only joking..ill go

[floydrob]

i'm no wiz kid on mini's either, but from what i've picked up...austin mini's are made with a thicker gauge of steel and therefor last longer...rovers were made to be cheap and used thinner metal/cheaper materials. if you're going to take one back to standard, get an austin for sure! if you just want something to poter around with, and modify, get a rover. (saying that i'm restoring a 1980 austin-morris mini clubman 1275GT and doing some minor modifications (power and interior mainly) but trying to keep it as retro and classy as i can)

the rovers also had a black plastic grill, rather than the chrome ones on austins.

have a read through this, it gives a pretty good idea. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini

[richardsoniscool]

sorry dude some of that is wrong. i have a 1978 leyland 850 with a black grill and later rover minis had chrome, also you cant have a clubman 1275GT it one or the other.

Dont look too much into what name the mini was made under, yes it may be true older minis were made with better metal but any mini can be modified and any mini will rust.

spend your time looking at lots of minis and you wil find one soon enough.

so, have a read on the net and on here, Perhaps you should start with what you want out of a mini, later minis had a few more creature comforts / safety features. but older mini will be running 10" wheels have a centre speedo and be filled with retro coolness

mike

and so you know the order of whom made minis, i belive it goes somehting like this:-

Austin / morris 60's
Leyland - 70's
Austin 80's
Rover 90's

not exact but you get the picture

Edited by richardsoniscool, 08 October 2009 - 10:51 PM.

[WRLondon]

Think ive got a spare haynes lying about too!
welcome to the forum

[taffy1967]

From October 1969 and with the arrival of the MK3 Mini range, the Austin and Morris badges were dropped and the Mini became a registered trademark in it's own name.

But although British Leyland were in control by then and all the old BMC Austin and Morris dealerships were now BL dealerships, they still registered them with their old dealer names.

My first Mini was a 1975 MK3 Mini 1000 and that got registered as a Morris Mini.

[Bungle]

where as my 1979 1275 GT had it was a Austin Morris 1275 GT on the log book

[Ultimate_Gaming_Legend]

Hi all,

I am amazed that i got 7 replies in one night! This board is going to be an awsome community to join.

Well all the information u gave me was perfect.

So i can use any mini.
I dont want to majorly modify it just basicly a custom paintjob and abit of the engine but not alot at all. Pretty much restoring it really with a little more lol. Gotta find one first lol where bouts do you guys go as most off ebay are already done.

I dont want auto even though there rarer because i do want to drive my mini after its finished and it will take the fun out of it if its auto.

Last thing its defo a haynes manual or is it a different make? Il look for one as soon as i no which mini ive got.

Thanks again people really helpfull

[daemonchild]

Before you buy one on ebay, look at my project page for "dante". (link in the signature below this.)
He looked great from the first pictures on ebay...



..he needs lots doing and I'm now into a full restoration project. Great fun, but a little more than a custom paint job!

Rust, rust everywhere!


Before you buy, try and find a friendly expert to take with you.
And read this guide.

[Dan]

It doesn't matter which Mini you get, the Haynes manual will either be for a Mini made from 1959 to 1969 or for a Mini made from 1969 onwards. There are other versions if you get one second hand but only because they were printed while Mini was still in production so they don't include anything that came in later on. As has been said above, it doesn't really matter whose name is on the V5. The manual is just for a Mini, the manufacturer isn't listed.