11 replies to this topic

[samsfern]

just been to look at a 1990 mini studio2, quite a nice looking car, needs the front painting though, which i dont mind, and is a nice lil runner, ill go straight to the bad bits,
on my 1989 mayfair, there are hole where the outer sills meet the floors, i think they are vents/drain holes. on the one i looked at, the holes were smoothed over as though it had wider sills.

the worst bit i think was in the rear bins, i lifted up the cardboard bit, just enough to poke around, i put my finger through the inner sill!!

the man wants 900 for it, is it worth that much, and how much do you think im looking at to put it right???

[Big Guns]

Hi. Did the seller mention anything about the rust when you FIRST made contact? If he didn't and just let you "find" the rust then it's my guess that there are a whole (no pun intended) lot more issues waiting to be discovered! You can pick up a good solid project car for less than £1000. My advice.......keep looking.

[guywithvan]

x2 i also agree you can pick up a solid car for alot less than a grand,keep looking and inspect all areas like you are and im sure something decent will come up.

first T&T mini i bought was a rot box,i payed a grand and ended up selling 10mnths later for £250 never again

[newdawn1st]

Similar thing here, payed well over the odds for mine. Also did the silly thing of buying with rose-tinted glass' and not a level head, didn't even check the rear bins (which are rotten). Reckon I'd be lucky to get half what i paid.

So don't feel rushed into buying anything just because you want a replacement mini, some people have looked for a year plus to find one in the right condition for the right price, wish I had looked longer well lesson learnt.

[richardsoniscool]

I think i have the worst record - bought for 750, had for 3 months - sold for 400. bad times. thats 100 quid a month loss.

If your not sure , walk away. Im not the best preacher iv only looked at five cars in my life and have bought 4 of them, but its good advice all the same

mike

[benno1275]

i payed 400 quid for mine from a p***k in penn (hope you are on here) lol and he said it was ok although i qive it the once over i took his word for it and im in exactly the same boat as you now trying to work out how im gonna fix this rust in the rear bins and i wish i just waited because there are people out there who dont just want to rip you off and you can get some pretty good finds

[Shifty]

Rust in the rear bins is VERY expensive to fix, especially to do properly.

If the rust is extensive, then some times its better to cut the lot out and start again. Usually by the time the rear bins have been rotted out and bodged then the fronts will have seen several "MOT Repairs".

Usually the job involves :

Cutting off the oversill(usually plural)

Repairing the inner sills

Doing some local repairs to the floor pan

Door steps

Replace the outer sills with the correct vented type

Heelboard.

Thats usually a good 2 poss 3 days worth of work + panels, and to get a welder to do this(ahem...see my sig....hint hint!!) will cost!!

This is why they are usually bodged, mr MOT man isn't allowed to lift the cardboard out of the rear bins, the oversill makes everything look ok from the outside and while all this is happening your mini is quietly rotting from the inside out!!!

Edited by shiftyseamus, 09 November 2009 - 07:06 PM.

[daemonchild]

If you can get the mini for a much better price, then fine.
But accept it is the project it certainly is..

And we all know you want a mini to DRIVE right now as a replacement - so keep looking chap!

[camp freddy]

I paid £500 for Ratty, just look at my thread to see what I had to do!!

And I should know better LOL..

Edited by camp freddy, 09 November 2009 - 07:08 PM.

[samsfern]

thanks, but im sure i can find better for my money, at the mo, i have a budget of £1000, but ill keep saving until i find a solid one, i dont mind if it needs a fresh lick of paint, just got to be a solid, rust free example (if there is such a thing), im not worried if it runs or not, ive got my 1330 lump to go in it!

thanks for your advice

[biggles1293]

I bought mine through rose tinted glasses and used my heart and not my head....NUMPTY!!!! I paid £2800 for a 1293 cooper and have paid probably double that trying to rectify bodywork and engine probs... never ever again, and i emailed the bloke I bought it from to say how many holes and problems i'd found and he said I was lying, so beware there are some right a**holes out there

[Big Guns]

Kinda puts it's in perspective but..... I paid £860 (I think) for my Clubby estate off Fleabay after a SERIOUS sesh down the local. I was duty bound to at least LOOK at it (didn't really hold out much hope of it being a good un) and, to my amazement, it was basically very sound. It had had a back to metal rebuild 5 years previously(pics to prove) and then put back together very poorly. It had stood for 3 years but got me home (50+ miles) fine and cost me £160 to MOT. I'm now stipping it and re-doing it RIGHT! Yes, I've found loads of crap bodged repairs but nothing sinister. I have walked away from too many cars to remember and I'm certainly not shy when it comes to poking a screw driver through rotted panels! If some toss pot is prepared to rip you off he'd better be prepared also for a car full of holes caused by due diligency when checking it over! My STRONG advice is take a friend or 2 when checking a car over, also take a mirror (underside), a magnet (bodge) and a screw driver!!
Cheers.....Dave