Firstly I'm hearing all these nightmare stories or rust, and reliability. Are mini's really that unreliable? Is there anything you can do to stop rust?
Secondly how many miles can the mini engines usually do?
Newbie Q's: Rust and Miles
Started by
JmD
, Feb 07 2006 07:52 AM
8 replies to this topic
#2
kada1980
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Super Mini Mad
Posted 07 February 2006 - 07:59 AM
Firstly I'm hearing all these nightmare stories or rust
Yep loads of it! Na there not all that bad theres some pretty well looked after ones out there, all down to how well the car has been treated and regular cleaning.
Is there anything you can do to stop rust?
Unless you can come up with a scientific solution to stop a metal returning to its natural state then sorry no! :grin:
Secondly how many miles can the mini engines usually do?
This all depends on how well you look after then engine and keep it serviced when it should be. Pretty strong engine and no reason why it shouldn't go into the 100k's
Karl
#3
AlexM
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One Carb Or Two?
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Posted 07 February 2006 - 11:21 AM
I no a girl at college who has done 140,000 on a standard 998, it still runs good, no smoke or anything!!!
Personally i wouldnt buy anything thats done over 80k
mine had done 60k when i bought it
Personally i wouldnt buy anything thats done over 80k
mine had done 60k when i bought it
#4
The Roadie
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Speeding Along Now
Posted 07 February 2006 - 02:05 PM
Mine has done 10500 miles - anyone who sucks in air though their teeth on mileage really doesn't know what they are talking about.
As long as an engine is properly maintained it should last the normal life of the vehicle.
Rust - depends on car to car.
JmD - ask yourself this, do you REALLY want one? If you don't mind spending a few quid, plus the time and effort involved in owning a Mini get one. If no get another car.
As long as an engine is properly maintained it should last the normal life of the vehicle.
Rust - depends on car to car.
JmD - ask yourself this, do you REALLY want one? If you don't mind spending a few quid, plus the time and effort involved in owning a Mini get one. If no get another car.
#5
stormduck
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Speeding Along Now
Posted 07 February 2006 - 03:51 PM
i wouldn't encourage anyone to by a mini unless they're handy with the spanners, as it'll cost you fortune otherwise.
#6
JmD
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Posted 07 February 2006 - 04:02 PM
I service bikes with no problems (I'm a mountain biker) however I've never had experience with cars before.
I'm not entirely sure whether I really want a mini. I want a card that's cheap to run and fun to drive. No other car seems to fill that sort of specification unfortunetly.
I'm not entirely sure whether I really want a mini. I want a card that's cheap to run and fun to drive. No other car seems to fill that sort of specification unfortunetly.
#7
MAGA7INE
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Stage One Kit Fitted
Posted 07 February 2006 - 04:52 PM
The trick with all this is to find the best condition shell you can, regardless of it's year or model. I have seen mint 82 shells and rusty 98's that would make you cry! So don't beleive that you must buy the newest or most expensive model. In fact, some of the worst are the newer ones!
The best cars to buy in my experience are the early MK3's. 69ish to 73. These cars were not offered as coopers, (except a very small number at the beginning), and are pretty well unloved unlike sport packs and the like so don't go for that much money. Up to 72 they are tax exempt, saving you £110 a year here. You also get cheap classic insurance if you are old enough.
Second on my list is finding a low milage late 998, they do still exist. They are not worth the while of bodge artists who generally like to bodge coopers for profit. Patience will pay off in the end.
Rust. Well wash the car, lance under the arches regularly and have a mini garage waxoil the structure of a good car and there will be no major issues there. Minis rust mostly through neglect. My 69 is mint and has been for years looked after like that. It's not garaged either.
How much do you want to spend should have been my first question? Minis have long since past the point of being cheap cars unfortunately, but £1500 should find you a very good rust free unmodified model of either of these cars. It will take time though to find the right car.
I would start by asking at your local mini oweners club, cars owned by knowledgable enthusiasts who are more likely to want you to have a positive mini experience and are more likely to sell you a decent car, they may even agree to do work on the car to get it up to scratch for a newbie to sell a part finished project. Also, if you don't have lots of experience, there will usually be an expert who can help you maintain the car and go out looking at prospective purchases. I have done this lots for local mini newbies.
Avoid avoid avoid sharky part time autotrader dealers at all costs. It is easy for the unwitting to be fooled by shiny paint and alloy wheels. They specialise in this. They can buy a £50 mot failure, get a mate in the trade to paint it, fake up an MOT and then sell it for £2k. I saw one of these only last week! When calling about cars always ask about the car they have for sale. If they say which one, you know you most likely have a dealer on your hands.
The idea they are unrealiable is not that accurate. My ST3 998 did 20,000 miles a year and is still my everyday car. The key is I don't wait until the car isn't working to service it and I pre emptively change cheap service parts that have been on the car a while.
If you don't have a good garage near you, (very likely), or a recommended mini specialist, then learn to maintain the car yourself. You know then that a thorough job has been done and you save yourself a lot of money. Mini's are very simple to work on, unlike modern cars, they were specifically designed to be maintained by owners and simple country garages in the 60's. If you can look after a bike, you can certainly look after a mini! Get the service guide, far more useful than the haynes manual, which tends to tell you how to fix major things rather than how to look after the car.
The key points to mini unreliability are poor maintainance. Very few garages can be arsed to do a proper job on a car that takes skill and time. They just change the oil, filter and charge you £60. There is much more to maintaining a mini than that. Impoverished owners ran them into the ground as well, then an enthusiast would do a lash up resto for the MOT, then run it into the ground etc. Our 1967 mini has had 4 prior restorations like this before we bought it. Even so, my partner uses the car every day and she has never been dumped by it anywhere. It's properly looked after, (and now having a full resto it deserves).
Things to do to a mini to make them reliable.
1. Junk the points ignition if fitted and fit electronic. 99 times out of 100, mini breakdowns are caused by ignition parts failure. The sad truth is most points and condensors available are such poor quality they don't last now. Fit an electronic ignition for £50 and most mini problems go away. Also change all the leads, cap, rotor arm and plugs for std quality parts. Fit a new coil. £30 well spent. There is not much else to go wrong that will actually dump you anywhere. Minis are simple cars.
2. Fit the water sheild over the ignition if it is missing. This stops any rain getting to the electrics. Pennies to do.
3. Maintain the car according to factory specs then go one better. Do the 36,000 mile service every year, change the oil and filter every 3 months regardless of milage. These things are very cheap to do and will maintain the value of the car.
I could ramble on for hours about this but you get the point I hope. If you are down our way I would be more than happy to help you out, the same will apply I am sure to other areas.
One more thing, when looking at cars ask if they mind the AA or RAC to come and check over the car, I found this often makes people confess the true condition and you can walk away! Also, if you are about to buy a car for sure, maybe book it in for an MOT with a local garage and have this done before parting with any cash. That could be the best £40 you could spend as, while not a perfect report on the car, it should pick up major brake/rust/safety issues.
The condition of the shell is everything. Milage is no where near as important. You can get a low milage 998 from a late rusty mini for £50. Mechanical stuff is cheap to do. PM me if you want any more detailed advice
The best cars to buy in my experience are the early MK3's. 69ish to 73. These cars were not offered as coopers, (except a very small number at the beginning), and are pretty well unloved unlike sport packs and the like so don't go for that much money. Up to 72 they are tax exempt, saving you £110 a year here. You also get cheap classic insurance if you are old enough.
Second on my list is finding a low milage late 998, they do still exist. They are not worth the while of bodge artists who generally like to bodge coopers for profit. Patience will pay off in the end.
Rust. Well wash the car, lance under the arches regularly and have a mini garage waxoil the structure of a good car and there will be no major issues there. Minis rust mostly through neglect. My 69 is mint and has been for years looked after like that. It's not garaged either.
How much do you want to spend should have been my first question? Minis have long since past the point of being cheap cars unfortunately, but £1500 should find you a very good rust free unmodified model of either of these cars. It will take time though to find the right car.
I would start by asking at your local mini oweners club, cars owned by knowledgable enthusiasts who are more likely to want you to have a positive mini experience and are more likely to sell you a decent car, they may even agree to do work on the car to get it up to scratch for a newbie to sell a part finished project. Also, if you don't have lots of experience, there will usually be an expert who can help you maintain the car and go out looking at prospective purchases. I have done this lots for local mini newbies.
Avoid avoid avoid sharky part time autotrader dealers at all costs. It is easy for the unwitting to be fooled by shiny paint and alloy wheels. They specialise in this. They can buy a £50 mot failure, get a mate in the trade to paint it, fake up an MOT and then sell it for £2k. I saw one of these only last week! When calling about cars always ask about the car they have for sale. If they say which one, you know you most likely have a dealer on your hands.
The idea they are unrealiable is not that accurate. My ST3 998 did 20,000 miles a year and is still my everyday car. The key is I don't wait until the car isn't working to service it and I pre emptively change cheap service parts that have been on the car a while.
If you don't have a good garage near you, (very likely), or a recommended mini specialist, then learn to maintain the car yourself. You know then that a thorough job has been done and you save yourself a lot of money. Mini's are very simple to work on, unlike modern cars, they were specifically designed to be maintained by owners and simple country garages in the 60's. If you can look after a bike, you can certainly look after a mini! Get the service guide, far more useful than the haynes manual, which tends to tell you how to fix major things rather than how to look after the car.
The key points to mini unreliability are poor maintainance. Very few garages can be arsed to do a proper job on a car that takes skill and time. They just change the oil, filter and charge you £60. There is much more to maintaining a mini than that. Impoverished owners ran them into the ground as well, then an enthusiast would do a lash up resto for the MOT, then run it into the ground etc. Our 1967 mini has had 4 prior restorations like this before we bought it. Even so, my partner uses the car every day and she has never been dumped by it anywhere. It's properly looked after, (and now having a full resto it deserves).
Things to do to a mini to make them reliable.
1. Junk the points ignition if fitted and fit electronic. 99 times out of 100, mini breakdowns are caused by ignition parts failure. The sad truth is most points and condensors available are such poor quality they don't last now. Fit an electronic ignition for £50 and most mini problems go away. Also change all the leads, cap, rotor arm and plugs for std quality parts. Fit a new coil. £30 well spent. There is not much else to go wrong that will actually dump you anywhere. Minis are simple cars.
2. Fit the water sheild over the ignition if it is missing. This stops any rain getting to the electrics. Pennies to do.
3. Maintain the car according to factory specs then go one better. Do the 36,000 mile service every year, change the oil and filter every 3 months regardless of milage. These things are very cheap to do and will maintain the value of the car.
I could ramble on for hours about this but you get the point I hope. If you are down our way I would be more than happy to help you out, the same will apply I am sure to other areas.
One more thing, when looking at cars ask if they mind the AA or RAC to come and check over the car, I found this often makes people confess the true condition and you can walk away! Also, if you are about to buy a car for sure, maybe book it in for an MOT with a local garage and have this done before parting with any cash. That could be the best £40 you could spend as, while not a perfect report on the car, it should pick up major brake/rust/safety issues.
The condition of the shell is everything. Milage is no where near as important. You can get a low milage 998 from a late rusty mini for £50. Mechanical stuff is cheap to do. PM me if you want any more detailed advice
#8
nmt_oli
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Speeding Along Now
Posted 07 February 2006 - 06:42 PM
Thats the best post on a message board i have read in a long time! im glad i signed up here.
He speaks the truth, listen to those in the know, im currently trying to sort my first mini which has been off the road for 2 years now, had major rust problems and was only a 1992!
Ive already found that ive been a bit diddled by the guy i got to do the major bodywork, and it cost too much in the first place (in my defense, when we bought it it had an mot, hardly any rust spots in the usual places, and did look solid, various people who saw it were surprised at the amount of work it needed, i dont actually think the previous owner knew it would soon need so much work).
im now getting stuck into it myself, to build up tools, knowledge and save some money. it seem daunting, but everyhting so far seems to become simple- i also have a background in mountain bike mechanics.
go for it!
He speaks the truth, listen to those in the know, im currently trying to sort my first mini which has been off the road for 2 years now, had major rust problems and was only a 1992!
Ive already found that ive been a bit diddled by the guy i got to do the major bodywork, and it cost too much in the first place (in my defense, when we bought it it had an mot, hardly any rust spots in the usual places, and did look solid, various people who saw it were surprised at the amount of work it needed, i dont actually think the previous owner knew it would soon need so much work).
im now getting stuck into it myself, to build up tools, knowledge and save some money. it seem daunting, but everyhting so far seems to become simple- i also have a background in mountain bike mechanics.
go for it!
#9
JmD
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Posted 07 February 2006 - 06:58 PM
Thanks Maga7ine. That's going to be a great help. Must of taking some time to write!
Anyway I have around £1000 to spend. Although I'm going to leave it a few months so I should have a bit more money by then, maybe around £1500?
Anyway I have around £1000 to spend. Although I'm going to leave it a few months so I should have a bit more money by then, maybe around £1500?
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