34 replies to this topic

[dandgrod]

Thanks for all the replies. I just got back from Brighton. So it was 53 miles on the run. Then 137 miles to get back home. The car was great. I need to adjust my high/lows because I had the rear tire rub a few time on some of the bumps. And something started to rattle behind the dash but that was it. The ride wasn't to bad. All the extra sound deadening I installed this winter help cut the noise by half. BUT my knee, ankle and back were a little sore afterwards.

So like some of you guys have said. The driver may not be able to make it.

I've got some thinking to do.

Edited by dandgrod, 21 May 2012 - 07:29 AM.

[Carlos W]

If you do it, I'd love to know how you get on!

[tiger99]

I used to run a 998 (well, two actually, but the older one did the high mileage), and thrashed it, flat out, up and down the motorways most weekends, and a 40 mile each way daily commute. One year it was well over 40,000 miles. Oil changes about every 6000, greased twice as often. The engine lasted till over 120,000, ball joints, set up to move freely, well over 60,000, never changed a hub bearing, but did get though two sets of knuckle joints, umpteen engine steady bar bushes, some CV gaiters (not a single CV joint or pot joint) and a few gearchange rod oil seals (before the mod kit). Oh, and master and wheel cylinder seal kits every 40,000 miles, rigorously, as I had a brake failure early on, and never want a repetition. One clutch at about 80,000 and another, not really needed, with the recon engine after 120,000. Never any internal gearbox parts. A few engine mounts, hoses, fan belts. Plugs, points and condenser every 12,000 or so, but never a coil.

This had a solid mounted front subframe, a rubber mounted one would have broken rear mounts about every 3 months.

In my opinion a Mini can be reliable for high mileages. The reasons that are mostly not seen as such today is that many have been butchered by people with little understanding of what they are doing, and many of the spares are of questionable Chinese quality. Just about everything I used was Quniton Hazell or Unipart, Champion spark plugs, Castrol GTX oil.

[dandgrod]

Thanks Tiger99 that gives me a boost of confidence. I still have a few weeks now to decide what I'm going to do. But with all the feedback I've gotten on here I'm leaning towards driving it.

[AzMaN]

just a sujestion, have you got seat extenders fitted? i added them and find my legs dont suffer as much, only problem is cant get any rear passengers on that side now.