41 replies to this topic

[liamharries]

im with aviva at the moment after 2 years £440 really good deal but when i first started insure2drive was the cheapest

 

Also its worth looking for older minis not just newer ones as pre 73 minis are tax exempt £130 saved a year and insurance is cheaper also if an older one is still running well then its probbably been well looked after/been restored at some point and wont rust as quickly as the late 90's minis

[liamharries]

id advise joining your local mini club and im sure they will be full of helpful advice if not come with you to check a car as that advice can make a huge difference as they will spot things you wont

[TheDarkPassenger]

 

I have found a 2000 Rover mini I like, it seems in good condition, from a dealer with 65,000 miles, no rust..

This will be my first car, I have 2 concerns that are holding me back. The main one is the reliability of this type of car.

Can anyone give me a ruff idea how reliable this kind of mini would be? and if there not too reliable how much parts are nowadays?

 

I currently don't know much about engines at first I wouldn't be able to do any major fixes myself. If I got a mini Id start learning though.

 

Thank you for your time and any advise your able to give.

 

I'm so glad you're buying a mini. Welcome to the club.

 

But I wouldn't wish a late mini (95/96 on) on anyone. The materials used were poor, metal quaility was awful. For proof, look at my resto thread. And when you're reading, remember that it was spotless when I bought it and I undertook the resto less than 3 years later.

 

http://www.theminifo...tion-96-cooper/

 

Please, please take some well experienced with mini's with you. I don't want you to go off mini's, just later ones.

 

 

 

id advise joining your local mini club and im sure they will be full of helpful advice if not come with you to check a car as that advice can make a huge difference as they will spot things you wont

Thanks for the advise guys.. I've check out your restoration Wardy, I definitely want to steer clear of major work like that since im not experienced with working on cars(wanting to learn though)... I've just been going off the assumption since I'll be using the mini as my everyday car the later the better for reliability.... And ill look into that insurer liamharries..

[Juju]

If it's your first car and you're a young'un, have a think about getting one of the older smaller engined jobbies like a 998? It will be much more insurance-friendly, and you can learn to fix it more easily (& cheaply) yourself?

 

My Mpi Cooper from 2000 is/was my first car, but I was over 30 when I learnt to drive, and us oldies are less 'spensive to insure. I still have her 7 years later as a daily runner. I have called the AA out 3 times during this time, and she has had a lot of work done on her during my ownership. It has been pricey, but mostly because of rust that springs from nowhere. Later minis rot like Gollum's undercrackers. Earlier minis (like the 998s) tend to me more solid.

[TheDarkPassenger]

If it's your first car and you're a young'un, have a think about getting one of the older smaller engined jobbies like a 998? It will be much more insurance-friendly, and you can learn to fix it more easily (& cheaply) yourself?

 

My Mpi Cooper from 2000 is/was my first car, but I was over 30 when I learnt to drive, and us oldies are less 'spensive to insure. I still have her 7 years later as a daily runner. I have called the AA out 3 times during this time, and she has had a lot of work done on her during my ownership. It has been pricey, but mostly because of rust that springs from nowhere. Later minis rot like Gollum's undercrackers. Earlier minis (like the 998s) tend to me more solid.

It is my first car. I managed eventually to get a pretty decent quote on a 1.3 mini. I just need to pick the right one now..  Would 92 be an ok year from the rust side of things compared to a 2000?

[HarrysMini]

I don't really understand why everybody says that injection is better for daily use. The carb engine was designed to be used daily, and if it is maintained properly, will do so without many problems. Fit electronic ignition and you no longer have to worry about the distributor and give it regular services and it will run just as reliably as an injection model.

With regards to insurance, I'm in the same boat as you, new driver with no NCD. What I plan to do is go straight to the 1275 rather than mess about replacing the engine when I can afford the insurance. I bought a '93 SPi Cooper and as it is just a shell, I plan to do a complete carb conversion by putting a carb cooper wiring loom and carb engine in. It is cheaper to insure a car that was 1275 as standard than a 1275 in a 998 car.

I wouldn't even dream of owning an MPi because I plan on doing all the work on my car myself and I don't feel confident messing about with injectors and the endless electronic sensors.

Hope my comments helped.

[racingbob]

just don't buy it unless you get it properly checked over

 

and I mean properly

[Cooperman]

I have a totally rust-free and completely restored 1997 Cooper MPI for sale.
PM me for more details.

Peter

[cal844]

 

If you look after your Mini ( if you get one ) it will reward you with fun. Fail to look after it and it will leave you stranded. Mini's are like women, demanding, need money spending on them to keep them sweet and will sometimes have a hissy fit. However, get a good one and the ride will be well worth any hassle......

 

 

 I have decided to go for a Mini. But its resting on the insurance, I'm finding it hard to get a decent quote, I think because I've only held my licence for 4-5 months. 

Footman James, wont for everyday use. Adrian Flux, internet quote came out to £1,411 annual, but on the phone it changed to £5,000. Direct line for a rover mini cooper Id have to of had my licence for at least a year. So it looks like the insurance will be the deciding factor now.  

 

you think footman james are bad? your right! still not the worst quote ever. when i was 18(last year) just passed my test, driving an 998cc 89 mayfair, i paid £2100 for my first year!

[cal844]

I don't really understand why everybody says that injection is better for daily use. The carb engine was designed to be used daily, and if it is maintained properly, will do so without many problems. Fit electronic ignition and you no longer have to worry about the distributor and give it regular services and it will run just as reliably as an injection model.

With regards to insurance, I'm in the same boat as you, new driver with no NCD. What I plan to do is go straight to the 1275 rather than mess about replacing the engine when I can afford the insurance. I bought a '93 SPi Cooper and as it is just a shell, I plan to do a complete carb conversion by putting a carb cooper wiring loom and carb engine in. It is cheaper to insure a car that was 1275 as standard than a 1275 in a 998 car.

I wouldn't even dream of owning an MPi because I plan on doing all the work on my car myself and I don't feel confident messing about with injectors and the endless electronic sensors.

Hope my comments helped.

i agree here. carb cars are easier to repair when they break, and cheaper, hence why i have 3!

[Fossy313]

I second this mate, I spent far to much on my mpi because I didn't know what I was looking for, I have spent thousands now getting her to an everyday drive... But I wouldn't change her for the world!, take someone who knows what they are looking for, they can get the right feel and may even get you money off which in itself is an easy do at home fix

Edited by Fossy313, 25 July 2013 - 12:40 PM.

[ejs-1995]

Hi I'm paying £2000 a year on a 85 998 having only held my licence for 3 months. I am with elephant who do a classic car policy that takes about £600 off! Maybe you need to look for an older vehicle. Oh and my carb'd mini is an ace daily driver! It does 32 miles a day with ease and still returns better mpg than my mates corsas and fiestas!

[psychobob]

don't the insurance prices for new drivers seem insane nowadays? I think they are having to cover all the dodgy whiplash claims.

[Captain Mainwaring]

 

I have found a 2000 Rover mini I like, it seems in good condition, from a dealer with 65,000 miles, no rust..

This will be my first car, I have 2 concerns that are holding me back. The main one is the reliability of this type of car.

Can anyone give me a ruff idea how reliable this kind of mini would be? and if there not too reliable how much parts are nowadays?

 

I currently don't know much about engines at first I wouldn't be able to do any major fixes myself. If I got a mini Id start learning though.

 

Thank you for your time and any advise your able to give.

 

I'm so glad you're buying a mini. Welcome to the club.

 

But I wouldn't wish a late mini (95/96 on) on anyone. The materials used were poor, metal quaility was awful. For proof, look at my resto thread. And when you're reading, remember that it was spotless when I bought it and I undertook the resto less than 3 years later.

 

http://www.theminifo...tion-96-cooper/

 

Please, please take some well experienced with mini's with you. I don't want you to go off mini's, just later ones.

 

 

 

I have half a 1995 SPi shell in my garage and honestly there is not a bit of moth in it. It came from Japan and certainly wasn't looked after since it's demise at a whirly wheel Stihl challenge.....There is no rust anywhere...really....I wonder whether Rover thought more of our Nipponese brothers than they did of us and gave the car a bit of extra thickness and some paint here and there.......

I'd be happy to photo it in detail for any disbelievers....

[Captain Mainwaring]

don't the insurance prices for new drivers seem insane nowadays? I think they are having to cover all the dodgy whiplash claims.

And uninsured left hand drive mercs driving the wrong way up motor way slip roads whilst being steered by a Vodka sozzled driver - someone has to pay for the havoc they wreak..
Take a look at the number of youtube "funny video clips" that show what seem to be relatively new British plated vehicles being bashed or blown up with gay abandon in fields in eastern europe, you've got to wonder how they got there and more to the point, what poor sod lost them - someone has to pay for that too. //rant about uninsured drunken european drivers//OFF