41 replies to this topic

[Ethel]

That's a reasonable question, 

 

We're told the roads & cars have got safer and, if there are more accidents, there are also more drivers to buy policies. I reckon older driver's insurance has probably got cheaper in real terms, so we wouldn't be spreading the risk as evenly - which is kinda the point of insurance. The emergence of "no win, no fee" lawyers will certainly have added a layer of cost that wasn't there when most of us had to accept what the insurers offered and be grateful.

[Captain Mainwaring]

That's a reasonable question, 

 

We're told the roads & cars have got safer and, if there are more accidents, there are also more drivers to buy policies. I reckon older driver's insurance has probably got cheaper in real terms, so we wouldn't be spreading the risk as evenly - which is kinda the point of insurance. The emergence of "no win, no fee" lawyers will certainly have added a layer of cost that wasn't there when most of us had to accept what the insurers offered and be grateful.

Read my rant elsewhere about this...but it's soft old Britain allowing all and sundry to come here and play the system with foreign cars that aren't MoT'ed, taxed or insured for use on our roads....try driving an artic the wrong way down a motorway slip road in Krakow and see what happens to you...certainly harder than the treatment metered out here by our justice system.

 

(I say "here" and "our" as if I still was, but I'm not)

 

On a more on topic note, I can't see why a Mini shouldn't be as reliable as any other little car that uses a tractor engine for power and where someone couldn't find anywhere nice for the gearbox so they threw it all in the sump.

Edited by Captain Mainwaring, 27 July 2013 - 09:19 AM.

[wardyxxx]

 

 

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....

 

 

Or they didn't consisder how awful the British Climate actually was....or our infatuation with spreading salt on our roads...

[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....

 

 

Or they didn't consisder how awful the British Climate actually was....or our infatuation with spreading salt on our roads...

 

I'm told they also get snow in Japan from time to time.

[krusher74]

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

Meeting a lot of young guys surfing at my local beaches there all itching to get a car to got on surf trips further a field, But everytime one of them passes within  months they have written off or crashed there car. This is why the prices are so high.

[krusher74]

 

 

 

 

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....

 

 

Or they didn't consisder how awful the British Climate actually was....or our infatuation with spreading salt on our roads...

 

I'm told they also get snow in Japan from time to time.

 

Yeah, I think it depends where they came from, south island not so bad, north island can be very wet and cold in the winters.

 

I have heard seen lots of horror stories of japanese bongo imports from the north island as they used 50% anti freeze there and if a car is in the docks for exportit can sit for months, the antifreeze separates and can east through a head, making people think they have a hed gasket fialure which they have fixed, only to then find out that does not fix it as the head has water gallery corrosion. and needs replacing.

 

I dont think this would be a problem on a cash iron head though.

[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.

Meeting a lot of young guys surfing at my local beaches there all itching to get a car to got on surf trips further a field, But everytime one of them passes within  months they have written off or crashed there car. This is why the prices are so high.

 

 

Not surprised, I'd expect water damage at the very least.

[krusher74]

 

 

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

Meeting a lot of young guys surfing at my local beaches there all itching to get a car to got on surf trips further a field, But everytime one of them passes within  months they have written off or crashed there car. This is why the prices are so high.

 

 

Not surprised, I'd expect water damage at the very least.

 

Yes they are a poor boat, better submarine 

[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....

 

 

Or they didn't consisder how awful the British Climate actually was....or our infatuation with spreading salt on our roads...

 

I'm told they also get snow in Japan from time to time.

 

Yeah, I think it depends where they came from, south island not so bad, north island can be very wet and cold in the winters.

 

I have heard seen lots of horror stories of japanese bongo imports from the north island as they used 50% anti freeze there and if a car is in the docks for exportit can sit for months, the antifreeze separates and can east through a head, making people think they have a hed gasket fialure which they have fixed, only to then find out that does not fix it as the head has water gallery corrosion. and needs replacing.

 

I dont think this would be a problem on a cash iron head though.

 

 

 

I think that there is a lot of stories about regarding Jap imports, sub standard build, lesser spec and things like this.

Many of these urban legends were spread by those whose business was hit by cheap Jap imports.
I'd suspect that if Bongos were losing head gaskets it was something they were prone to rather than being standing at the docks and separating antifreeze.
I bought a Jap import Pajero (ironic isn't it? they are all bloody imports) and I had 8 years out of it with no issues whatsoever, I still own two Pajeros now, great cars if you leave where fuel is cheap

[krusher74]

 

 

 

 

 

 

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....

 

 

Or they didn't consisder how awful the British Climate actually was....or our infatuation with spreading salt on our roads...

 

I'm told they also get snow in Japan from time to time.

 

Yeah, I think it depends where they came from, south island not so bad, north island can be very wet and cold in the winters.

 

I have heard seen lots of horror stories of japanese bongo imports from the north island as they used 50% anti freeze there and if a car is in the docks for exportit can sit for months, the antifreeze separates and can east through a head, making people think they have a hed gasket fialure which they have fixed, only to then find out that does not fix it as the head has water gallery corrosion. and needs replacing.

 

I dont think this would be a problem on a cash iron head though.

 

 

 

I think that there is a lot of stories about regarding Jap imports, sub standard build, lesser spec and things like this.

Many of these urban legends were spread by those whose business was hit by cheap Jap imports.
I'd suspect that if Bongos were losing head gaskets it was something they were prone to rather than being standing at the docks and separating antifreeze.
I bought a Jap import Pajero (ironic isn't it? they are all bloody imports) and I had 8 years out of it with no issues whatsoever, I still own two Pajeros now, great cars if you leave where fuel is cheap

 

The bongo's etc were not loosing head gaskets, as i said they were suspected head gaskets which turned out to be bad heads, this was told to me by a jap importer who said he would only import from the south island.

[Captain Mainwaring]

I don't what you're telling me, but I do doubt that the issue was caused by coolant splitting and corroding the heads.

Completely off topic, but there is an issue of Bongos damaging their heads if they aren't properly bled when the cooling system is messed with.

[jaydee]

Dont if thats true but my jap mate told me they dont put salt on the roads during winter