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Should I Buy A Classic Mini?


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#31 rhiannon.evanz97

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 11:37 AM

I'm 17, I've just started learning to drive, and I REALLY want a Mini as my first car! I love the minis, I'm a real enthusiast! I go to car shows in my area all of the time to look at them (I'm going to one on Monday to see if I can buy one!) I am just wondering how much I'd be looking to pay for one in a good condition, my dad is a mechanic so he can come with me to have a look at them and check them over before I buy it, but I'd still like to know.

 

I honestly can't wait to own a mini!

 

Also, are there any common problems with the older minis? Any areas more likely to rust than others? Are they cheap to run?



#32 willava182

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 11:52 AM

I'm 17, I've just started learning to drive, and I REALLY want a Mini as my first car! I love the minis, I'm a real enthusiast! I go to car shows in my area all of the time to look at them (I'm going to one on Monday to see if I can buy one!) I am just wondering how much I'd be looking to pay for one in a good condition, my dad is a mechanic so he can come with me to have a look at them and check them over before I buy it, but I'd still like to know.

 

I honestly can't wait to own a mini!

 

Also, are there any common problems with the older minis? Any areas more likely to rust than others? Are they cheap to run?

 

The list of common problems is endless :P Sills are a prone area, around the headlights, and cheap.. not really (depends what condition you buy yours in) but it only takes £30 to fill up the tank!



#33 alex-95

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:01 PM

Like others have said, if the car is maintained and looked after there is no reason why t should reak down (especially every week). I found the insurance to be alot cheaper than modern cars, with some insurance companys they give you a classic car discount like admiral.

 

 

 

I'm 17, I've just started learning to drive, and I REALLY want a Mini as my first car! I love the minis, I'm a real enthusiast! I go to car shows in my area all of the time to look at them (I'm going to one on Monday to see if I can buy one!) I am just wondering how much I'd be looking to pay for one in a good condition, my dad is a mechanic so he can come with me to have a look at them and check them over before I buy it, but I'd still like to know.

 

I honestly can't wait to own a mini!

 

Also, are there any common problems with the older minis? Any areas more likely to rust than others? Are they cheap to run?

 

The list of common problems is endless :P Sills are a prone area, around the headlights, and cheap.. not really (depends what condition you buy yours in) but it only takes £30 to fill up the tank!

 

Like will says, sills (check if they are oversills, the original ones are open at the bottom, oversills are closed, the scuttle panel, the door bottoms, bottom of the rear quater panels, boot corners, front floors, flitches, inside the rear companion bins...

they are pretty cheap to run, I get around 36mpg just driving to a from work is is about a 10 minute drive, the parts are cheap to.



#34 rhiannon.evanz97

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:13 PM

Like others have said, if the car is maintained and looked after there is no reason why t should reak down (especially every week). I found the insurance to be alot cheaper than modern cars, with some insurance companys they give you a classic car discount like admiral.

 

 

 

I'm 17, I've just started learning to drive, and I REALLY want a Mini as my first car! I love the minis, I'm a real enthusiast! I go to car shows in my area all of the time to look at them (I'm going to one on Monday to see if I can buy one!) I am just wondering how much I'd be looking to pay for one in a good condition, my dad is a mechanic so he can come with me to have a look at them and check them over before I buy it, but I'd still like to know.

 

I honestly can't wait to own a mini!

 

Also, are there any common problems with the older minis? Any areas more likely to rust than others? Are they cheap to run?

 

The list of common problems is endless :P Sills are a prone area, around the headlights, and cheap.. not really (depends what condition you buy yours in) but it only takes £30 to fill up the tank!

 

Like will says, sills (check if they are oversills, the original ones are open at the bottom, oversills are closed, the scuttle panel, the door bottoms, bottom of the rear quater panels, boot corners, front floors, flitches, inside the rear companion bins...

they are pretty cheap to run, I get around 36mpg just driving to a from work is is about a 10 minute drive, the parts are cheap to.

Okay. So no mechanical problems that would be difficult to fix? Thank you so much for letting me know, my dad's a mechanic but he didn't realise some of these problems occured. We knew the parts for them could be quite cheap but we never really knew what we were looking for. Thank you for your help :) !



#35 willava182

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:15 PM

 

Like others have said, if the car is maintained and looked after there is no reason why t should reak down (especially every week). I found the insurance to be alot cheaper than modern cars, with some insurance companys they give you a classic car discount like admiral.

 

 

 

I'm 17, I've just started learning to drive, and I REALLY want a Mini as my first car! I love the minis, I'm a real enthusiast! I go to car shows in my area all of the time to look at them (I'm going to one on Monday to see if I can buy one!) I am just wondering how much I'd be looking to pay for one in a good condition, my dad is a mechanic so he can come with me to have a look at them and check them over before I buy it, but I'd still like to know.

 

I honestly can't wait to own a mini!

 

Also, are there any common problems with the older minis? Any areas more likely to rust than others? Are they cheap to run?

 

The list of common problems is endless :P Sills are a prone area, around the headlights, and cheap.. not really (depends what condition you buy yours in) but it only takes £30 to fill up the tank!

 

Like will says, sills (check if they are oversills, the original ones are open at the bottom, oversills are closed, the scuttle panel, the door bottoms, bottom of the rear quater panels, boot corners, front floors, flitches, inside the rear companion bins...

they are pretty cheap to run, I get around 36mpg just driving to a from work is is about a 10 minute drive, the parts are cheap to.

Okay. So no mechanical problems that would be difficult to fix? Thank you so much for letting me know, my dad's a mechanic but he didn't realise some of these problems occured. We knew the parts for them could be quite cheap but we never really knew what we were looking for. Thank you for your help :) !

 

 

I have had many mechanical problems haha, my drive chain was stretched beyond use, gears always grind, you can guarantee your speedo and fuel guage doesn't work  (don't get me wrong, minis are great :P)


Edited by willava182, 26 April 2014 - 12:16 PM.


#36 rhiannon.evanz97

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:20 PM

You're really selling them to me... haha! I love minis, I still want one even if there are problems. Again, thanks for your advice, I'm sure my dad will know how to fix it... I hope anyway!



#37 HarrysMini

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:24 PM

As for price, look to pay £2500 ish for a rust free, good example. Make sure that it is actually rust free though, don't take the seller's word for it.



#38 willava182

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:24 PM

You're really selling them to me... haha! I love minis, I still want one even if there are problems. Again, thanks for your advice, I'm sure my dad will know how to fix it... I hope anyway!

 

Ooops, they are amazing though, be prepared for people waving at you for no reason :P

 

Although a lot can go wrong, parts are very very cheap, and are easy to get hold of! 



#39 rhiannon.evanz97

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 12:33 PM

As for price, look to pay £2500 ish for a rust free, good example. Make sure that it is actually rust free though, don't take the seller's word for it.

I've learnt from the men in my family never to take the sellers word for anything haha! I know that you ALWAYS need to look around the car first, and I'm making sure to take my dad with me, as he knows what to look for more than I do. We weren't thinking about spending too much more than that anyway, due to the fact that it is my first car and I am paying for it myself.

 

 

You're really selling them to me... haha! I love minis, I still want one even if there are problems. Again, thanks for your advice, I'm sure my dad will know how to fix it... I hope anyway!

 

Ooops, they are amazing though, be prepared for people waving at you for no reason :P

 

Although a lot can go wrong, parts are very very cheap, and are easy to get hold of! 

 

I've heard that from lots of people, (parts are easy to get hold of). I'm not put off really, I love the minis and I'd love to own one, eventually!



#40 TehMarchant

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 01:21 PM

Here how it works.

  • Yes you should buy one
  • You will never have money
  • Don't crash you will have no legs left
  • You will never have money
  • Get a job
  • You will never have money
  • You will have the coolest car out of all your friends
  • You will never have money
  • You will have no social life due to lack of money
  • You will never have money

 

I think I covered most of it.


Edited by TehMarchant, 26 April 2014 - 01:22 PM.


#41 cal844

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 01:26 PM

Minis are great, tools you will need are
Spanners in 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, and some MM sizes too
Sockets in the above sizes and 17mm,18mm,33mm
And a grease gun, also good quality oil and filters

#42 Seba5tian

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 02:05 PM

Here how it works.

  • Yes you should buy one
  • You will never have money
  • Don't crash you will have no legs left
  • You will never have money
  • Get a job
  • You will never have money
  • You will have the coolest car out of all your friends
  • You will never have money
  • You will have no social life due to lack of money
  • You will never have money

 

I think I covered most of it.

I lol'd.

I'm doing exactly what's in that list at the moment which you say you can't! And as a result my mini is wasting away :(  :( . One thing is for sure.. I still have no money :D


Edited by Seba5tian, 26 April 2014 - 02:05 PM.


#43 rhiannon.evanz97

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 02:09 PM

Well I'm lucky I have a family of mechanics then! Any work needs doing I can get it done for next to nothing, so it should be okay

#44 Tamworthbay

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 02:45 PM

Well I'm lucky I have a family of mechanics then! Any work needs doing I can get it done for next to nothing, so it should be okay

that is the key factor. I don't think mine has cost me more than about £100 in three years (apart from the bits I wanted to add) bit probably would have cost in the region of £1500-£2000 if I hasn't done the work myself. Sounds like you have the ideal set up for owning one!

#45 MiniGrin

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Posted 26 April 2014 - 03:10 PM

Yes. 
But while your itching to get behind the wheel, read up on what to look out for (when buying), and also learn how to fix the smaller stuff that a home mechanic can do. That knowledge will come in handy and keep the bills low :D

This said there is always a chance you can get a lemon..... like i did, I did my homework and at 17 i got what looked to be a good solid and wll cared for MPI. Payed top money for it. And then its never really worked properly, so a new floor, gearbox, countless bits of wheel assembly, disks, bearings and many many many other bits later, and overall the car has cost me 12 grand........ yea...... most expensive 2 years ever.... and that's not including insurance and petrol.


Edited by MiniGrin, 26 April 2014 - 03:16 PM.





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