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 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.