Hello From Harpenden (St. Albans)
#1
Posted 30 August 2014 - 01:56 PM
#2
Posted 30 August 2014 - 02:10 PM
Being a Japanese import should actually make you feel LESS worried as it's (Japan) climate is far less damaging to the mini's rust-prone body.
As for parts, go to minispares.com (for example), and then google an equivalent part for lets say, a Ford Fiesta - will give you an idea of how (very) reasonable spare parts are for a mini - and all parts, and I mean ALL parts are still readilly available NEW.
photos or link would be nice..
#3
Posted 30 August 2014 - 02:20 PM
#4
Posted 30 August 2014 - 02:51 PM
Hi Lisa, welcome to the forum. Good luck with the mini purchase, hope you enjoy it :)
#5
Posted 30 August 2014 - 02:55 PM
Hello Lisa welcome to the forum, you got that bang on by the way don't trust anyone selling and knock that price down as much as possible!! As said above by b_sdaddy send a link or some pictures and we can help you out
Also when going to view the car make sure you check everything lift up the carpets, check the inner and outer sills, floor panels, boot step panels any sign of rust internally and externally as they can lead to hefty bills. It might be worth bringing someone along with you to check the mechanical work too and test out the electrics.
Is this the mini your looking at by any chance? http://www.ebay.co.u...=item51c11f13de
#6
Posted 30 August 2014 - 03:11 PM
#7
Posted 30 August 2014 - 04:04 PM
I've just found the car!! http://www.cambridge...e-low-miles-ac/
Even though its a really nice car they're asking a lot of money for it, I mean that's just £5 short of £9,000!! I don't think they'd budge if you tried to knock the price down either. But in all honesty you could by yourself a really nice mini if you keep your eyes on ebay for a while you could get one half the price and pretty much rust free. Make sure you take your time too don't rush into things, you'd be surprised at some of the bargains out there
Members on the forum sometimes sell their minis too and there's a very nice one going at the moment from james962. The car has undergone a nut and bolt restoration so I'll link it and see what you think http://www.theminifo...0/#entry3108500
#8
Posted 30 August 2014 - 04:25 PM
#9
Posted 30 August 2014 - 04:43 PM
Gosh wish I had that kind of money to spend on a mini!! I know how it is when you fall in love with a car and cant stop thinking about it
But like you've said the colour scheme is very nice, I doubt they'll sell that mini overnight though due to the price so gives you plenty of time to look elsewhere!! Sometimes it depends where you look really, there are a lot of bargains on ebay and sometimes gumtree too (although gumtree can be dodgy) very rarely on autotrader. I mean who knows someone at the Stanford hall mini fair maybe selling a mini for a fair price in good condition
You've got me dreaming about your budget now, mine never exceeds £1,500!!
#10
Posted 30 August 2014 - 04:57 PM
#11
Posted 30 August 2014 - 06:46 PM
Don't be mislead by ridiculous asking prices, the market is filled with overpriced cars that will never sell for such sums, so don't fall in the trap of thinking that a car is worth anywhere near £9k, just because someone has put a £9k price tag on it. Your original £6k budget is more than enough for an immaculate late mini, and to be honest so long as you buy privately and avoid "dealer mark up", then you should even be able to pick up a very nice example for nearer half that amount.
#12
Posted 30 August 2014 - 07:05 PM
#13
Posted 30 August 2014 - 08:31 PM
Hi and welcome, I'm also in Harpenden, so if you need any help/advice feel free to give me a shout!
#14
Posted 30 August 2014 - 09:06 PM
#15
Posted 31 August 2014 - 05:46 AM
Thank you, just seems to me that in the 3/4 months I've been looking they've gone up in price whether private or through dealership, I'm not rushing into anything though - just feels like, as with the house market, I'm in the market at the wrong time!! Thanks though. My daily routine consists of checking, eBay, piston heads and car and classic at least 3 times a day!
It's true that the last few months do seem to have seen a bit of an increase, but not really by a huge amount. They're still relatively low by comparison to where they were before the recession. Whilst eBay gives you a reasonable guide to selling prices, that's only really the case if you search through the completed listings to see what cars have actually sold for, as opposed to going by classified/buy it now prices. Pistonheads and Car & Classic will tend to give a very false perception of market values, mainly because they are the very places that enthusiasts tend to advertise their pride and joy with the unrealistic hope of getting back the all the cash that they have sunk into them. This gives other people looking to sell the impression that their cars are also worth similar over inflated amounts and you end up with websites filled with unrealistically priced cars that don't sell.
Local ads/ classifieds, the motor press and eBay/gumtree tend to be better places to look in my experience. There are sensibly priced cars out there, it's just a case of knowing where to look for them and waiting for the right one to come along.
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