31 replies to this topic

[psmini]

^^this! My Mayfair handles and rides way better and only needed a brake conversion kit. Tyres are cheap too

[Maniac]

The brake conversion kits don't look cheap..£400?

How easy are they to fit?

[surfblue]

 

There were definitely wheel spacers fitted, but I don't know what size

 

Were there?

Havent had one now for a number of years but I def dont remember there being any additional spacers on either front or rear hubs.

Was it maybe just the off set of the 13" wheels?

[Fast Ivan]

8mm on the rears

[psmini]

The brake conversion kits don't look cheap..£400?
How easy are they to fit?

You need this one and keep in mind you get 7.5% discount from all minispares purchases when you pay your £5 subscription to be a TMF+ member. I didn't fit mine as I had my mini restored at a mini specialist but he said it was really easy. Absolute bargain at £187 inc vat!

http://www.minispare...px|Back to shop

[megamini_jb]

Yeah fairly straight forward to fit. Only issue I had when doing mine was the castle hub nut. They're extremely tight!

[Maniac]

Yet again thanks for all the replies. This is the car I hope to view this weekend (below), he's taking it in for an MOT today and the results of that will largely swing whether I buy, how much I pay etc. I'd appreciate your views on the price. It seems at the slightly higher end of this model/year but then the mileage appears genuinely (checked MOT online) low and in a rare colour. 

 

http://www.carandcla...uk/car/C532237#

 

[Guess-Works.com]

Any half decent mpi will be 3k+ whether it's a 1997 or a 2001, std mini or sportpack cooper, so don't let the age put you off...

 

As has been said before, condition of bodywork is paramount... If you can, take someone with you who knows a lot about minis.

 

also have a good read of this... http://www.itsamini.co.uk/check.htm

 

As with any other second hand car, HPI check, Dealer warranty etc etc

If it looks as good as you think it might, see how they react if you request an inspection, AA or RAC ? don't just rely on "it's just been MOT'ed"

 

Mechanical things are relatively cheap to fix, but check the transmission, MPi's are notorious for having gearboxes made of cheese, and indication of a crunch into second or a lag in take up of drive should be noted, assume it'll cost you 1k to fix a gearbox once you factor in the labour to take the engine out.

[CCX]

That looks very nice, quite a rare spec too. And actually, having a P-plate MPi is quite a rarity, so I'd argue it would actually add to the value in years to come. The price looks reasonable for the mileage too, which is definitely on the low side. And as above, the main priority is always going to be bodywork. However, one common issue with MPis is the first to second gear crunch, so do make sure you test the gearbox out (but it should be OK on a low mileage car like this).

 

Edit: already mentioned above!

Edited by CCX, 26 September 2014 - 03:37 PM.

[Maniac]

Umm, that gearbox made of cheese thing is a little worrying, I had no idea that was an issue and not cheap or easy to fix either. Thanks for the heads up though, I'll certainly be trying that one out!

[psmini]

I had my Paul Smith MPI from new. The first gearbox failed at 2k miles and the second at 40k miles. Symptoms were as above, crunching when shifting down to second so make sure that's ok. Scuttle panels always go, had mine replaced. The price looks right to me and the mpi is a great car, will cruise at 80mph all day long.

[CCX]

A lot of the gear box problems were apparently caused by rover recommending 10w40 oil (the same as the rest of their range), which was too thin for the demands of the A series/Mini. Ignore that and always use 20w50.

Edited by CCX, 26 September 2014 - 06:50 PM.

[evansisgreat]

I've also heard that the low final drive on MPIs put more strain on the gears. Mine was fine from 40-65k before I took it off the road.

[Maniac]

A lot of the gear box problems were apparently caused by rover recommending 10w40 oil (the same as the rest of their range), which was too thin for the demands of the A series/Mini. Ignore that and always use 20w50.

Cheers for that. If I get it, a full service with that oil will be my first job!

[wingnut]

I'd stick with the 12 inch wheels.Had a sport pack new & only had it for a year.Had no end of trouble with it,mainly brakes and steering.Saw it in the showroom,looked lovely but didn't go for a test drive.Went back to 12 inch,or 10 inch minis after that