17 replies to this topic

[Van13]

Well every time a want to look at a car it's always miles away every flipping time

[Magic jason]

I took a 5 hour train and then a 200 mile drive back to pick up my mini. So they cant be that far away 

[Van13]

I took a 5 hour train and then a 200 mile drive back to pick up my mini. So they cant be that far away 

err I'll shut up now

[Magneto]

I flew from KC to Baltimore to buy mine, then drove it  home - 1100 miles one way! You really get to know your new car when you do that!

[pusb]

I flew from KC to Baltimore to buy mine, then drove it  home - 1100 miles one way! You really get to know your new car when you do that!

 

How long did that drive take?

[minisilverbullet]

I have gotta say if the car is good enough up to 5 hours travel is acceptable for me. 

[Magic jason]

 

I flew from KC to Baltimore to buy mine, then drove it  home - 1100 miles one way! You really get to know your new car when you do that!

 

How long did that drive take?

 

The real question should be, did it make it all the way on its own 4 wheels? 

[g111mds]

Road trip to collect a new purchase is all part of the fun for me. Any excuse for a road trip with my dad. 👍

[Van13]

Road trip to collect a new purchase is all part of the fun for me. Any excuse for a road trip with my dad.

got to admit that's how we treat it as well wife and kids come all fun and making memories
What I meant with original post is when you want to inspect a car

[Rob Gavin]

I bought my last daily from a dealer in Peterborough;  i'm in Glasgow.  It took me 3 trains to get there and at out my life.  Inspection was a bit fraught as there were a few issues with the car I wasn't happy with but I was prepared to walk and simply get another train home. 

[Steve220]

If you want a good car, you'll travel. 650miles to bring back my old Z4M.

[Magneto]

 

 

I flew from KC to Baltimore to buy mine, then drove it  home - 1100 miles one way! You really get to know your new car when you do that!

 

How long did that drive take?

 

The real question should be, did it make it all the way on its own 4 wheels? 

 

I did the drive in 2 days, I left Baltimore about noon and drove about 450 miles to Columbus, Ohio where I met up with some local Mini Club members and had dinner. Going thru the mountains of West Virginia and eastern Ohio I had a couple of moments where it lost power - I don't know if it was carb icing or what, but it carried on and so did I. The next morning I spent a little time adjusting the valves and tuning the HIF carb a bit, then set off for KC -  another 650 miles, I hadn't planned on driving the remainder in one day but I got to St. Louis and I was only 4 hours from home so I pressed on. I had no mechanical issues and by the time I got home I had a lengthy list of things I knew I would be doing to my new car!

[Jordie]

I dont know if thats worse

 

OR

 

a car coming up locally and not having the cash "spare" to buy it!

[pusb]

 

 

 

I flew from KC to Baltimore to buy mine, then drove it  home - 1100 miles one way! You really get to know your new car when you do that!

 

How long did that drive take?

 

The real question should be, did it make it all the way on its own 4 wheels? 

 

I did the drive in 2 days, I left Baltimore about noon and drove about 450 miles to Columbus, Ohio where I met up with some local Mini Club members and had dinner. Going thru the mountains of West Virginia and eastern Ohio I had a couple of moments where it lost power - I don't know if it was carb icing or what, but it carried on and so did I. The next morning I spent a little time adjusting the valves and tuning the HIF carb a bit, then set off for KC -  another 650 miles, I hadn't planned on driving the remainder in one day but I got to St. Louis and I was only 4 hours from home so I pressed on. I had no mechanical issues and by the time I got home I had a lengthy list of things I knew I would be doing to my new car!

 

 

Wow I wish we could do epic drives like that. You say you were "only" 4 hours from home. In the UK 4 hours is a major road trip!

[Magneto]

Well, here in the Midwest 4 hours isn't even across the state, let alone the country! (it's about 6 hours to cross the state of Kansas - east-west, and that's with a 75 mph speed limit!)

 

I had a friend from England visiting when I lived in California - we had driven up to see relatives in Fresno, and back home the next day - 7 hours each way - he remarked he could have driven the length of England in that time.

 

But I agree with the OP that the distance makes it inconvenient to check out a car before purchase, and relying on others can be fraught with peril! I've been working on a friend's car for about a month now fixing various bits on a car that was checked thoroughly by a well known Mini enthusiast before purchase. most of the things he found are what I've been fixing, but we also found many more, and this is a really nicely redone car. Even so......

 

My thinking is you buy with the idea that you will probably be doing a major amount of work at some point and budget accordingly. As long as it's not rusty, I can deal with the mechanicals.

Edited by Magneto, 19 December 2016 - 05:44 PM.