25 replies to this topic

[roblightbody]

Drove to Switzerland and back from Glasgow no problem!

From experience I'd recommend taking an alternator, fan belt and headlight switch, and duck tape and both plastic and metal cable ties!

[Richard_]

Drove to Switzerland and back from Glasgow no problem!

From experience I'd recommend taking an alternator, fan belt and headlight switch, and duck tape and both plastic and metal cable ties!

[Richard_]

Hm so I'm imagining you had some bits fall off- possibly including an exhaust? Plus a total charging failure, a lighting failure and a cooling failure.
And all of this in the middle of france?! Could be worse I suppose! 😂

[roblightbody]

Hm so I'm imagining you had some bits fall off- possibly including an exhaust? Plus a total charging failure, a lighting failure and a cooling failure.
And all of this in the middle of france?! Could be worse I suppose! 😂

Not me, but minis we traveled with had all sorts of issues!

My first mini was a Racing Green, brand new, like the one in your profile photo.

[Magneto]

I bought a Clubman Estate sight unseen in Baltimore and drive it home to KC, 1100 miles one way @65 mph!

[Richard_]

I bought a Clubman Estate sight unseen in Baltimore and drive it home to KC, 1100 miles one way @65 mph!

Amazing! What was the best / worst moment?

Edited by Richard_, 10 April 2021 - 04:15 AM.

[Richard_]

Hm so I'm imagining you had some bits fall off- possibly including an exhaust? Plus a total charging failure, a lighting failure and a cooling failure.
And all of this in the middle of france?! Could be worse I suppose! 😂

Not me, but minis we traveled with had all sorts of issues!

My first mini was a Racing Green, brand new, like the one in your profile photo.

Yes I saw that. Was is 1988 or 1989?
I'm struggling at the moment to resist the urge to modify the car. Think I need another less original mini to play with!

[Magneto]

 

I bought a Clubman Estate sight unseen in Baltimore and drive it home to KC, 1100 miles one way @65 mph!

Amazing! What was the best / worst moment?

 

Best was meeting friends along the way that I had only known thru internet forum interactions, and the reactions of people as they passed me on the interstate - lots of thumbs up and smiles!

 

Worst was losing power in the mountains about 2 hours west of where I bought it - I thought maybe carburetor icing as it was only 35*, but months later found that the fuel pump was duff and would fail intermittently. Sometimes a tap with a small wrench would get it going again.....Once home I found that the supposedly rebuilt engine had been poorly done, so I wound up rebuilding it properly and it drove fantastic after that. 

Edited by Magneto, 11 April 2021 - 03:23 PM.

[Richard_]

A brief update on this dormant topic -

I have now decided to go to Nordkapp which is in the far north of Norway - but not until spring 2024 when there probably wont be any snow on the roads sadly. (Cant go this year due to work committments.)

After two ferries from Harwich via Holland to southern norway its a 1500mile drive to get there, then a 'u' turn in the car park, and 1500 miles back.

There will be three cars in convoy; An MGF, an Elise and me.

I'm thinking 200miles a day will be quite enough so three weeks. I have just purchased a tatty second hand seat from an MPI purely for this trip, which may help retain my sense of humour after a few hours driving.

 

Anyone had any experience of that sort of road mileage in a Mini? - or any experience driving in Norway?

 

(not my car in the background)

 

 

[mister bridger]

I did that trip back in the 90s - but on a motorbike. Norway has remained just about my most favourite place in the world; great roads and lovely people - but a very expensive place. I stayed at (allegedly) the most northern campsite in the world at Nordkapp. It was June (for the midnight sun) and pretty nippy!

[johnR]

I'm planning to drive mine to Greece via Italy and back through the Balkans this year