25 replies to this topic

[Fynn]

Thanks for all the answers so far! I don’t mind the car being impractical or unpleasant on bumpy roads - after all I’m just looking for a fun little car and roads are perfectly smooth where I live. You’re all recommending to make room for it in the garage, which I wouldn’t deem impossible, but how long would a properly rust proofed car last in the weathers before growing rust?

I do have access to a workshop and tools, however, as I said, no experience working on cars. Is that learnable just by owning and maintaining the car?

I found this one on carsandclassic for only about 10k. What do you think about it? (https://www.carandcl...uk/car/C1223136)

 

@MaximMini I live about 20 minutes from Frankfurt, is that close to you?

 

Thanks again for your help so far!

[mab01uk]

All I can say is it would be a great shame to use that rare Innocenti Mini as a daily driver in all weathers and on salted winter roads. The rust would be starting in the seams and sills almost immediately although it would not show on the surface probably for a year or two. An 850cc Mini is not ideal either for a new driver on modern roads and traffic, under powered and on drum brakes.....back in the day other cars would have had the same drawbacks but now you will be surrounded by modern cars with ABS brakes and a lot more power who may not even notice your tiny low down dim little brake lights, no seat head restraints means it will be you and any passenger that suffers severe whiplash when that SUV rear ends you while they are busy on their mobile phone.......tell me how I know!  Sorry to be negative but it is best you know the worst case facts rather than look through rose tinted glasses.

 

As has been said by others get a cheap modern small car for everyday use and keep the Mini in your garage for fun use on sunny weekends and classic car shows but in the end it is your choice. Good luck with whatever route you take and hope you enjoy your Mini ownership experience and stay with TMF to tell us how you get on.

Edited by mab01uk, 17 September 2021 - 08:39 AM.

[Icey]

Thanks for all the answers so far! I don’t mind the car being impractical or unpleasant on bumpy roads - after all I’m just looking for a fun little car and roads are perfectly smooth where I live. You’re all recommending to make room for it in the garage, which I wouldn’t deem impossible, but how long would a properly rust proofed car last in the weathers before growing rust?

I do have access to a workshop and tools, however, as I said, no experience working on cars. Is that learnable just by owning and maintaining the car?

I found this one on carsandclassic for only about 10k. What do you think about it? (https://www.carandcl...uk/car/C1223136)

 

@MaximMini I live about 20 minutes from Frankfurt, is that close to you?

 

Thanks again for your help so far!

I'm going to be blunt here. Most of the responses layout some fairly solid reasons why a classic is not a great choice for a first and primary car. You still seem to be dead set on the idea.

 

Be honest with yourself (and us, but we're just internet people so don't really count), are you just going to buy it anyway regardless of what's posted?

It happens alot on forums, someone will ask a question but not get the responce they wanted so carry on regardless. Nothing wrong with that, you pay your money, you make your choice. But let's just clear it up. If you're going to buy it we can turn the thread into how you can improve safety, improve durability, weather proofing etc... rather than just tell you how bad it is.

[sonscar]

Follow your heart,you only live once and there will be lots of regrets later.These cars are well catered for in terms of spares and knowledge and are simple to maintain.I would look for the cheapest roadworthy example and try it.You may or may not like it  but you probably will lose little on resale.There have been many valid points raised but to use a phrase usen by Landrover owners mainly"One Life,Live It"Enjoy your choice,Steve..

[Colinmac1330]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it always amuses me on here that so many people try to put someone off using a Mini as a daily driver. I have used a Mini as a daily for pretty neigh on 20 years and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Even 20 years ago people were trying to tell me otherwise, its not suitable, it will rust etc. There is no doubt it does rust and this is something you need to be prepared to accept but for the enjoyment of driving a Mini it is something I was and am willing to deal with. On the whole they have proved to be pretty reliable also with regular servicing. Fair enough I only do a small commute to work and do not encounter any motorways.

 

All in all I would say if you want to go for it go for it! 

[Fynn]

All I can say is it would be a great shame to use that rare Innocenti Mini as a daily driver in all weathers and on salted winter roads. The rust would be starting in the seams and sills almost immediately although it would not show on the surface probably for a year or two. An 850cc Mini is not ideal either for a new driver on modern roads and traffic, under powered and on drum brakes.....back in the day other cars would have had the same drawbacks but now you will be surrounded by modern cars with ABS brakes and a lot more power who may not even notice your tiny low down dim little brake lights, no seat head restraints means it will be you and any passenger that suffers severe whiplash when that SUV rear ends you while they are busy on their mobile phone.......tell me how I know!  Sorry to be negative but it is best you know the worst case facts rather than look through rose tinted glasses.

 

As has been said by others get a cheap modern small car for everyday use and keep the Mini in your garage for fun use on sunny weekends and classic car shows but in the end it is your choice. Good luck with whatever route you take and hope you enjoy your Mini ownership experience and stay with TMF to tell us how you get on.

The reason I chose on oder model is because I’ve been told ‘93 and past models are worse when it comes to rust. Would you recommend a newer one anyway?

 

 

Thanks for all the answers so far! I don’t mind the car being impractical or unpleasant on bumpy roads - after all I’m just looking for a fun little car and roads are perfectly smooth where I live. You’re all recommending to make room for it in the garage, which I wouldn’t deem impossible, but how long would a properly rust proofed car last in the weathers before growing rust?

I do have access to a workshop and tools, however, as I said, no experience working on cars. Is that learnable just by owning and maintaining the car?

I found this one on carsandclassic for only about 10k. What do you think about it? (https://www.carandcl...uk/car/C1223136)

 

@MaximMini I live about 20 minutes from Frankfurt, is that close to you?

 

Thanks again for your help so far!

I'm going to be blunt here. Most of the responses layout some fairly solid reasons why a classic is not a great choice for a first and primary car. You still seem to be dead set on the idea.

 

Be honest with yourself (and us, but we're just internet people so don't really count), are you just going to buy it anyway regardless of what's posted?

It happens alot on forums, someone will ask a question but not get the responce they wanted so carry on regardless. Nothing wrong with that, you pay your money, you make your choice. But let's just clear it up. If you're going to buy it we can turn the thread into how you can improve safety, improve durability, weather proofing etc... rather than just tell you how bad it is.

I’m not all set, but pretty convinced to say the least. After all there are some people having great experiences with a classic mini as their daily. Do you have some recommendations to improve durability/weather resistance that would make it feasible as a daily driver?

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it always amuses me on here that so many people try to put someone off using a Mini as a daily driver. I have used a Mini as a daily for pretty neigh on 20 years and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Even 20 years ago people were trying to tell me otherwise, its not suitable, it will rust etc. There is no doubt it does rust and this is something you need to be prepared to accept but for the enjoyment of driving a Mini it is something I was and am willing to deal with. On the whole they have proved to be pretty reliable also with regular servicing. Fair enough I only do a small commute to work and do not encounter any motorways.

 

All in all I would say if you want to go for it go for it! 

That’s what I wanted to hear haha. How often did you have to do rust repairs and where did you store it during winter?

[Ethel]

I'd still look at every way of running a cheap modern car, if only to get you through this winter. 

 

I wouldn't gamble against having to take a Mini off the road, if only for a few days, so you'd be wise to have the space available to do that anyway.

[Icey]

I’m not all set, but pretty convinced to say the least. After all there are some people having great experiences with a classic mini as their daily. Do you have some recommendations to improve durability/weather resistance that would make it feasible as a daily driver?

Clear your garage out and store the Mini in there during the winter. Running a Mini in winter (where roads are salted) is the single biggest thing you can do to shorten its life. The second reason is that, as mentioned, you will need to get your hands dirty to work on it. Doing that without hard cover means you're likely to skip servicing over winter because you can't really do it in the snow/rain, that will also shorten its life.
 
If the car has recently been restored to a very high standard you can expect a few years without the need for any major work. Just usual weekly/monthly/yearly service items/checks. You can use cavity waxes to help prevent rot but it will always get you in the end. Factor in a couple of panels within, say 36-48months of year-round driving. If the car is unrestored or getting a bit tired, you may find you need to do serious work after 12-24months. Initial condition is a big factor in longevity.
 
I have two example of our own cars to give you. The first was a quick and dirty rebuild we did a few years ago to build a run-around. It was driven in all weathers, year round. Without fail I would have to put a panel into it for the MOT. At the other end of the scale is the Mini we built over a much longer time period with lots of new metal and paint. It only goes out on sunny days (although it has seen some rain), 10 years on the finish is only just starting to show its age.

 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it always amuses me on here that so many people try to put someone off using a Mini as a daily driver. I have used a Mini as a daily for pretty neigh on 20 years and I wouldn't change it for a thing. Even 20 years ago people were trying to tell me otherwise, its not suitable, it will rust etc. There is no doubt it does rust and this is something you need to be prepared to accept but for the enjoyment of driving a Mini it is something I was and am willing to deal with. On the whole they have proved to be pretty reliable also with regular servicing. Fair enough I only do a small commute to work and do not encounter any motorways.
 
All in all I would say if you want to go for it go for it!

That’s what I wanted to hear haha. How often did you have to do rust repairs and where did you store it during winter?

 

I know that was said in jest, but now we're getting to the heart of it
 

I don't think anyone is actively trying to tell you not to use the car as a daily driver, we're just trying to point out that there are pros, cons and alternatives that should be considered.

[Gilles1000]

As a daily driver I would take something between 1980 and 1993.

Before, they had sliding windows, small lights, no tensioners in the belts, no fresh air vents and so on. The cars after 1985-ish got headrests,

Very old cars(before 1970) are becoming rarer now so more enviable for collection.

After 1993, yes, rust is usually worse, but I think at this time people using them also did not care any more about their daily drivers compared to in the 60s/70s.

Accessibility to the mechanics becomes more and more difficult with the years (cf. servo, ecu and electronics, air-conditioning if any...)

 

This lets you having a great choice within these years.

I would look for something from '85 to '90. You get disc brakes, servo, the biggest rear lights but not too much, which will let you learn to work on the car.

If after some years you still love the Mini, restore it/and or look for something more special like the Innocenti you showed. For me this one is more a weekend car as a daily driver.

 

Just for example for the discussion, a Peugeot 205 (designed in early 80s) is much easier to run than a Mini which is 50s/60s design. Also a Peugeot 206 is even easier than the 205... (yes, I'm french :), but this works also with a Golf...)

 

Cheers,

Gilles

[InnoCooperExport]

That Innocenti at Tony Erker's is brilliant looking, but way too rare to be a viable daily. The Innocenti Mini Minors had some cool stuff their UK cousins didn't. Such as that the 850s had the 12G265 Cooper head from the factory. This gives them a touch more power but still not much use in modern traffic as a daily car. 

 

The 90s cars are indeed real rust traps (check out the 998 Screamer build on here by Petrol just to see how little rustproofing this generation had), their only redeeming feature seems to be headrests, airbags, maybe belt tensioners? (I'm not sure about that one, but I'm sure someone on here will know). When the EFI works I'm sure it's great and should start on the button, the problem is that the electronics tend to go and then they're impossible to diagnose. But there is a world between the 60s and 90s, some more usable than others. 

 

To me a 60s Innocenti would not fall under the usable daily category; the Innocenti parts alone would be a reason not to. The headlight rings alone can sell for hundreds of euros. The rear lights are getting horrifically expensive with good lenses having asking prices of around 400 euros, the bodies are different from Lucas ones too so don't expect to just stick the Carello lenses on Lucas bodies. That's just the external parts, mechanically they are Minis but they do have their own quirks and not all are equally available. There's some parts for my Inno I have been looking for for 5 years, and I am yet to find them. Just to be aware. 

 

If you're hell bent on a Mini, I would recommend you look at a post-74 car. The big-bolt subframes are much more common and cheaper for when you have to replace it, which you will if you're keeping it outside and running it all seasons rather than the twin bolt varieties used on earlier cars. 

[Dusky]

Really not a good idea imho.
Your budget is great. If you'd like to have a mi iyou can buy one around 5-6K euro's and still have a different daily driver that will be both far more practical, economic and safer.