10 replies to this topic

[RGBHAJI]

Morning,

I'm finally ready to get my dream mini, the first one to take my eye is a 1999 mini cooper sportspack. I know it has a few issues including both front floor panels corroding, this hasn't put me off but I think it would be wise to have a pre purchaes mechanical inspection, the car is in Surrey, does anyone know a suitable specialist in that area who could inspect the vehicle for me?

Thanks.

 

[bpirie1000]

The AA will not touch it unless it is less than 3 years old.

Best speaking to a local garage or getting in touch with a local mini enthusiast.

I would just have a methodical look through the car and consider one of these.

https://www.google.c...cM&vssid=mosaic

Just get it for a good price and estimate for a good few repairs (then double it)

Best thing to do is get a Haynes manual (or watch lots of You tube that young kids enjoy these days)

[Quinlan minor]

Bear in mind that it's subject to London's ULEZ charges (£12.50 a day). I won't be surprised if similar charges in other cities, near you, will appear soon.

[alpder]

Post a link to the advert... that should quickly get you some opinions, especially if it has canine-like features obvious to the more experienced on this forum. Someone here may even know the car.

[Cooperman]

If the floor panels are corroded, there may well be extensive hidden corrosion, which a Mini expert will know where to look for.
Where do you live. There will almost certainly be someone close on here who would take a look at it.

[mab01uk]

Be aware that although 1999 Mini Cooper Sportspacks are the last of the classic Minis and the youngest, they are also well known for being very prone to serious rust issues, many of which are not obvious to the inexperienced eye.

Mechanically also check the gearbox carefully for any crunching when changing gear as this was another weakness common on the late MPi Minis.

Edited by mab01uk, 04 December 2024 - 07:18 PM.

[MatthewsDad]

That's the reason I stopped looking at mpi's when I was searching for a mini after a 30 year break. Some were nice but expensive, but many had rusted like crazy. I ended up with a spi which was a nice compromise (for me at least). It still had rust though, just less of it!

[Icey]

Morning,

I'm finally ready to get my dream mini, the first one to take my eye is a 1999 mini cooper sportspack. I know it has a few issues including both front floor panels corroding, this hasn't put me off but I think it would be wise to have a pre purchaes mechanical inspection, the car is in Surrey, does anyone know a suitable specialist in that area who could inspect the vehicle for me?

Thanks.

Why this one? If it's because it's injection and the idea of carbs is concerning - consider the points above. Unless it has already been restored or dry-stored for years, there's a good chance it'll be full of rot (those 'few issues' are just the start).

If you search for any buyers guide there's a theme - rust. It's the least novice-friendly problem to solve and one of the most expensive to solve by using professionals. While what's under the bonnet is important, if you're a novice body condition is way...way more important. It's much easier to watch a YouTube video to change a carb, dizzy, etc.. even swapping an engine, the same is not true for learning how to weld and paint.

[Cooperman]

A few years ago I went with my grandson to look at a 1997 MPI. The vendor said that it was ‘all good’ with one or two minor bits of surface rust.
We bought it having seriously negotiated the price down after I pointed out the corrosion.
Remedial work included inner and outer sills both sides with some floor repairs, new door skins, new A panels, front scuttle and bulkhead repairs to lower edge of windscreen, battery box replacement and boot floor repair, one new front wing, plus some local patch repairs. Then a repaint except for the roof.
If we had not been able to do all the work ourselves it would have been uneconomic.

[maccers]

Where in Surrey is it? 

[alpder]

Hope it's not this one: https://www.carandcl...om/car/C1810884 ?

 

Rust advisories start as early as 2009, with mentions for many different parts of the car. There were rust fails in 2011 and 2016. And it's still showing rust advisories this year, suggesting there hasn't been a whole-car tackling of the problem - just patches. And the overall number of other advisories on the car is far above average, suggesting the owners haven't pro-actively maintained it.

 

But - whether it's this car or another one - there's only so much you can glean from reading between the lines of the MOT history and the seller's puff. Which is why you're thinking of getting a professional report. But, really, pro surveys are hedged-about with so much arse-covering that the take-away message from them is never clear. And most of the pro's are geared to look at high-value and relatively new cars: checking for ringers, undeclared accident repairs, excessive wear that indicates clocking, major drivetrain faults, etc. Rust is such a non-problem for modern cars that they're not really geared to look for it. But for buying a Mini, where the priority above all others is to find hidden rust issues, a look-over by an amateur enthusiast, or even a mate who knows a bit about old cars in general, is going to give you a more useful take.