dilemma - keep old beemer or swap for small runaround...?

lovethymini

david29dpo wrote: »

I reto fitted air con to my mini (rover) using a smashed up jap import. Never again!

Thanks for the tip! - So was it a time consuming job, or fiddly? There's not much space around my mpi engine so didn't think it would be possible.

lovethymini

diable wrote: »

Is the mini cooper a newer one or a classic and is that why the BM needs to go?

Also it is cheaper to sell a non air con car and buy one with air con then to try retrofit it to a car.

Mini Cooper is the classic one, that's why it would be the BM to go, rather than the Mini.
Can't sell the mini, Dad's just finished doing the engine, and I couldn't do that to him after all the time he's spent on it!

lovethymini

Saw a lovely navy Fiesta 1.25 LX on autotrader for £950, but it's got 130k miles on the clock - that's a lot of miles for a small engine, isn't it?

Oh I don't know.

I think we'll hang on to the Beemer until we've moved house (waiting for a completion date now, crossed fingers!) then sell it. I'll just have to resort to airconditioning old style, (winding the windows down) and squashing everything into the mini. Back in the days of being a single young female I managed to get an old kitchen to the dump in it (I took the seats out!) so I'm sure we'll be fine, it's just that;-

a) this hot weather is making me wonder if I can cope without aircon esp in such a small car
b) okay it's not the safest car to put your child in if someone decides to crash into you
c) I got all excited about the thought of having a new car to play with, and I'm jealous of hubby's new car :rotfl:

ArsenalFC

Take your time in buying a small car to get it for the right price and in good condition.
130k miles are too high for the fiesta. I got a 1998 1.25 ghia fiesta, 71000m with air con and heated front screen for £600 last october, so it can be done, just takes time.

With a budget for £1200 you can easily find a mk4/5 fiesta with air con and under 80k miles. Try ebay and gumtree.

flang

BMW all the way!!!!
Once you own one you will never go back!!!

lovethymini

I know I know!!

The only thing that frustrates me with the BMW is that it's so asthmatic up hills - it's a '97 5 series 525 TDi with 170k miles on the clock, we've given it some injection cleaner, but I still need to go down to 2nd gear for most hills!

tomstickland

Might be something wrong with it then.

gaz_jones

lovethymini wrote: »

I can't sell the mini - my father is a precision engineer who is just finishing off a complete engine rebuild on it with lots of very good modifications/improvements, there's no way I could ever part company with it now. It should be in a future Miniworld mag.

Drop me a message if it ever does go into miniworld I've got an '89 Mayfair and would love to have my car featured.

david29dpo

lovethymini wrote: »

Thanks for the tip! - So was it a time consuming job, or fiddly? There's not much space around my mpi engine so didn't think it would be possible.

It was easier to take the engine out to gain access and all the dash had to come out. The condenser is under the offside wing next to the clutch and need a hole cutting but i used the panel from the jap mini. A long winded job but worth it.

Lum

A 1998 BMW isn't that old or unsafe really. It's a big car too which counts for something in the case of an impact

I don't think a small hatchback is going to be any more powerful than a 2.5 diesel BMW, or much safer to be honest.

Think about swapping when things are actually starting to go wrong with the BMW IMO.