Would someone knowledgeable please have a look at this for me?

Inactive

It also looks like it has had a quite recent respray, not to the best of finishes.

Sadly, it is going to be almost impossible to find one without any rust.

Hintza

Ah this takes me back, my mate and I bought our first mini for £20 to do up in 1976 don't think we got it home and the rear suspension/sub frame had collapsed.....lol


We were a lot more careful after that. :rotfl:

BillScarab

Do you need to get a 1000cc? A 1275cc would be a lot more fun.

Have a look on www.pistonheads.co.uk there's usually plenty of minis for sale on there.

e.g. http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/752498.htm :eek:

cyclonebri1

Hintza wrote: »

Ah this takes me back, my mate and I bought our first mini for £20 to do up in 1976 don't think we got it home and the rear suspension/sub frame had collapsed.....lol


We were a lot more careful after that. :rotfl:

Me too, I bought a 1965, old C plate mini Van in 1973, my 1st car after 4 years biking. I recall paying £125 for it, enough in those days. It was dark when I picked it up from the garage altough I had viewed it in daylight:rolleyes:(obviously none too well).

During the 3 mile drive home the headlights faild on the 1st hill and the rear subframe and trumpets dropped by the time I got home. Too get a good idead of the state of the rest of the car I lifted the carpets and with the shaft of a hammer I made a slot about 4 inches wide and 3 ft long down each side of the car and almost the same accross the car in the footwell and under the seat. The only thing holding the crate together was the chassis cross member box section that runs under the seat, and remember that this was at 8 years old not 21. Took the weights and measures dept as it was then to get my money refunded. Lesson learnt:o



Problem with the old mini is/was that it's design failed to give any protection against the ingress of water and hence rust. It wasn't just BL lack of anti corrosion protection, it was the water traps that were built in even if replacement parts were fitted.



Oh and not that I have a downer on minis, but my wife was intent on one. We bought a 1985 mini mayfair, about 5 years old. Nice car with a few more refinements relatively speaking. Test drove and was perfect for a month. The very next time I drove it all 4 of the family were in the car, I was driving as the test drive was the only run I had in it and the wife said the brakes were squeaking.

About 4 miles from home we were dring at 40mph up hill when a Ford Orion, not a massively built car, travelling in the oposite direction turned right straight accross us. I had chance to get my foot to the brakes pedal but no time to slow the car or swerve. We hit him smack in his front corner, centreline of ours.

He was fine, a bit of damage to his car but nothing too serious after a closing speed of about 35mph.

The mini was a different story. The wife came of worst, but I was luckiest, but we all ended up at hospital. Both kids hit the headrests, )Mayfair had those luckily), inspite of wearing rear seat belts. One of them had a cut shim after submarining into the hand brake lever.

My wife had to but cut from the seatbelt as one of the kids had also hit the seatbelt catch and smashed of the release mechanism. She suffered sever seatbelt damage to the chest that took months to settle.

Most damage was done to me but as said I was lucky. The copper that attended couldn't believe I had been driving when he saw the damage, he said he had seen accident were the driver had died with much less damage to the car.

I hit the steering wheel with enough force to shove the lower edge up to the centre boss and then the whole steering column out through the windscreen as I was so heavily braced against it. Result, sore chest and minor scratches/cuts to knuckles. The floor came up so far, (my legs were both directly on the brake and clutch), that my knees shoved the dash completely out of place, result, just bruised knees and cut shin. Finally I hit the sun roof, another extra of the Mayfair, hard enough with my head to smash it completely and leave a football size hole through it. Result again just a few minor cuts under the hairline:A

Lesson to be learnt?; If you are 6' 3" like me don't squeeze yourself into a mini

So, I will never drive a mini again, they are an absolute death trap even in good order.

rev_henry

Hmm, I hope I don't have experiences like yours! I suppose the Mayfair was written off then bri?
I know they're a deathtrap I'm just not too bothered. Fingers crossed lol. Yes Bill I'd ideally want a 1000 because of the insurance (I'm 17 ) but I might be able to stretch to a 1275 if i saw a good one.
I really want something a bit more interesting as my first car, newish cars are so boring and samey. I've been looking at Morris Minors (especially travellers) and citroen 2CVs also. Unfortunately the pristine ones (2CVs especially) are so expensive. I would imagine the 2CV is worse than a mini in an accident, but having said that I was sandwiched in one when I was about 8 and was fine, just rather shaken up.
My parents have had 2 2cvs so my dad knows everything to know about them, insurance is cheaper than ANYTHING else on the road and is there any other convertible with group 1 insurance?!
Thanks again.

digitalphase

rev_henry wrote: »

I know they're a deathtrap I'm just not too bothered.

I know you're only 17, but this was such a stupid comment to make.

Yes, Minis are fun but I'd never own one as they just would not fare well when hit by a modern car. Most modern cars are both faster and heavier, and I must say I value my life much more than you seem to do, judging by that comment.

You'd be much better off saving for a couple more months and getting a Peugeot 106 or something (NOT a Saxo, again they are death traps), the older 106's are pretty solid.

Your insurance is going to be expensive, whatever way you look at it as you're 17, and I presume, male? Just drive carefully for a few years and the premiums will come down.

I know that that other Mini has finished, but personally I'd steer clear of a vehicle that's been resprayed. Seems dodgy to me.

Hope you do manage to find something suitable and safe

Rallydriver

There's nothing wrong with a 998cc Mini. My friend has a very tidy one for sale although quite a bit more money than the ones above but the price reflects the condition.

They aren't deathtraps either, they just need to be driven with a much greater degree of all round observation, forward planning and adaptability and with the attitude that everyone is a danger. You can avoid accidents that aren't your fault aswell by not switching off to whats going on around you.

106s and Saxos fair no differently in crash tests.

Rolandtheroadie

digitalphase wrote: »

I know you're only 17, but this was such a stupid comment to make.

Yes, Minis are fun but I'd never own one as they just would not fare well when hit by a modern car. Most modern cars are both faster and heavier, and I must say I value my life much more than you seem to do, judging by that comment.

What do you think about cyclists on the road? or bikers? or pedestrians? Mini beats all three (probably lol).

Lifes one big risk assessment. It's all about attitude to risk.

I'm hoping to get my son a mini for his 1st car (4 years yet, plenty time to look) and if he wants a scooter at 16, he can have that too.

rev_henry

scotsman4th wrote: »

What do you think about cyclists on the road? or bikers? or pedestrians? Mini beats all three (probably lol).

Lifes one big risk assessment. It's all about attitude to risk.

I'm hoping to get my son a mini for his 1st car (4 years yet, plenty time to look) and if he wants a scooter at 16, he can have that too.

This is true. My mother's totally neurotic about it. She's convinced I'll kill myself in whatever I drive/ride, even though she doesn't appear to worry about me driving her car. So I tend to switch off when people tell me about how dangerous cars/bikes are I'm afraid.

emmell

I have two classic mini's (three if you count the one I've just given to my sons girlfriend), I don't think there is much middle ground. Either buy a "good" one or a doer upper.
I have a mint mini city (and I mean mint) that was bog standard, I have now added some nice wheels and chrome bumpers and grille, this is an ongoing project to smarten it up. The other cost £150 without engine and gearbox, floors like new, boot floor like new,
most of the body good with the exception of the a panels and sills. This is going to be a complete restoration. The one I gave away is a tidy mayfair by no means good but as it only cost £120 to get it through the mot I decided not to strip it to bits. My sons girlfriend absolutely loves it she's 22 and thinks it's the dogs ********!!
You should see the cracking mini's, 2cv's and moggy 1000's that were in our local breakers that had been taken in on the scrappage scheme, it brought a tear to my eye.
ML.