£1000 Vectra SRI daily shed
Discussion
Shed Christmas present...£15 eBay special air and cabin filter service. 
Few tricky screws and little bit fiddly, but all done - just in time for a brew.
Air filter wasn't too shabby, but the pollen was particularly gross.
MINI has been great over the past 1,000+ miles under my watch, so let's see what the new year brings.
Oil is in check, not lost any, topped it up a little just out of habit but it's tighter than ever it seems now under there.
Happy shedding for 2022
Few tricky screws and little bit fiddly, but all done - just in time for a brew.
Air filter wasn't too shabby, but the pollen was particularly gross.
MINI has been great over the past 1,000+ miles under my watch, so let's see what the new year brings.
Oil is in check, not lost any, topped it up a little just out of habit but it's tighter than ever it seems now under there.
Happy shedding for 2022
Edited by 757 on Friday 31st December 13:20
757 said:
Air filter wasn't too shabby, but the pollen was particularly gross.
That looks clean compared to ours! I changed the pollen filter a couple of weeks ago after noticing a slightly damp smell and it looks like something was living in there before we bought the car! Two rodent sized holes! Edited by 757 on Friday 31st December 13:20
dirky dirk said:
I got given a 1.4 09 plate
Its a pain id never have another one and this was free
Its like it knows youve free time and throws a fault up just to keep you busy
Its a pain id never have another one and this was free
Its like it knows youve free time and throws a fault up just to keep you busy
yeah, they do have a reputation, this is a stop gap car hoping to get a good years motoring out of it, see when MOT comes around in Sept '22 then see where we are - been good up to now I've fixed a few things on it, we will see.757 said:
_Yeti said:
Well with a small bit of inspiration from this thread and a large lack of financial sense. I now have an R56 Cooper S sitting outside. Not quite the bargain you have for slogging the motorway, but a mini nonetheless and a high-miler to match (130k). I have found out something interesting though, apparently, if you equip yourself with the 15-inch alloys, the Ginetta Junior race series runs road-spec tyres in the form of Michelin Pilot Sport 3s and can be found on a certain auction-site for around £100-ish for a set of 4...
Happy shedding fella!
Edit: Just discovered the 15s only fit on the R53
Happy shedding fella!
Edit: Just discovered the 15s only fit on the R53
Edited by _Yeti on Friday 17th December 13:08
I'm glad I have inspired your MINI purchase!
Ah that's a shame with the 15" wheels, makes tyre purchased very very cheap! I love the handling on these steels, the car originally had 16" cooper wheels on (currently on eBay) and I immediately but the OEM 15" steels back on, less faff and less worry.
Haven’t gone as far as steelies but I have the lightweight 15” Imolas on
757 said:
fleming164 said:
That looks clean compared to ours! I changed the pollen filter a couple of weeks ago after noticing a slightly damp smell and it looks like something was living in there before we bought the car! Two rodent sized holes!
Crikey! Been tracking my MPG for all you into that sort of thing, via the Fuelly App.
So far, having tracked around 500 miles since I added the MINI to my account, I'm getting average MPG of around - 45.6 MPG
This is split motorway 50/50, with A road start/stop which I think is actually excellent economy for this little 1.4 gutless "supposedly, piece of s
t" engine
Compares the same to my V60 diesel quite closely, tank is smaller of course, but quite happy to see this from a daily petrol.
So far, having tracked around 500 miles since I added the MINI to my account, I'm getting average MPG of around - 45.6 MPG
This is split motorway 50/50, with A road start/stop which I think is actually excellent economy for this little 1.4 gutless "supposedly, piece of s
t" engine Compares the same to my V60 diesel quite closely, tank is smaller of course, but quite happy to see this from a daily petrol.
757 said:
Been tracking my MPG for all you into that sort of thing, via the Fuelly App.
So far, having tracked around 500 miles since I added the MINI to my account, I'm getting average MPG of around - 45.6 MPG
This is split motorway 50/50, with A road start/stop which I think is actually excellent economy for this little 1.4 gutless "supposedly, piece of st" engine
Compares the same to my V60 diesel quite closely, tank is smaller of course, but quite happy to see this from a daily petrol.
That's astonishing. My diesel 9-5 averages the same. So far, having tracked around 500 miles since I added the MINI to my account, I'm getting average MPG of around - 45.6 MPG
This is split motorway 50/50, with A road start/stop which I think is actually excellent economy for this little 1.4 gutless "supposedly, piece of s
t" engine Compares the same to my V60 diesel quite closely, tank is smaller of course, but quite happy to see this from a daily petrol.
Off topic, but out of curiousity, where was your car advertised?
Have a VW Polo TDI of a similar vintage with similar miles that I've had for 14 years. Scabby front wings (they all do that sir), but otherwise in great condition. Interior is mint, 4 recent x Goodyear tyres, all new suspension arms in 2018, serviced every year - you get the idea.
Mechanically, it's been looked after with no expense spared and bar the front wings, it scrubs up pretty well too. Am quite attached to the thing, but have a new addition arriving later in the year and just don't have the space for it. Come Autumn, it will probably have to go.
At the same time, I don't have the time for the "best price cuz" / "cash today innit" brigade which tend to be involved with cars costing around the bag of sand mark. Know you've bought, not sold, but thought I'd ask for any input
Have a VW Polo TDI of a similar vintage with similar miles that I've had for 14 years. Scabby front wings (they all do that sir), but otherwise in great condition. Interior is mint, 4 recent x Goodyear tyres, all new suspension arms in 2018, serviced every year - you get the idea.
Mechanically, it's been looked after with no expense spared and bar the front wings, it scrubs up pretty well too. Am quite attached to the thing, but have a new addition arriving later in the year and just don't have the space for it. Come Autumn, it will probably have to go.
At the same time, I don't have the time for the "best price cuz" / "cash today innit" brigade which tend to be involved with cars costing around the bag of sand mark. Know you've bought, not sold, but thought I'd ask for any input
Speedgelb said:
Off topic, but out of curiousity, where was your car advertised?
It was my sister-in-laws car, she wanted rid ASAP and didn't want to put anymore money into it, so was literally giving it away to WBAC.If I was to get rid of it (it is only a stop gap car, so the time will come if it gets too ££ to keep going) would most likely stick it up at a low starting bid on ebay etc (true worth and all that)
Edited by 757 on Tuesday 4th January 20:24
So, I seem to be in a bit of a cycle now with this MINI, I have been adding just £20 worth of fuel in at a time and consistently managing 180+ miles every time from that £20 worth and coming in with maybe 30 miles left on the indicator so no doubt I can eek more out of it.
With the cost of fuel at the moment, I am so much better off in this than my diesel 318d my wife uses, that manages the same at the moment, if not less as she uses it locally.
I have been managing this through my Fuelly app, which I gather is fairly accurate, and I'm up to 'average' 49mpg over a mix of pure motorway and local errand driving.
I am actually astonished at how cheap this MINI is to run, my reckoning it's about 13p a mile at the moment.
I think together with a terribly loose/run in 144k engine and fixing the timing chain issues etc, has helped it be so economical.
Could all come crashing down these savings if I need any repairs, but let's see how the next few months go.
Seats are flat down now and using it as a tip MINI van at the moment.
With the cost of fuel at the moment, I am so much better off in this than my diesel 318d my wife uses, that manages the same at the moment, if not less as she uses it locally.
I have been managing this through my Fuelly app, which I gather is fairly accurate, and I'm up to 'average' 49mpg over a mix of pure motorway and local errand driving.
I am actually astonished at how cheap this MINI is to run, my reckoning it's about 13p a mile at the moment.
I think together with a terribly loose/run in 144k engine and fixing the timing chain issues etc, has helped it be so economical.
Could all come crashing down these savings if I need any repairs, but let's see how the next few months go.
Seats are flat down now and using it as a tip MINI van at the moment.
Edited by 757 on Wednesday 12th January 14:25
Birmingham and back, so roughly 200 miles, the MINI drove quite admirably, all motorway so a steady 60/68mph I was really driving as defensively as possible.
Even free ULEZ in the Birmingham city emission zone...bonus!
Funny, doing such a big drive in a small engined car, you almost have to treat it like a single speed bicycle, in that sense I mean, using momentum rather than power!
So I stuck £30 worth of fuel in, ran around abit before the trip and then did the trip there and back, according to the trip computer I did 280miles, so that was all on £30 worth!!!
Staggeringly good I think, yes I wasn't driving fast, just keeping up, and moving in and out of the lorries as I went.
Bit peed off though as I've had to spend some money....the crappy squeeking wipers, so £8 later some ASDA specials sorting that out
Quick engine check, all looks ok, fluid all good. Can't fault this MINI, I keep looking at what I can replace it with (can't help it) but, it's working really well at the moment, and this work trip has proven itself again, plus work can pay my fuel expenses, ha, making me money I suppose.
Even free ULEZ in the Birmingham city emission zone...bonus!
Funny, doing such a big drive in a small engined car, you almost have to treat it like a single speed bicycle, in that sense I mean, using momentum rather than power!
So I stuck £30 worth of fuel in, ran around abit before the trip and then did the trip there and back, according to the trip computer I did 280miles, so that was all on £30 worth!!!
Staggeringly good I think, yes I wasn't driving fast, just keeping up, and moving in and out of the lorries as I went.
Bit peed off though as I've had to spend some money....the crappy squeeking wipers, so £8 later some ASDA specials sorting that out
Quick engine check, all looks ok, fluid all good. Can't fault this MINI, I keep looking at what I can replace it with (can't help it) but, it's working really well at the moment, and this work trip has proven itself again, plus work can pay my fuel expenses, ha, making me money I suppose.
Edited by 757 on Saturday 22 January 10:49
Edited by 757 on Wednesday 26th January 22:28
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