Which mini??

[mechsympathy]

I need a car to commute in. I sit in traffic for the most part, but have stretches of roundabout-ridden ring road so I want something fun and it seems to me that a mini would fit the bill.

The only concerns I have are about reliability and that standard minis seem a bit slow. (Don't flame me)

So, what would you guys suggest??? And how much should I expect to spend?

[Plotloss]

Ahh, you're back, nice trip?

Rather depends on budget.

A 1000 may annoy you (that said mine is a 1000 and its an awful lot of fun) but the later 1300s such as the MPi models hold their value well and admittedly a lot of people dump the injector setup and go back to SUs

Alternatively you could go for one thats had a bit of work...

[mechsympathy]

Plotloss said:

Ahh, you're back, nice trip?

Oh Fantastic thanks. Just got to get my work head back on

Plotloss said:

Rather depends on budget.

I've not even looked at autotrader etc so I have no idea what to expect. I was thinking of £2k?

Plotloss said:

A 1000 may annoy you (that said mine is a 1000 and its an awful lot of fun) but the later 1300s such as the MPi models hold their value well and admittedly a lot of people dump the injector setup and go back to SUs

Once again I am clueless about minis. I figure a later 1300 injection car is more likely to be reliable. (But maybe heavier??)

Plotloss said:

Alternatively you could go for one thats had a bit of work...

I also wondered about that, but what are the desirable things to look for/do?


>>Edit:Bloody hell! Just looking through autotrader and there's '93 minis up for £2k. They do hold their value

>> Edited by mechsympathy on Wednesday 10th May 18:23

[vrooom]

Best mini is the one has good bodywork. look for usual rust in the places.

Dont bother worry about engine as they come cheaply. u can swap 998 to 1300 with little work.

main thing is look for rust all nini have rust. preferly go for carb ones rather than injection.

Jay

[annodomini2]

mechsympathy said:

>>Edit:Bloody hell! Just looking through autotrader and there's '93 minis up for £2k. They do hold their value >> Edited by mechsympathy on Wednesday 10th May 18:23

They went up after they stopped making them.

Vrooom's correct, body condition is everything, check subframes etc engines are easy to come by (so many dead metros!) and are relatively easy to fix if there is an issue.

A friend of mine has 6 and is looking to make some space last time I spoke to him, will have a word with him later today and let you know if he's looking to sell 1.

[annodomini2]

had no reply as yet, will let you know if I hear anything.

[mr dann]

mechsympathy said:

I need a car to commute in. I sit in traffic for the most part, but have stretches of roundabout-ridden ring road so I want something fun and it seems to me that a mini would fit the bill. The only concerns I have are about reliability and that standard minis seem a bit slow. (Don't flame me) So, what would you guys suggest??? And how much should I expect to spend?

I'd try and get a pre 64 Mk1 with dry suspension, best shell possible and then set about making it go faster. Forget the nonsense about good mk1 shells, I bought mine £1.5K and it's a beauty. Free tax, cheaper insurance, going up in value. They do come up but you're got to be ready to jump. Whack an MG Metro engine in and you won't stop laughing for weeks! Only 72 Hp but it's more than enough through a 3.7 FD! Sadly the Hp thing is addictive, you'll want it to pull a taller final drive, so you'll need a BMW mini supercharger and a LC Metro Van engine, using a 2.76 FD, you'll easily pull 125mph (and get there very quickly)

[meeni]

yer go the mk1'S!!! as was said put an mg metro engine in it and you will have heaps of fun, and given the engine condition is good, a very reliable car.

[mechsympathy]

Thanks for the replies... Useful stuff (with some confusion - dry suspension??)

I was planning on fairly hassle free motoring and wanted to keep it pretty standard but from the sounds of it lack of rust is the main thing so...

What are the differences in brakes/gearbox between a 1000/1300? Or is it really as straight forward as removing one engine and dropping in another.

Presumably there are a few specialist insurers who aren't surprised by non standard cars?

Where is the best place to look for good un?

[annodomini2]

mechsympathy said:

Thanks for the replies... Useful stuff (with some confusion - dry suspension??)

Some Early Mk3 minis have Hydrolastic/Hydrogas (I forget which) suspension (similar to mk1 metros), Its well known to be unreliable and very expensive to fix when it goes wrong. It also offers little benefit over dry.

[Paul V]

Not just Mk3 Minis, Mk1's had hydrolastic in about 1965, well mine did lol. I've had many Minis over the years, have 3 still now and must say the most reliable I've had was a injection car. All my others left me at the side of the road many times, so much so that when I bought a TVR couldn't believe how reliable they were

I sold my injection car though as was slower and wanted something I could mod easier, for your needs I'd find something like a Cooper or one of the special edition 1.3i's.