RE: My First Car
Discussion
I have extremely fond memories of my second car, a 1992 Cooper S RSP Limited Edition in Black/white, I believe there were 600 black and 600 red ones produced. Mine was particularly special though as John Cooper had commissioned it for his grandson, it had everything, 1275 twin carb, full leather recaro's, walnut dash, alloy handles, red carpet, a folder full of every single receipt/mot/tax and to top it off a petrol book detailing all the petrol that had gone into her for the last 8 years or so! Depsite that and in true Mini fashion, thinks still didnt work!
I agree with the Mini teaching you how to drive properly, I got mine when I was 18, by then I had raced Karts upto the age of 16 then just before turning 17 I did my first car race. The mini was just like the go-karts, so much fun! But it had its quirks, heater worked when IT wanted to, as did the lights! Hazard lights never worked, horn made a very strange noise and bits would randomly just fall off.
Fondest memory though was following a TVR round a series of roundabouts/dual carriageways, arse end all over the place and me sat right behind him, minilights squealing, she never even broke a sweat!
H696 CKP, if your out there I want you back!!!
I agree with the Mini teaching you how to drive properly, I got mine when I was 18, by then I had raced Karts upto the age of 16 then just before turning 17 I did my first car race. The mini was just like the go-karts, so much fun! But it had its quirks, heater worked when IT wanted to, as did the lights! Hazard lights never worked, horn made a very strange noise and bits would randomly just fall off.
Fondest memory though was following a TVR round a series of roundabouts/dual carriageways, arse end all over the place and me sat right behind him, minilights squealing, she never even broke a sweat!
H696 CKP, if your out there I want you back!!!
My first car was a 1988 Austin Mini Red Hot. She was stunning, everyone I knew wanted her. Not a spot of rust on her. I remember shoving 5 people in her to go and pick up our exam results. Drove 10 hours to and from northampton and she didnt skip a beat. Taught me so much about driving, everyone was amazed that i could even drive it. Nobody could get her into 3rd, or reverse, or park her, or use the cluth. used to spend hours fetling with valve clearances, tightening belts and screws etc. Being a mini, within 3 hours of owning her, a wheel bearing died, so that was a bit of a buzzkill to my new found independence. A week later and i really got started. how damn cool was I driving around in my bright red mini. Nothing could catch me in the lanes or on roundabouts. Sadly I sold her yestersday and imediately regreted it. She may have let water in during rain, been incapable of getting over speedbumps, been slow, been loud and uncomfortable, but I loved her. E506LOR 'Elanor'. Now im buying a fiesta zetec with power steering, central locking, heaters that actually work and lights that, believe it or not, increase visiblity in the dark. A whole new world awaits me!
My first car is a mini.
1982 X plate mini city. I've put on front disc brakes, new wheels, yoko tyres, new engine and gearbox, loads and loads of welding, resprayed it twice, fitted a custom loom with a DIY computer controlled ignition system.
It's not got a great deal of power,(55 at the crank!) but it's a brilliant laugh to drive and everyone at uni things it's great. Actually everyone anywhere thinks it's great! I do.
1982 X plate mini city. I've put on front disc brakes, new wheels, yoko tyres, new engine and gearbox, loads and loads of welding, resprayed it twice, fitted a custom loom with a DIY computer controlled ignition system.
It's not got a great deal of power,(55 at the crank!) but it's a brilliant laugh to drive and everyone at uni things it's great. Actually everyone anywhere thinks it's great! I do.
I think mini's are the best first cars. Cheap and fun to drive. I had a 1992 Rover Mini City as my first car bought for £400 in 2004. It was silver, had a huge hole from rust in the drivers front wing and another above the windscreen. I did al sorts of crazy stuff in that car (including an italian job style drive down the pavement to beat traffic 
). Unfortantly she got to a point where she was so rusted tht it didn't make finaciacl sense to fix her. My biggest regret was selling her so if anyone knows of her where abouts i'd love to know where she is. Reg No. J758 LKK
). Unfortantly she got to a point where she was so rusted tht it didn't make finaciacl sense to fix her. My biggest regret was selling her so if anyone knows of her where abouts i'd love to know where she is. Reg No. J758 LKKhad 2 Minis as my first 2 cars - fond memories indeed! The 1st was a standard 1000cc in Beige/Sand colour, the 2nd was yellow with white weller wheels! This one started off as a standard 1000cc which I then swapped the engine for an Austin 1300 1275cc motor but keeping the 1000cc gearbox - took some grinding out to clear the crankshaft & had to be specialist welded when I got it wrong & went through the side! From memory it had a single 1 3/4 SU Carb with pancake filter & a Janspeed exhaust - sounded great! Acceleration was great but by about 60mph it was hopeless - you could pull away in 3rd gear because of the gearing! Sold it to a young lad who blew the engine before writing the car off by hitting a Cortina head on! Like most of you I would love an original Cooper, just about to start hillclimbing/sprinting & would love to find a suitable mini to use but they seem to fetch top money now...
Yep, been in this club too! 1980 beige mini 1.0 bought in 1992 for £500 with 45k on that nice round clock.
Loved the little thing to bits and was truely gutted when it needed £600 worth of work to pass it's MOT in 1994. A mate offered me £100 to take it off my hands so I accepted, boy I wish I still had it under wraps tucked away in some barn, I would love to get my hands dirty and see 'MFA 201V' running again.
The feeling when she rumbled in to life on a cold winters morning and thus saving me having to walk to college was a satisfaction you just dont get with todays ultra reliable turn key cars. I should have called her Christine!
Did manage to get 5 x 6 foot blokes in her + cricket bags!
RIP
Loved the little thing to bits and was truely gutted when it needed £600 worth of work to pass it's MOT in 1994. A mate offered me £100 to take it off my hands so I accepted, boy I wish I still had it under wraps tucked away in some barn, I would love to get my hands dirty and see 'MFA 201V' running again.
The feeling when she rumbled in to life on a cold winters morning and thus saving me having to walk to college was a satisfaction you just dont get with todays ultra reliable turn key cars. I should have called her Christine!
Did manage to get 5 x 6 foot blokes in her + cricket bags!
RIP
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