Are all classic minis unreliable and prone to rust?

[LeeC13]

I don't know a great deal about cars but I'm looking for another car and have noticed later classic minis fall into budget. Would a mid-late 90s mini be as bad as say the 70s versions in terms of reliability?
Thanks.

[LeeC13]

ClaphamGT3 said:

They rot like pears but ours has been faultlessly reliable - they just need more frequent routine maintenance than modern cars

I see, thanks. The one I'm looking at is a 98 with 50k miles and it looks rust free. Would you say keeping it garaged and keeping up with maintenance, it would be manageable for someone with no mechanical knowledge?