Buying a classic mini

[GeorgeGlass]

Hello all,

I would like to buy a classic mini, ideally no more than £6,000. I am honest (and a little embarrassed) to admit that I have the bare minimum knowledge of cars, having only had modern cars and the local garage to look after them. In short - I don't know what I am looking for beyond what I may view as "that's a nice looking mini". Obviously with lack of knowledge comes lack of skill, and so ideally I would like to buy a car which needs little beyond regular motor maintenance from my point of view, while also hopefully developing a good relationship with a specialist garage. What I don't want is a car which turns out to be a costly nightmare and the folks at the garage to suck their breath in over their teeth and regard me with pity for my misadventures!.

I'm posting really to see if anyone has any pointers and help to send me in the right sort of direction. I don't mind what edition of mini it is to be honest - having a relatively sound one within my budget is more of a priority. Sounds strange to say, but I don't know anyone who knows anything about older cars, and so I feel rather in the dark. Thanks in advance.

[A500leroy]

RUST.

If there is any rust under the windscreen on the front wings, under the headlight RUN AWAY it will get expensive, rust will also be on the sills, floorpan and boot floor but is easier to repair, dont worry about mechanical its all simple.

[4rephill]

Best advice? - Try contacting some of the people in this list:

https://miniworld.co.uk/mini-clubs/specialist-mini...

The mini World is a very friendly place, and between the various clubs and groups, you should be able to find out all you need to know, without feeling as though you're being judged or looked down upon.

Mini people love people who love mini's!

[fredd1e]

As said above, they do rust and in practically any panel including the roof. Sills on my last one rusted from the inside. Rear subframes rot leading to the trailing arms no longer being properly located Other stuff I found out the hard way was not to use (some?) sythentic oils in the gearbox as some of the bushes in the transfer gears dont take kindly to it ,mine picked up lunching the crank bearings with the debris, though that did then lead to a 1400 rebuild of the original 1275. A well sorted 1000cc on a large Inch 3/4 SU can be as fast as a standard injected 1275 as they arent that fast in stock i form. 13" wheels can ruin the handling so best to stick to 12" or 10" if you can still get decent brakes/ tyres & its been over 15years since I last owned one so things may have changed since then.

[aeropilot]

fredd1e said:

its been over 15years since I last owned one so things may have changed since then.

Its been 38 years since I owned one of the nasty, horrid little objects

[P5BNij]

£6k will get you a usable Mini from the '70s through to the end of production in 2000 but it will probably have something unpleasant lurking somewhere, at that price it'll very likely have been modified in some way or mucked about with. It depends on how much originality you want. Closer to £10k will get you something much nicer though. There are plenty to choose from but the quality on offer can vary wildly.... do you want a standard Mini saloon or does it have to be a Cooper...? What engine size are you looking for...? The main choices on offer are the earlier 850s, then the 1000s or 1275s, but there are still some 1100s around. A large number have had engine swaps and some may have upgraded brakes to cope with the extra power. Another choice to add to the mix for you is the wheel and tyre size, 10'', 12'' or 13'', all Minis built after 1984 left the factory with 12'' wheels then the later cars went up to 13''.

Hope that isn't too much, but the choice out there is much bigger than some other British classics. I'm on my fifteenth Mini now and no two have been exactly the same

[P5BNij]

There's a lot of dross on ebay but if your budget can be pushed a bit further this looks like a good example....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-Rover-Mini-Mayfair...

It's a late-ish car that's been backdated slightly with 10'' wheels and a larger engine had been dropped in..... have you given much thought to the insurance cost...?

Edited by P5BNij on Wednesday 2nd September 20:10

[Pat H]

I’ve owned 8 of the buggers.

If you can’t use spanners (and preferably know how to weld), then don’t bother.

Nasty little rot boxes that need lots of maintenance.

I’ve lots of rose tinted memories, but wouldn’t go back.

[Glosphil]

Owned a 1964 Mini in 1967-69. It was very rushy in numerous places when we sold it. ANY 'modern' car for £6K will be a much better buy.

[littlebasher]

I bought my first Mini for £5

[Skyedriver]

Pat H said:

I’ve owned 8 of the buggers.

If you can’t use spanners (and preferably know how to weld), then don’t bother.

Nasty little rot boxes that need lots of maintenance.

I’ve lots of rose tinted memories, but wouldn’t go back.

With you Pat, similarly owned about 8, used to buy replace the front then repaint and sell back in the 1980's
Last one was a total rebuild to comp car back around 2005 - 14.
Full of character , lots of folk think they are cute, fun, etc
Personally they are a pile of junk, badly made, with rust traps in built. In their day the steel used was poor quality too.
In the 70's I had Imps and they were a far better designed car which drove like a real car.

To you list of requirements, I'd add a decent first aid box as everything you do will end up with grazes, lacerations, bruises or worse.
Would I have another, I'd rather hit myself on the head repeatedly with a hammer.

[boyse7en]

I've had loads of Mini's over the years and they are a mixture of great and terrible.

They are a great drive. Not fast in real terms but fun. The compact size means they are good on country lanes or darting around in city centres. They are not great for a motorway slog though - like other cars of the era they are noisy and not very economical.

Mechanics wise (like any classic) they take a lot more looking after than a modern - suspension joints need regular greasing, things like points need adjusting and setting up the carbs can be a pain but the biggest issue is they will rust everywhere.
If you know nothing about car maintenance it will.coat you a fortune if you take it to the garage all the time. However, most things are simple and it is a good place to learn the basics of car repairs. Just buy a set of imperial sockets and a gallon of WD40.

[DailyHack]

My mother had a 1995 Rover Mini Cooper, and remember it rusting in front of me haha! My cousin also had a 1999 Rover Mini "Sportpack" wide arches, sunroof etc, these are rather collectable now...but remember they were so fun to drive.

You've got to want to maintain these cars, whether this is a classic Mini or anything old, just the way it usually is unless you have the time and money to chuck it at a garage everytime it needs maintenance or anything.

I bought a classic 1966 VW Beetle 9 years ago...having not knowing anything about mechanics (professionally) but, I always had a keen sense of wanting to know and I always gave things a go and you do learn as you go, albeit not welding issues or rust as I bought a very good one and travelled the length of the UK to find the one I wanted...many were advertised wrongly and were a state when I turned up...but, I was prepared to walk/drive away...I know alot about them now and what to look for as I was keen to nail a good one.

I was lucky as my local garage has been great over the years and they let me use their ramp at times between MOTs to inspect my Bug, the lads know me well and their advise has been invaluable, just need to dedicate time to it and you learn alot in a "hobby" way, mechanics have alot of time for people who want to know how to do things I find...and relationships are spawned which helps with all my cars now

Anyway...I would say go for it, if it's an urge or itch you want to scratch, you can always sell it.

But, you will have to get your hands and knuckles dirty and grazed and be happy that it just won't want to starts one day etc, all part of the fun to many and the challenge of keeping a old classic going.

For me you can't beat driving a classic and the pro's far out weigh the cons for me, I don't drive my Beetle alot anymore (young family on the way, and trappings of modern life getting in the way) but will never sell it - it's hauled up in a barn, think I did 50 miles last year before CV19!!

See that is the other thing, do you have a relatively good space to store it over winter etc, and place to work on it if needs be...you cant keep these cars on the drive exposed, even under a cover, the air in the UK is just too damp.

Always reminds me a friend of mine bought a '60s american car from LA (never seen rain alot) as soon as it arrived here in UK, parked on drive the next morning the metal screws around the headlights started oxidising just from the damp air we have!!! So dry storage is a big deal.

If it's not your main car, even better as you can take it apart and leave it, as you don't need to drive to work in it in the morning?

Lost count the amount of times the kitchen table was full of carburettor bits trying to fix a blocked jet (something 9 years ago I would not know what the hell was, and taking apart a carburettor would send shivers down my spine!!) But YouTube a great resource nowadays, so it's a great time to learn and get by with this thing, so much resource out there

Anyway good luck, it's exciting thing to do, and I remember the first time I got my classic it was a buzz, and something I dont ever regret.

Edited by DailyHack on Thursday 3rd September 08:01

Edited by DailyHack on Thursday 3rd September 08:05

[croissant]

You’ll need to double your budget if you want something in tip top condition.

If you’re not prepared to work on it yourself then don’t bother. You might be lucky but chances are It’ll cost you a fortune in repairs and maintenance.

Last thing I’ll say is if you haven’t got a garage to keep it in, then it’ll rot away very quickly.

[Mark A S]

P5BNij said:

There's a lot of dross on ebay but if your budget can be pushed a bit further this looks like a good example....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1992-Rover-Mini-Mayfair...

It's a late-ish car that's been backdated slightly with 10'' wheels and a larger engine had been dropped in..... have you given much thought to the insurance cost...?

Edited by P5BNij on Wednesday 2nd September 20:10

I quite like that Only ever driven one mini, as said, good fun nipping around, excellent mobility with the H-brake, but a PITA on a run!

[aeropilot]

Skyedriver said:

To you list of requirements, I'd add a decent first aid box as everything you do will end up with grazes, lacerations, bruises or worse.
Would I have another, I'd rather hit myself on the head repeatedly with a hammer.

I've still got the scars on my knuckles from working on mine, and as I said, its 38 years since I sold the horrid thing.

[GeorgeGlass]

Thanks all for your comments - a good range to consider!!

To respond to a few - it wont be my main car, and more something to enjoy at weekends etc. I've always wanted one and if I don't do it now, even if just for a couple of years, I never will. Even if I only have it for a couple of years though, I want it obviously to be a good experience and not feel like Tom Hanks in the Money Pit. At a push I may stretch to £7k but that will eat into funds for repair work etc.

I do have a garage which I've recently cleared out and a mini will fit nicely in there. I am certainly open to learning the basic of car maintenance, and look forward to developing myself in that way - but I will certainly need a good mechanic/garage to help me out. With regards to rust, is under the windscreen and front wings the main place to be concerned and walk away from? I suppose I want to feel confident when I start viewing them (while also working against excitement) that I would know what rust issues would be the ones to say "no thanks" to. I also want to turn up to viewings not looking like a mug!

Thanks again for your comments - really appreciate it.

[Pothole]

GeorgeGlass said:

Hello all,

I would like to buy a classic mini, ideally no more than £6,000. I am honest (and a little embarrassed) to admit that I have the bare minimum knowledge of cars, having only had modern cars and the local garage to look after them. In short - I don't know what I am looking for beyond what I may view as "that's a nice looking mini". Obviously with lack of knowledge comes lack of skill, and so ideally I would like to buy a car which needs little beyond regular motor maintenance from my point of view, while also hopefully developing a good relationship with a specialist garage. What I don't want is a car which turns out to be a costly nightmare and the folks at the garage to suck their breath in over their teeth and regard me with pity for my misadventures!.

I'm posting really to see if anyone has any pointers and help to send me in the right sort of direction. I don't mind what edition of mini it is to be honest - having a relatively sound one within my budget is more of a priority. Sounds strange to say, but I don't know anyone who knows anything about older cars, and so I feel rather in the dark. Thanks in advance.

Why do you want one?

[Pat H]

Minis are great fun. For about an hour.

Thirty years ago, I didn't think twice about driving a 998 Mini from Manchester to London every four weeks. These days it would just be torture.

I was constantly replacing ball joints, CV joints, radius arm bearings, knuckle joints, rear subframes, exhausts, engine stabiliser bushes, subframe mountings, bypass hoses, water pumps, oiling the dashpot, setting the timing, gapping the points, adjusting the drums or unseizing heater valves.

And that was before considering the rotten A panels, rotten floors, rotten wings, flitch panels, sills and wings. In short, everything below bumper level and most of everything above.

A tuned 1275 Mini on 10" wheels is enormous fun in small doses. And they made a lot of sense when a good one was two or three grand.

But now you need to spend the thick end of ten grand they make no sense at all.

Using one every day would be a real chore. And if its going to be a second car, then spend an extra couple of grand and buy a live axle Caterham Seven. That way you would have more fun in an equally iconic car, but with more performance and non of the rust.

I have fond memories of a few 998s and a pair of 1275GTs. I even had an utterly rotten Innocenti Cooper 1300 which ended up being cut up with an angle grinder and ferried to the council tip in my brother's Fiesta. That wasn't my brightest decision...

[P5BNij]

OP, while you ponder on Pothole's excellent question I'll go into the rust issue..... Minis can rot all over the place, some of the areas are fairly easy to repair or replace with new panels but the scuttle area below the front screen can be a bugger, repair sections are available for the outer corners but if the rot is really bad along the middle section it's time to walk away. Front wings, the front valance and the A panels between the wings and the doors can all be replaced but alignment is crucial to a good finished appearance, particularly where the doors meet the A panels. In some cases the inner wings have been replaced on some Minis, this is a big job and won't be cheap. The door bottoms tend to rot as rain water can get in through the rubber channels where the glass drops into the door, it's repairable though either with small sections of new metal or a complete new door skin. The inner and outer sills rot very easily so beware of plain looking oversills welded on over rotten originals. The rear wheel arches can sometimes be peppered with rust around the front edges where they meet the body sides - if the car you're looking at has plastic arch extensions screwed or pop riveted on, check underneath / around them them if possible. Inside the car the rear seat pan can rot and the panel below it where the rear subframe bolts onto the body. The join between the rear valance and the back panel where the boot hinges are can go bad very quickly so have a good look at this area. Also check inside the bootlid, lift the spare wheel up and have a look at the floor section and around the edges, you'll often find patches welded in here to get the car through the MOT but complete floors are available if needs be, check out the battery tray too as these can rot right through. You can get rust bubbling underneath the rear screen too so check there. The guttering round the edge of the roof is prone to rot, the gutter rails on my '68 Cooper S needed doing when I had the car restored a few years ago. If the roof panel shows signs of rot where it dips down into the gutter channel walk away....!



I hope the above hasn't put you off - find a good solid one first and then sort out the mechanical bits is a good way to go