Lining This Up for my First Car - Any Advice?

[DriverNo1]

Hi guys.

Just looking for a bit of advice on this classic Mini. Like the title says, I'm lining it up for my first car and was wondering if it looks like a good example and if there is anything to watch out for. Also, if there is anyone who has owned one and can offer any information, it would be much appreciated.

Here's the link:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3708089.htm

Thanks for any help .

[traffman]

I reckon that will be bags of fun , going by the size of those wheels you'll corner at mental speeds.

The sill area looks a little daunting , check the sub frames aswell.

[mikeplayer]

This isnt much help, but that car looks very nice!

My sister just bought a classic mini cooper and from what she was saying rust is a serius issue with the classic. I know when she was looking she took a torch with her so she could check EVERYWHERE especially under the car.

Her older one that she got rid of a friend of hers put some cress seeds in the passenger footwell, it was so damp she actualy grew a carpet of cress....so damp might be another issue to look for.

You may get better responses if you post this in the Mini classic section.

Good luck!

[mybrainhurts]

That ad doesn't feel right. Don't pay anything until you know it exists.

[firman]

Be a great little car but as people before me have said check sills, subframes and floorpans for rust. My first one had the rear subframe out within 2 hours of buying it as I didnt check it. What a baptism of fire that was for 16 year old that had only bought his first socket set.

Also think about the modifications as they will have to be declared and that will hurt on your qoute.

[LuS1fer]

Looks like it's had a fair few mods so check that doesn't impact on the insurance.

The big wheels will put strain on the drive shafts at the front so check for wear.

These tend to rust in the lower screen and behind the A panels in front of the door, the sills tend to rust and check the rear subframe carefully as they also roty and are a bugger to replace. check the door bottoms, hell, check everywhere.

The 998 is no ball of fire - 39hp I seem to recall. Mine would barely make 70 up an incline on the motorway two up and they are very noisy. This one claims to be a Cooper but they came with 1300 engines and the 998 was discontinued in 1990.

This being a 92 should have better brakes than my '78.

The boot floor has been welded to accept a much bigger battery and the question is why?

Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 6th March 18:37

[Arthur Daley]

That looks well over priced to be honest, its not even a cooper.

Something like this would be a much better bet: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C286699

[firman]

Arthur Daley said:

That looks well over priced to be honest, its not even a cooper.

Something like this would be a much better bet: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C286699

Nice looking car but a Cooper will ruin him on insurance too surely?

[BlitzE34]

All minis are rusty and thats fine when they were cheap but now there all overpriced scrap.

[LuS1fer]

This would be an even better bet - a restored 68 car - properly classic.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C279787

[cagedmini]

Thats kinda harsh, ive had mine just over a year and its the most fun ive had driving! Obviously needs money regularly put into it to keep it going

[Arthur Daley]

firman said:

Arthur Daley said:

That looks well over priced to be honest, its not even a cooper.

Something like this would be a much better bet: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C286699

Nice looking car but a Cooper will ruin him on insurance too surely?

You may be rite! To be fair neither are especially quick and im not sure what kind of 'tax' the insurers put on the cooper..
An out the box cooper should be more reliable than a messed around with 998 and if your declaring the mods probably cheaper to insure.

Rust wise cosmetically you may get abit on the a panels, under the headlights, bottom of the doors and on the scuttle, this isn't a biggie but not ideal. Bigger issues are the subframes and sills.
The other thing to check for is a crunch or baulkng into 2nd gear.
Fanastic fun cars, really miss mine.

[veevee]

Quite a few mini 1275s (not sure, but possibly including the cooper) are insurance group 3, so about as low as you're going to get.

[greggy50]

LuS1fer said:

This would be an even better bet - a restored 68 car - properly classic.
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C279787

Looks to have been re-shelled to me personally think the 2nd cooper was a better bet. With regards to the car posted looks okay but seems to me like has been just blowed over with paint as not of the inside is and can already see what appears to be some rust in the inner wing. Personally if looking take a magnet as think they could be a hell of a lot of filler behind the respray if not does not seem a bad price...

[davepoth]

greggy50 said:

Looks to have been re-shelled to me personally think the 2nd cooper was a better bet. With regards to the car posted looks okay but seems to me like has been just blowed over with paint as not of the inside is and can already see what appears to be some rust in the inner wing. Personally if looking take a magnet as think they could be a hell of a lot of filler behind the respray if not does not seem a bad price...

I was thinking that about the respray too - if it's fresh it'll look great for about two months, and then the filler will blow out. I guess the bigger battery is for in car entertainment purposes - if a massive stereo and amp have been fitted it'll draw a lot of current. If that's the case, check to see if it's had an uprated alternator too.

The really wide wheels are a little bit of a concern too - they can be tough on wheel bearings, especially with really grippy rubber. If any mods have been made to the suspension it'd be a good idea to make sure they've been done properly.

If it were me and I was looking for a first car, I think I'd look a bit further and find one that's more original, if only so I could put my own mark on it.