Will he make it back alive? :D gogoigoin
Discussion
A friend has just informed me of his colleagues decision to buy a 1990-s era mini mayfair 998, the kicker being that he has to travel 4 hours to pick it up then drive it back another 4. Car bought on internet sold as seen with no viewing for a low price
He's told me that they have a sweepstake going on how far he will get safely, assuming the car starts fine.
Anyone want in on the action? 4 hours in a 4 speed 998 with an all motorway commute home.
I haven't got any experience in these cars, so what do we think? His colleagues overreacting? Or catastrophic wallet emptying failure imminent
He's told me that they have a sweepstake going on how far he will get safely, assuming the car starts fine.
Anyone want in on the action? 4 hours in a 4 speed 998 with an all motorway commute home.
I haven't got any experience in these cars, so what do we think? His colleagues overreacting? Or catastrophic wallet emptying failure imminent
I've had 4 Minis and they were all pretty reliable.
My 1972 one made it 2000 miles around Europe with only the bonnet catch failing on a Belgium motorway.
It even kept up with 3 Ferrari 308's (this was in 1983 ish) on a hoon in Switzerland (honest!).
As long as he sprays the whole engine bay in WD40 before setting off and takes 5 litres of water with him he'll be fine.
My 1972 one made it 2000 miles around Europe with only the bonnet catch failing on a Belgium motorway.
It even kept up with 3 Ferrari 308's (this was in 1983 ish) on a hoon in Switzerland (honest!).
As long as he sprays the whole engine bay in WD40 before setting off and takes 5 litres of water with him he'll be fine.
I bought, did up, and sold a mini on ebay a few years back.
A guy bought it and travelled over from Northern Ireland, his intention being to drive it up north, onto the ferry and home.
He got as far as half way up the M6 before the engine blew up and he had to be trucked to the ferry terminal and then whinged like a b
d about wanting his money back. Why he was collecting ste old cars from across the UK without even the most basic of AA cover I'll never know.
So... I giving your mate about 100 miles before something stops progress.
A guy bought it and travelled over from Northern Ireland, his intention being to drive it up north, onto the ferry and home.
He got as far as half way up the M6 before the engine blew up and he had to be trucked to the ferry terminal and then whinged like a b
d about wanting his money back. Why he was collecting ste old cars from across the UK without even the most basic of AA cover I'll never know.So... I giving your mate about 100 miles before something stops progress.
Minis are fairly reliable. They used to suffer from the distributor being behind the grille and getting wet and a Marigold glove was often required.
The mauin thing that went wrong on mine (apart from having to replace the rusty subframe) was the battery lead in the boot shorting on the hole in the boot floor and slowly arc welding itself across the floor but a new lead sorted that. A driveshaft fell out once too. they always neded something doing like engine stabiliser rubbers which otherwise allowed the engine to rock back and fore.
The main challenge of driving long distances in a classic Mini is noise. The 998 will struggle to pull 70 on a motorway incline and your ears ring after an hour os so and I would suggest some ear plugs. The thin seats sre not ideal for long distance either.
The mauin thing that went wrong on mine (apart from having to replace the rusty subframe) was the battery lead in the boot shorting on the hole in the boot floor and slowly arc welding itself across the floor but a new lead sorted that. A driveshaft fell out once too. they always neded something doing like engine stabiliser rubbers which otherwise allowed the engine to rock back and fore.
The main challenge of driving long distances in a classic Mini is noise. The 998 will struggle to pull 70 on a motorway incline and your ears ring after an hour os so and I would suggest some ear plugs. The thin seats sre not ideal for long distance either.
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