Discussion
So my son's 87 mini mayfair is in need of new door skins, probably some wing work etc. It has a stage 1 kit fitted and a lcb exhaust.
He is now interested in a Cooper or resto his current car. So I guess the question is, we either send the car off for some surgury, or we trade it for a cooper.
Assuming Cooper is the way to go, which one? Are any better than others. I used to own an RSP Cooper, are they better than the injection cars? Any guidance appreciated. Don't want to start a fight, so better might not have been the best word
He is now interested in a Cooper or resto his current car. So I guess the question is, we either send the car off for some surgury, or we trade it for a cooper.
Assuming Cooper is the way to go, which one? Are any better than others. I used to own an RSP Cooper, are they better than the injection cars? Any guidance appreciated. Don't want to start a fight, so better might not have been the best word
No answer to this one, only opinion.
Really depends if you want a ‘Cooper’ and then what constitutes a Cooper ? Some purists would argue the Mini Cooper stopped in 1971 and any produced by Rover after this date have only been badge engineering. Maybe the RSP is an exception and any John Cooper Garages special editions/conversions.
The carb and injection minis both have their own pros and cons' regarding reliability, tuneability, maintenance, etc.
If the bodywork is the reason for selling your Mayfair, then you won’t necessarily escape the rust demon with your new purchase. The youngest Minis are now over 8 years old and most minis are likely to be in need of work.
If you restore yours, you may find more horrors as you strip it down, but at least you will know how careful it’s being put back together and you are the judge on quality of parts and workmanship.
A few more engine tweeks, new interior, paintjob and brightwork and you could conjure up a retro Cooper or maybe the Rover Cooper look.
Be realistic about the budget and keep a careful eye on costs, as most never stick to their original budget !!
If you’re buying something 'restored', this can be a cheaper and faster route to what you desire, but can also be a minefield. You’ll never really know how good a job has been done, unless it’s come from a reputable company or someone you know and trust – shiny paint and a long list of parts can hide all manner of sins !!
Whatever you do, it’s probably worth considering the impact on your sons insurance as well….
Not easy deciding, but I'm sure you and your son will enjoy the end result !!! Good luck.
Really depends if you want a ‘Cooper’ and then what constitutes a Cooper ? Some purists would argue the Mini Cooper stopped in 1971 and any produced by Rover after this date have only been badge engineering. Maybe the RSP is an exception and any John Cooper Garages special editions/conversions.
The carb and injection minis both have their own pros and cons' regarding reliability, tuneability, maintenance, etc.
If the bodywork is the reason for selling your Mayfair, then you won’t necessarily escape the rust demon with your new purchase. The youngest Minis are now over 8 years old and most minis are likely to be in need of work.
If you restore yours, you may find more horrors as you strip it down, but at least you will know how careful it’s being put back together and you are the judge on quality of parts and workmanship.
A few more engine tweeks, new interior, paintjob and brightwork and you could conjure up a retro Cooper or maybe the Rover Cooper look.
Be realistic about the budget and keep a careful eye on costs, as most never stick to their original budget !!
If you’re buying something 'restored', this can be a cheaper and faster route to what you desire, but can also be a minefield. You’ll never really know how good a job has been done, unless it’s come from a reputable company or someone you know and trust – shiny paint and a long list of parts can hide all manner of sins !!
Whatever you do, it’s probably worth considering the impact on your sons insurance as well….
Not easy deciding, but I'm sure you and your son will enjoy the end result !!! Good luck.
If it needs door mskins and wing work it will almost certainly need outer and inner sills, A-panels, etc. Major resto really. However, if you trade it for aCooper you could well find the same sort of work is needed.
The original Cooper ans Cooper 'S' would cost a fortune these days for a half-decent one, so I guess you are talking about the 're-born' Cooper 1275. IMHO the best of these is the carb version, although even these are down on power when compared with the original 1275 'S'. You'll be lucky to get 65 bhp out of a standard 1990-1 Cooper 1275.
You may be best to get the Mayfair body restored then build a really nice engine. We had myn Grandson's 1986 Mayfair which has a nice engine at 1061 cc with a 12G295 and a decent cam, etc, etc, on the rollers last week and it gives 66 bhp at 5900 rpm.Now, that's better than a 1990 Cooper 1275 and the engine is much smoother and the insurance is lower too.
It's all worth thinking about.
The original Cooper ans Cooper 'S' would cost a fortune these days for a half-decent one, so I guess you are talking about the 're-born' Cooper 1275. IMHO the best of these is the carb version, although even these are down on power when compared with the original 1275 'S'. You'll be lucky to get 65 bhp out of a standard 1990-1 Cooper 1275.
You may be best to get the Mayfair body restored then build a really nice engine. We had myn Grandson's 1986 Mayfair which has a nice engine at 1061 cc with a 12G295 and a decent cam, etc, etc, on the rollers last week and it gives 66 bhp at 5900 rpm.Now, that's better than a 1990 Cooper 1275 and the engine is much smoother and the insurance is lower too.
It's all worth thinking about.
It all depends on what you want to do with the Cooper should you buy one, if looking at an RSP then standard is best all round, no point buying a limited edition and then customising it, far better to go for a Mainstream Cooper in my opinion. As for the which is best, carb or injection, that again depends on whether you work on the car yourself or not, for me carb wins every time as I understand them.
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