Classic mini advice

[wholyoak]

Hi

I am looking to buy a classic mini for some fun weekend driving. I’m ideally not planning to spend more than £3-4K but obviously keen to find one that is reliable and not rotting.

There are pictures below of one that is for sale - a 1990 model that has done 27,500 miles and has no rust or rotting to the owner’s knowledge.

Would be very grateful for any advice on whether you think this car looks in OK condition and worth £4k.

Many thanks, Will

[anonymous-user]

Check the floors, sills and boot floor, rear valance and closing panels, plenty of places for minis to rust.

Don't forget behind the A-panels as well.

[Glasgowrob]

despite what the owner is saying it will be rotten.


classic minis are like crack cocaine, normally people won't understand what you see In them you'll spend thousands but they are something you either get or don't get. be prepared for rust rust and more rust though. theres a great parts supply for them though

[wholyoak]

Thanks. How problematic is the rust? How do you treat it?

Am I right to assume you need to keep the car in the dry, so can’t park it on the street?

Thanks

Will

[Glasgowrob]

they really benefit from dry storage and not going out pretty much ever lol



no in all honesty if you look after them keep them clean (arches and all those little areas that water sits they won't be too bad.

just remember even the newest minis are now coming up 20 yr old. and they were poorly put together even then my first port of call would be a evening class to do basic car maintenance and welding before buying a mini. I had a 83 A plater back in the late 90s and by god my biggest cost for that was welding gas and rods.


just remember if you ever want to lower it doing be hacking an inch off the suspension cones expecting to drop it an inch

[Pericoloso]

The A panels are considered a service item......

[rustfalia]

I can see that the drivers A panel has been poorly blended from here.
Non standard 13 inch wheels that will eat wheel bearings
Grubby looking interior.

Ask for close up photos of...
Inside rear storage bins
rear subframe
rear valance
edges of A panels
inside both flitch panels/front arches
floor
cross member
where the top of the wings meet the scuttle
bottom of the windscreen (scuttle)

If you dont know what you are doing don't go and look at one on your own.
They are complete rot boxes...ask me how I know.

[rustfalia]

[P5BNij]

I would walk away from that particular example if I were you unless you really, really want an automatic. With so few companies / specialists prepared to touch them these days, if it starts playing up (they nearly all do, sadly!) you could find yourself with a dead duck on your hands. A gearbox rebuild would be about half the cost of the car, if you can find someone willing to take it on. Even John at Guessworks in Rugby won't touch them anymore, and he's one of the best in the country. My '93 Japanese export 1275 auto threw a wobbly at the beginning of this year, I took it off the road in February wondering what to do with it and have now decided to do a complete engine and gearbox swap to change it to a manual and turn it into a full blown project car. The engine and 'box in the auto Minis are mated units so you can't simply change the 'box to covert the car to manual.

The 1990 car does look ok in your photos, but there are plenty more out there worth looking at, even in the £3 to £4k range. If you can find a manual Japanese import you could be onto a winner, the MOT is very strict over there and most of the bodyshells are excellent, this was the main reason I bought mine in October 2016, there's no rot or surface rust on it anywhere which makes it a great blank canvas to work with.

Hope the above doesn't put you off - best of luck, let us know how you get on

Edited by P5BNij on Sunday 26th August 17:56

Edited by P5BNij on Sunday 26th August 17:57

[Pericoloso]

I hadn't spotted it was an auto box.
Not desirable.

[V7SLR]

Glasgowrob said:

classic minis are like crack cocaine, normally people won't understand what you see In them you'll spend thousands but they are something you either get or don't get

Brilliant ... and sadly there's no form of rehab that can offer a cure!

I've recently paid a little over £3K for a 1998 Japanese import Cooper, imported to the UK in 2008. As already said they're relatively rot free (relative being the key!) but at that price there's some room for spending tarting it up to near-new original spec and sorting any serious rot. Personally unless you want to do a complete rebuild I'd look for a late model SPi or MPi car that's as original as possible. If it's a Japanese import it'll be an amalgam of SPi & MPi and will also have air-con.

[P5BNij]

Jap Mini for sale here, manual too, might be worth a look...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-MINI-COOPER-1992-...

In fact if I didn't already have mine I'd go and have a shuftie.