Looking for a classic Mini but don't want to pay silly money

[PetrolHead11]

Hi everyone. I have been driving for 4 months now and have already had two cars. I am seriously finding it hard to get a car i enjoy driving. Nothing is nippy enough for me, i enjoy nothing more than diving into corners at speed but that is hard work in the car i have. Then i had a brain wave. I have always dreamed of owning the classic Mini as they are the funnest little cars that are affordable for a teen my age (17). The thing is everybody wants lots of money for them and i only have a 5 door Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 8v which is worth about £600 and that dont quite cover it haha. Can anybody help me? Thanks.

[Bungleaio]

PetrolHead11 said:

I have been driving for 4 months now........Nothing is nippy enough for me, i enjoy nothing more than diving into corners at speed.

Don't drive like a dick head on the road, you will end up having a crash if you carry on like that. Slow in fast out

The days of picking up a decent mini for £600 are long gone. Any mini you pick up for £600 nowadays will cost a fair few quid to get into decent condition.

[Dr G]

Seems to be more like 2k as a starter unless you really like rust

Corsas can be made to handle much better than standard for not much cash if that's your bag.

[ARH]

Great as Classic minis are, they are not fast and they don't in standard form handle any better than most modern cars. They did out corner nearly all the oposition in the 60's though. They are however great fun to drive, will almost always make you smile. They feel fast because they are so very basic. get one and learn all about how a car works, learn about rust and how to fix it. I am not knocking the classic mini as I have owned more than 20 of them over the years. Great fun but cars have moved on a long way in the last 50 years. Pay a good price for one and get it checked by someone who knows them, plenty will be bodged.

[PetrolHead11]

Bungleaio said:

Don't drive like a dick head on the road.

Don't get me wrong i do not drive dangerously on the road. I will only drive a bit quickly when it is safe to do so and nobody else is at risk. Otherwise i will never take the risk .

[xxplod]

I've owned and driven classic Minis for 18 years and prices have gone really mad in the last 5 years. The only cheap, i.e. hundreds not thousands of pounds will be a less desirable model that is simply a restoration case, even if it does have T&T.

Partly down to the cost of panels. A new BMH shell is the best part of £5K. So a full restoration using one is likely to be £9K without touching the mechanicals, probably £12K + rebuilt engine/box.

Hence even the models seen as less desirable, typically 80s or early 90s base models are worth a fair amount if they are fundamentally sound.

I'd echo the warning about having it checked by someone who really knows Minis. There are lots of 'fully restored' examples that look lovely with shiny paint and lots of bolt on goodies that are hiding rust horror stories.

[magpies]

good job you didn't want an Escort

[greggy50]

You could double your budget and still struggle to find a half decent one to be honest...

[Altrezia]

ARH said:

Great as Classic minis are, they are not fast and they don't in standard form handle any better than most modern cars. They did out corner nearly all the oposition in the 60's though. They are however great fun to drive, will almost always make you smile. They feel fast because they are so very basic. get one and learn all about how a car works, learn about rust and how to fix it. I am not knocking the classic mini as I have owned more than 20 of them over the years. Great fun but cars have moved on a long way in the last 50 years. Pay a good price for one and get it checked by someone who knows them, plenty will be bodged.

I agree with all of this (and I am still a current classic mini owner).

They're still fun, but not great cars anymore.

[PetrolHead11]

Well i seem to have found my self a half decent one with all rust work done, had a respray and is reasonably tidy. I have managed to do a clean swap, no cash with the Mini owner for my Vauxhall Corsa. This is a good deal am i wrong?

[BrewsterBear]

I'm looking to buy some gold stocks but I don't want to pay silly money. A few years ago when shares were riding high, gold was a lot cheaper but now the price has risen. Can anyone direct me to someone who might be selling gold at 2005 prices instead of the silly money they're asking these days?

[Rovinghawk]

PetrolHead11 said:

I have been driving for 4 months.......Nothing is nippy enough for me, i enjoy nothing more than diving into corners at speed .......a teen my age (17)........Can anybody help me?

Yes. Read the above and see how it appears.

Learn a bit of restraint before you kill yourself. The quickest way around the corner is to stay on the tarmac- for this, control is more important than power.

Until you know any better, think this: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

RH

[LS6wetdream]

PetrolHead11 said:

Well i seem to have found my self a half decent one with all rust work done, had a respray and is reasonably tidy. I have managed to do a clean swap, no cash with the Mini owner for my Vauxhall Corsa. This is a good deal am i wrong?

yes, considering your car is worth £600

i used to buy minis for £100 work on em a bit and sell for between 400-600

those days are long gone im afraid

[PetrolHead11]

I dont see why people have to get stty when i write a thread. I come here for help and people just lecture me cause they think i race around the streets like a complete dick head! The only time i ever ever ever go over the speed limit is when i am on my own, nobody else is at risk, and it is a straight line. The fastest i got around corners is 10mph over the limit, no more. Simply because yuo never know what is around that corner or what your car is going to do. So please people stop assuming i am some dumb teen like the rest of the youthes this day in age! And also i know Mini's are expensive now but i am looking for one that runs and has MOT but needs physical work done. Now tell me why i shouldnt find one cheap?

[James Dean]

I'm looking for a Bugatti Veyron, it's okay if it's scratched. Anybody help me find one for 4k?

[steveo3002]

you have to understand alot of us have seen it before

young lad thinks he's a driving god + rusty 20yr old banger +inexperience = splat

[Bluebarge]

PetrolHead11 said:

I dont see why people have to get stty when i write a thread. I come here for help and people just lecture me cause they think i race around the streets like a complete dick head! The only time i ever ever ever go over the speed limit is when i am on my own, nobody else is at risk, and it is a straight line. The fastest i got around corners is 10mph over the limit, no more. Simply because yuo never know what is around that corner or what your car is going to do. So please people stop assuming i am some dumb teen like the rest of the youthes this day in age! And also i know Mini's are expensive now but i am looking for one that runs and has MOT but needs physical work done. Now tell me why i shouldnt find one cheap?

The speed limit is not re-adjusted for every corner - it's a maximum for that stretch of road, not an indicator for how fast you can get round the corner. On some corners, 10mph under the limit can see you in the hedge. Slow down until you've learnt to drive properly.

As for your last question, re-read your post and you will see you've answered it yourself.

[LuS1fer]

Classic Minis are under-braked, very jiggly and hard-riding, very noisy, very rusty and slow. Sure you can go fast by never going slow but from my extensive experience, the slower the car, the faster they tend to get driven as you are constantly trying to make up for the lack of power. In almost every material way, a faster car is safer and will tend to be driven more sedately as it has the power to go up hills without forward planning.

[PetrolHead11]

steveo3002 said:

you have to understand alot of us have seen it before

young lad thinks he's a driving god + rusty 20yr old banger +inexperience = splat

Lol i most certainly dont think i am a driving god. I have got a lot of experience to come my way yet and i know this. And when i said that i go over the limit by 10mph i ment in a straight line, and even that is a rare occasion. The truth is, i have common sence belive it or not. I am not some hoodlem who hangs around in McDonalds car parks with my mates blasting out gay music. I simple enjoy a drive on my own or on the occasion with some friends. Why would i want to go fast? I dont, at the cost of fuel these days i would rather not, and if i crash it just loses my no claims and puts my insurance up . As it is it is costing me £3,000 a year just to insure my Vauxhall Corsa. Hence the reason im looking for a Mini purely because they are great little cars no matter how rusty, rattly, clunky, slow or whatever they are. They just have character.

[LuS1fer]

PetrolHead11 said:

Lol i most certainly dont think i am a driving god. I have got a lot of experience to come my way yet and i know this. And when i said that i go over the limit by 10mph i ment in a straight line, and even that is a rare occasion. The truth is, i have common sence belive it or not. I am not some hoodlem who hangs around in McDonalds car parks with my mates blasting out gay music. I simple enjoy a drive on my own or on the occasion with some friends. Why would i want to go fast? I dont, at the cost of fuel these days i would rather not, and if i crash it just loses my no claims and puts my insurance up . As it is it is costing me £3,000 a year just to insure my Vauxhall Corsa. Hence the reason im looking for a Mini purely because they are great little cars no matter how rusty, rattly, clunky, slow or whatever they are. They just have character.

Have a look at Hillman Imps too then as they are actually better cars and handle very well despite the rear-engine. That said, they may be on their way up in value.