I have wanted a classic mini for a long time but unsure if it's practicle - can it do long distances and what problems are normal for a mini! I do a bit of road tripping and don't want to ruin one!
mugenb20b,
Feb 6, 8:40am
It's not practical. What made you think that!
clark20,
Feb 6, 8:42am
They are fun little cars but not known for long comfortable trips. And as for crash safety.
mugenb20b,
Feb 6, 8:43am
Yes if it's a tidy looked after example. Most common problems are rain and puddles, that's when you used to see dead Minis all over the place, but a very simple cover over the dizzy remedies the problem.
mugenb20b,
Feb 6, 8:45am
Oh, you will. Get a 2009 + Suzuki Swift, much better car.
shane.64,
Feb 6, 8:46am
You need to be a mechanic to have one.And not safe to be in.A Honda civic may be a bit more reliable
saki,
Feb 6, 9:21am
Youve obviosly never seen the movie AK-Inver. no sweat, good by pork pie, also did 500 miles around Bathurst a few times
msigg,
Feb 6, 9:32am
Good little car in their day. Cheap to run, won't depriciate any more, Yes buy one if you like them. They will go all day if not thrashed, saftey, well most old cars are not up to modern safety standards. If your too worried about that as some on here might be , well stay at home, do nothing. So yes great little fun old car. Contact mini clubs for specific advise.
socram,
Feb 6, 9:46am
A Mini is a Mini!You can't compare a 1959 design with modern stuff.A classic car of any make or model means a higher level of maintenance is required compared to a modern.Oil change at 3,000 miles, oil and filter at 6,000 for example is just about unheard of for a modern where 20,000kms is the norm.Several grease points and a handbrake mechanism that needs regular lubrication.Watch for rust, as it never sleeps as they say. A Classic Mini means that some parts are now 20 - 50 years old and that generally means just one thing - they can fail, are worn or need to be replaced. On the plus side, no stupid computers or electronics to go wrong and they are simple and cheap to repair and spares are plentiful.As for a long distance car, needless to say that when we were young and that was all we could afford, you never gave it a second thought.They are modifiable to the nth degree for performance and comfort and still a heap of fun to drive - especially if fitted with a warmed 1300 engine.
As for not being safe to be in, that is also the case with all older cars.Istarted with a Minivan in 1967 and I seem to have survived pretty well.
Great cars but as i said, they are not modern cars so they do take a bit of looking after but there is nothing that the average amateur can't cope with - and if he can't, any decent mechanic can fix them.
foxdonut,
Feb 6, 10:00am
The Mini (the real one, like we're talking about) is great because it teaches you how to look after a car. Shit goes wrong on them all the time, but they come from an age where people just fixed things themselves, the simple design and robust nature of them means they can be kept to a standard using (literally) scraps.
They probably put modern cars to shame with their fuel economy even today too.
They're not cheap though - asking prices for straight cars are pretty high.
Get yourself a 1275GT with Coby exhaust, Webber carbs and an Arnott Supercharger and there'd be very little that can compete in the 0-30.
gmphil,
Feb 6, 9:40pm
Arnt they unrollable! How many cars can u say that about!
kramsnave,
Feb 6, 11:10pm
Nope I slid past the Browns bay Police station 20 years ago upsidedown on the roof in a yellow one so definately rollable!
thewomble1,
Feb 6, 11:21pm
Great little cars.Years ago I cut one down in size so it was only just over 7 foot long. Traveled all round the north island without any trouble.Get that mini and enjoy motoring again.
icemans1,
Feb 6, 11:45pm
good for around town, real easy for parking
elect70,
Feb 7, 12:26pm
So long as you can domost repairs yourselfbit of fun . Me & 2 mates circledNI in 1 overXmass holidays with surfboards on the roof & tent & gear . Only problem wasstuck thermostat
electromic,
Feb 7, 4:02pm
Have toured around the north Island in a worked mini 1275 GT, great fun. Mini's are easily upgraded, not just performance, but comfort to.
Ya the very last ones ('97 onward! I forget) had a driver air bag.
Can't say I like them. The full dash makes me feel cramped, and the engine bay is just a nightmare with the injection gear. Even worse if it's a Jap import with air con.
rob_man,
Feb 8, 8:14am
I was thinking the same thing from the pics. They've taken away the Mini-ness.
the-lada-dude,
Feb 8, 5:24pm
ive got an old cooper 970s 19000 mls stored under car cover in a shed, don't think it's worth any thing now, if someone offered me $200 i'd probably take it
smac,
Feb 8, 5:24pm
You funny.
richardmayes,
Feb 8, 5:34pm
You had it right at the very start. "Always wanted one" is about the only rational reason to buy a real Mini!
Practical! No it's not.
Can it do long distances! Yes it can. (subject to maintenance.) Can YOU do long distances in one! Now that's the question!
What problems are normal! Lack of power, lack of comfort, highly unsafe in a crash, lack of engine room space for doing even simple maintenance, water in the distributor, intense noise are all normal.
(Rust, Lucas electrics, worn suspension bushes are frequently occurring faults.)
socram,
Feb 8, 6:36pm
Sorry, have to disagree with most of your post!Simple maintenance is a doddle - plugs, tappets, oil and filter change etc are a lot easier than in many cars.Points! Swap for electronic ignition.What else is there!Oh, occasionally replacing a fan belt or bottom hose - old rally trick; modify the radiator shroud and it is then a doddle. Clutch adjustment - easy. Damp problem was eliminated in 1962 or thereabouts by fitting a rubber boot to distributor and coil. Later cars had a simple shroud. Comfort! I am over six feet tall and fit a decent seat, drop the steering column and all is fine.Intense noise!Add some sound deadening - or fit a LCB exhaust, short length of flexible pipe and decent muffler. (Also eliminates that manifold clamp.) Rust! No worse than any other classic from that vintage and all panels are available. Lack of power! Not with a 1300 engine and certainly not one that has been reworked properly - a 731 cam and decent head is fine. I am no mechanic but there is very little I can't deal with on a Mini.
fwank,
Feb 8, 7:28pm
The only problem is I know NOTHING about cars and am not a mechanic (don't even know how to tutu with cars at all). Otherwise I'd definately have one!
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