I am currently obsessing over the idea of getting a classic mini.

I parked my 2005 Cooper next to a classic in a parking lot a few weekes back and every since have been dreaming of an even tinier car.

But. I am not a mechanic. I can watch for maintenance things, but I won't pretend that I could fix much more than adding oil and changing wiper blades. Not that I might not be willing to learn, but it's not something I've ever done.

So - are there any shops in Charlotte, NC that work (well) on classic Minis? No way I would even consider getting one if there's no one around who could keep it in shape.

 

Haynes manual and your averag mechanic is all you need.
Very simple to work on.

 

Like the Car Talk guys say, find a mechanic who doesn't have all his teeth. He'll know what a carb is; he'll know how an ignition system works - how to set dwell and timing. But he'll likely not know what a dashpot is though unless he's worked on LBCs before.

 

And there are always classic Mini forums and email lists that you can join for assistance. Or you can just buy one that is all sorted out.

 

I am also in Charlotte. Tim Corby at Corby's British Cars did the large work on mine (I take care of most of the small to medium stuff.) He does good work and his shop is in south Charlotte. (He fits the Car Guys discription almost to a tee. He's a great guy though.) There is also Evan at Reborn Company out in Shelby. I have not had him do anything just because of how far away he is but I have been out to his shop and seen some of his work on MG's and Land Rovers and it looks top notch (seems like a good guy as well.)

If you want any contact info for these guys, drop me a PM. (I am also selling my classic cabrio if interested <---shameless plug) Seriously if you want to have a look at one up close and maybe even go out for a spin... drop me a note. I spent about six month obsessivly searching before I bought mine.

 

Thanks for the heads-up on Corby's (Tall Mini). I've had my 76' for about 16 months & haven't had luck finding anyone local that was familiar with them. Fortunately, its only needed minor things so far that I was able to handle (and believe me Kicksnake, if I can figure it out, anyone can). BTW, I highly recomend driving a classic Mini... you'll want one 10 times more.

 

Good points. Just be sure to stay with the carburated models, as there aren't many around these parts that do the FI models yet.

Check E-Bay too. Theres several dealers not too far from your location.

 

Second this... I read the UK forums, and there are always TONS of threads asking for help on the injected models. Carbs may not be sexy (dual Webbers notwithstanding), but they're easy to understand and work on, or even flat-out replace if need-be.

I WOULD recommend upgrading the distributor to an electronic model though... I hear literally nothing but good things from people that have replaced their mechanical points with the tiny electronic box to control the ignition timing (it fits inside the housing of the existing distributor).

Once the box is installed and the timing has been reset, I hear that it seldom, if ever, needs adjusting thereafter. If there's a nuclear war, your Mini will be fried in the EMP, but beyond THAT, there seems to be almost no drawbacks to the MOD at all, and I plan to do it just as soon as I find a garage that can reset the timing after the installation.

 

This is what happend to me too. Have a 06 Cabrio MCS but wanted to downsize They get in your blood fast and don't let go. I am having a whole lot of fun trying to work on this myself even though I haven't done any car work since High School 25+ years ago. It is giving me a great chance to add tools and gadgets to my garage (think learning to weld, bodywork, painting, etc...)

Everyone on this board is great as well. You can get answers to most everything by reading previous threads and if not get pointed to those who know by those who know.